Band to bypass Pre-Op

[Still Misbehavin 5]

Hello, I'm Danielle and I am one of the MANY people who need to have a revision surgery. I had my band put in in July 2009. There were many ups and downs but I landed in the 40% EWL category. I still had 90lbs to go, but after discussing it with a different bariatric surgeon... He broke the news to me: (+)65% of all Lap Bands will fail in the first 6 years, and his case load carries more then 90 revisions a year.

I was relieved to hear that it wasn't "Me" who failed; it was the band that failed. You see... I have a DIRE need to lose my weight. I have no co-morbidities, however, at 32 years old I have had 2 major back surgeries. In August 2012, I had a spinal fusion. My neurosurgeon explained that once you get one fusion, each subsequent disc will continue to deteriorate until my entire back is fused... Screws, rods, plates and all.

My motivation is to not be crippled with another spinal fusion every 2 years until I am completely disabled at the age of 40. I am here in order to utilize EVERY POSSIBLE TOOL I can find, as well as, be here to support others.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. ***my official surgery date is Feb. 21, 2013 @ 7:30am***

[Butterfly66 63]

My daughter is getting ready for revision surgery from band to bypass. I am curious what you had to do to get approved for revision? How did you band fail?

[tzbandtobypass 48]

I was revised band to RNY on 1/14. I cannot believe how different this is.

I did okay with the band (my band surgery was 12/09) and lost about 100 pounds before I started having complications. I still had at least 50 more pounds to lose, but instead of losing those, my band was completely unfilled and I gained about 50 pounds over the course of only two months. It was heartbreaking to watch all of that hard work get flushed down the toilet.

I sought out a new surgeon and he recommended the revision. He also gave me a huge fill to help me from gaining any more weight while I went through the process. It only took about 1 month to get through all the pre-op stuff and get things submitted to my insurance. I was approved the same day!

Since surgery I have lost 29 pounds (today is my 4 week mark!). If I remember correctly that is much faster than I lost with the band. The experience has been very different in that after the band surgery there was a good month before I could get any fill and even then it was very small. It was several months until I had any kind of restriction and most of what I lose with the band was because I was "dieting" and not because the band really did much for me. I never got to the sweet spot and just wavered between not being able to feel the band and having so much restriction that I would everything up all the time.

After this last 4 weeks, I wish I would have just done the RNY in 2009. Good luck to you on your surgery!

To Butterfly, the band caused esophageal damage via acid reflux. Besides it just not working, having this symptom helped make the insurance process fly by. I had to do an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy before my surgeon would submit everything to insurance. That was to help me get approved quickly. I also had to get medical clearance from my primary care doctor, which just stated that i was healthy enough to undergo the surgery. I had to get blood work ordered by the surgeon and I also had to do another psych evaluation. It wasn't difficult at all and since it was my second time through an almost identical process, I knew what I had to get done in order to get approved.

[Butterfly66 63]

Thanks. I really appreciate the input. I am going to have my daughter get her band checked soon. She is on her sixth month of doctor visits so she meets insurance requirements already. The weight loss center said she didn't have to do her psych eval again.

[kparadisek 115]

tzbandtobypass, what all did you have to do in the upper endoscopy? Is that the same an the upper GI? i've got to have one tomorrow. I got my band in 2007 and have waited entirely to long to decide to get the bypass. I hope I don't have to do a colonoscopy. At least the doctor didn't say i did.

I wish you all luck with the bypass.

[tzbandtobypass 48]

Upper GI is completely different. You drink stuff, they take a series of pictures and you're done.

Upper endoscopy is a tube with a camera put down your throat to evaluate the inside of your esophagus and stomach. I was given propofol and never felt a thing. They did my colonoscopy at the same time and since I was asleep, I didn't feel a thing. The worst part of the colonoscopy is the prep...I've never spent so much time in the bathroom.