My internist opened my eyes

[jkend50035 1]

Hi--I am brand new here and I apologize for being ignorant about the sleeve. I have been banded since 2008 with not much success. I saw my internist today and he said most people only lose on the average of 50lbs on the lapband, whereas the sleeve the average weight loss is 120lbs. He said it is also done laprscopically, like the lapband. So he highly recommends that I do it, because I am going no where on my band and my dieting is not working, and I need to lose over 100lbs, then I will be at my ideal body weight. He says that all the recent medical journals are now recommending the sleeve. My questions:

1. Is all this true?

2. Are there more than 1 type of sleeve operations?

3. Is it difficult to transition from the lapband to the sleeve?

4. Does Insurance cover it? (I have Blue Cross)

5. Are there other important questions that I am not asking?

Thank you in advance for any info you can share,

My name is Jim K

[MeMeMEEE 206]

Good luck in your journey - I haven't had the sleeve yet so can't answer most questions.

Call your insurance to see if they cover the sleeve.

As for weight loss, I have heard it can be comparable to gastric bypass.

[TexasT 99]

Hi--I am brand new here and I apologize for being ignorant about the sleeve. I have been banded since 2008 with not much success. I saw my internist today and he said most people only lose on the average of 50lbs on the lapband, whereas the sleeve the average weight loss is 120lbs. He said it is also done laprscopically, like the lapband. So he highly recommends that I do it, because I am going no where on my band and my dieting is not working, and I need to lose over 100lbs, then I will be at my ideal body weight. He says that all the recent medical journals are now recommending the sleeve. My questions:

1. Is all this true? I can't speak for the statistics, but if you look at most of the people on this website that have had revisions, this is very possible.

2. Are there more than 1 type of sleeve operations? From what I've read, there is the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and the Gastric Sleeve Plication

3. Is it difficult to transition from the lapband to the sleeve? Not only is it NOT difficult, you'll find life with the sleeve a thousand times easier than dealing with a lapband. No fills, no food getting stuck, you'll be able to eat ANYTHING you want in moderation. The hunger hormones are lessened so much that food will become something to fuel your body and not an obsession.

4. Does Insurance cover it? (I have Blue Cross) I also have BCBS insurance and mine doesn't cover WLS. But each plan is different. Contact your carrier.

5. Are there other important questions that I am not asking? If I were you, I'd scour this section of the boards and read all you can to find out what others have gone through with revisions. I think one of the most important things is to find a surgeon who has done plenty of revisions. Ask them for their stats (number of total WLS done by type, number of revisions, complication rate, etc.). If they don't offer this info willingly keep looking. What is their aftercare like? Do they have support groups (I don't do this, but many people are helped by it), a nutritionist on staff, etc? The only real follow-up care you'll need after the first couple of months will be periodic blood work to make sure you're getting the needed Vitamins, etc. Many people that go to Mexico for revisions are able to do follow-up care with their primary care doc with no issues.

Getting the band out of your body ASAP is a smart decision. Many people are having major complications from the band several years down the road and don't even realize how damaged their stomach tissue is until they have the band removed. Best of luck on your research and decision!

[jkend50035 1]

Thanks for replying. Your help is greatly appreciated. I plan on calling my doctor about this tomorrow.

--Jim K