Band to sleeve success question....

[Idlewood4 93]

What a motivating thread! Thank you all for sharing your stories. I got my band in 10/07, went from 308 to 237, had colon surgery and got to 224. Then I had the port flip and they replaced it. Port flipped again,got replaced again. Never got to the "sweet spot" after that first time. Had major acid reflux,couldn't swallow my pills, and ended up gaining back to 256. That scared me, and I managed to hover around 256 for a while with an empty band. I had it removed in April 2013 after it slipped. Had to wait for the inflammation to settle down, and then go through the 90 day insurance requirement. Had to jump through a few extra hoops since it was a second bariatric surgery. Got my approval, and I'm set for the sleeve on 12/9. Thank you all for sharing your stories. I'm sure I'm making the right decision for me, and you've all confirmed it. To great health!

[goosie17 5]

Thanks to all of you for your posts. I was banded March 2012 and had esophageal dilation last December and a slip this December. I saw the surgeon today and he said I would need to have it removed but since I have no symptoms now that the band is empty, I can keep it in place for 6 months while I do the medically guided diet (in other words, weigh in with a Dr for 6 months for insurance purposes). In the year and 9 months that I have had the band I have lost 40 lbs and that's all! I am interested in having a sleeve revision but I have blue cross blue shield insurance and because i lost 40lbs with the band my bmi is no longer 40 and I am being told insurance will not cover the revision. They will cover the removal because of complications but not the revision. I am scared, upset, heartbroken and feel like a failure. Please give me all the advice you have.

[Johnny12 0]

Can somebody help me please if they have advise to give. My current weight is 338lbs with a BMI of 45. I have decided on the Lap Band because I am mortified of having my stomach permanently cut. However, most people have advised a sleeve operation instead of a band. As it is now, True Results has advised me of a $2100 cost with BCBS insurance. I don't know what to do but I know I need to lose weight. Can anyone advise? What is the protocol to follow for a lap band to sleeve revision if I feel the band is not working? Will BCBS pay for a revision? What are the conditions? Should I just go for the sleeve? I have a friend who has had the band and after losing an initial 23 lbs has gained 6 of it back in 4 months and this is not encouraging at all. I need to make the best decision. Please help!!!!

[Johnny12 0]

Can somebody help me please if they have advise. My current weight is 338lbs with a BMI of 45. I have decided on the Lap Band because I am mortified of having my stomach permanently cut. However, most people have advised a sleeve operation instead of a band. As it is now, True Results has advised me of a $2100 cost with BCBS insurance. I don't know what to do but I know I need to lose weight. Can anyone advise? What is the protocol to follow for a lap band to sleeve revision if I feel the band is not working? Will BCBS pay for a revision? What are the conditions? Should I just go for the sleeve? I have a friend who has had the band and after losing an initial 23 lbs has gained 6 of it back in 4 months and this is not encouraging at all. I need to make the best decision. Please help!!!!

[LifeLiver 22]

I was banded in July 2008. My weight was 370 pounds. I did excellent with my band and was down to 195 pounds by Dec 2011 (Mainly on slider foods and horrible food choices). I was at my goal and decided to go to my surgeon to ask for a slight unfill because I did not want to keep losing weight. (I was looking anorexic) My surgeon became concerned that I may have a slippage so we had it checked out. When I did the barium swallow test, we found that my band was WAY too tight (4.7cc in a 14cc band). Just the slightest whisper of Fluid was going through the band and my esophagus was dilated. He did a complete unfill in my band for 3 months to give my esophagus a rest. I gained weight at an alarming rate (10 pounds in the 1st 7 days) I was back up to 235 pounds by the time we started adding .5cc back to the band every 2 months. I never, ever got my good restriction back. I had a complete unfill again May 2013 and was up to 294 pounds by Sept of 2013. I had my sleeve revision Nov 7th 2013. I will be 3 weeks out tomorrow. I am doing the puree and soft foods step right now. I am not sure if it is because I was so used to not being able to eat anything with my band, but I feel like I can eat far too much at this point. I hope this changes once I get to go back to solid foods. Any comments on how your feeling of being full was better after the puree stage will be much appreciated

Well...sounds like we can be sisters..I was banded in 2004, lost 190 lbs...had total body lift that I paid oop for. I puked my way down to 175...I started gaining in 2011..10lbs, then 15...then went in for evaluation and found out that I had completely occluded off and my esophagus was huge..opened up my band and I gained 27lbs in 5 days...of eating normal...not overeating. I had the sleeve on 10/22- never lost another pound after 11/6...and have slowly gained 10 lbs in the last month...even with working out and eating around 1200 cal a day. The doctors put me on fentermine 3 days ago to see if will jump start my metabolism. I am so sad, but wondering if my esoph is still huge...but physically it is not possible for me to be gaining...so I need to trust things will balance out...I am now up to 234.

[BellaHugz 331]

Johnny it is preety tricky with insurance many state that if you have comobities then no problem you can have revision surgery. The other key is that your bmi must be over 40% in order for them to agree/ approve the sleeve revision after lapband.

If I may suggest save yourself the heart ech and go for the sleeve. I had the lapband in 09 lost 60lbs followed my doctors advice to the tee it took 2 years to reach 60lbs lost then my band began to leak which no one would admit too. I had to be sneaky and go to a radiologist who removed all the saline then refilled it to 9cc my next visit showed only 3cc of saline in my port. My dr denied many times that there was a leak and the proof was all documented. The worst part was feeling as I had failed yet again a diet and lapband experience. It wasnt me. I got a second oppion and now after 7 months of working toward the goal of getting my lapband removed and I sleeve revision surgery done it is next month. The journey has been hard, extremely hard and many people I know just give up.

So please research, pray and research some more. Find on the boards someone who has the simular medical history Height and weight and ask questions. Many here on the site will tell you the truth. Good luck.

Edited December 28, 2013 by BellaHugz