Second Time around

[joanieA 9]

I am scheduled to be rebanded in 10 days. My original surgery was in 2006. I did very well with my band, but now it has slipped and I have to have it either replaced or removed. I am not a candidate for a sleeve, as my BMI has dropped to 30 with the weight loss from the original banding. Has anyone had any success with a second band, and gone on to further weight loss and/or maintenance? Ive heard too much negative commentary and not enough positive results on second banding. I had little or no problems with the band, and Im hoping that repiositioning the band and starting over again will help me get back on the right path. anyone have any experience with this?

[Leepers 1,195]

Just curious, why can't they just reposition and secure the one you already have?

[joanieA 9]

That is the plan, if all goes well. But in reading and researching, it seems overwhelmingly that banding a second time has a very high failure rate. It may well be that people who were not successful with the first band will have problems with the second. I had minimal problems with my original band, so Im hoping for the best. I have one of the original 4cc bands, which it seems are not in use that much anymore, at least for initial band placement. I don't know what kind of scarring I may have either, so its a sort of wait-and-see situation. My hope is the band will be able to be repositioned and I can continue on my slow but steady weight loss ways! Good luck with your band!

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there Joanie, best wishes as you get ready for your new band - sounds like good timing to me as I know the bands have changed a lot in the last eight years since you had yours. And you were successful with that one. Thinking of you as I know the wait and see mode is anxiety provoking. You will do well -- just relax and let the surgeons do what they do best. Keep us posted on your progress!

[debihaines 3]

I had my original banding in 12/07 - had nothing but problems but lost 80 lbs. In 04/10 the band slipped and I had to be re-banded. Started all over again. My surgeon told me then that I would probably never lose as much as I had the first time, I gained back 50 lbs; that's the bad news.

The good news is that I'm in a good place and I'm where I want to be in the amount of food I'm able to eat. Pre-surgery I could have wolfed down a triple cheeseburger, fries and a few dozen Cookies and still feel hungry. Now it takes very little to feel full and I've learned to listen to my body. I don't crave carbs like I did in the past.

My challenges are that I will "forget" to eat - I'm just not hungry and when I do eat, it's just not the right things - so I have a lot of work to do on that end.

Bottom line: I do not regret getting the band in the first place or even having to be re-banded - I would probably be over 400 lbs the way I was going.

[MzEboni912 177]

I had my original banding in 12/07 - had nothing but problems but lost 80 lbs. In 04/10 the band slipped and I had to be re-banded. Started all over again. My surgeon told me then that I would probably never lose as much as I had the first time, I gained back 50 lbs; that's the bad news.

The good news is that I'm in a good place and I'm where I want to be in the amount of food I'm able to eat. Pre-surgery I could have wolfed down a triple cheeseburger, fries and a few dozen Cookies and still feel hungry. Now it takes very little to feel full and I've learned to listen to my body. I don't crave carbs like I did in the past.

My challenges are that I will "forget" to eat - I'm just not hungry and when I do eat, it's just not the right things - so I have a lot of work to do on that end.

Bottom line: I do not regret getting the band in the first place or even having to be re-banded - I would probably be over 400 lbs the way I was going.

HOPING THE BEST FOR YOU.

[rosettag 122]

A friend of mine had a second band placed after the first had slipped.

The second band is a great success, since she has lost all the weight she had gained back ( about 100lbs, 52 kilos) during the two years without a band.

[B-52 7,113]

You mentioned something interesting...your insurance will not cover a sleeve because your BMI is now low....

I have been at a normal weight for 2 years now...no complications at all....I have wondered where do I go from here....do I keep the band? Go over to something with less maintenance such as the sleeve?

But I never considered the insurance not wanting to do anything, because I am not Obese, or even overweight for that matter.... have no co mormidities, and have now have a history of being so for a few years....

Something to ponder...they may not want to do anything unless there is a medical problem that needs to be taken care of...

[joanieA 9]

You are right about the insurance. The guidelines and criteria do not change because you have successfully lost weight. My procedure is covered as it is a complication from the original band surgery, not a new procedure. The gastric sleeve may have been a tougher fight, but I didn't want it anyway. My surgeon thought they may cover it because of band failure, but since I had a lower BMI and no longer fit the criteria, it was going to be an uphill battle. As a rule, they do not cover an alternative procedure unless the original failed. Mine didn't fail; I lost the weight and did the program. At the end of the day, Im happy to be rebanded. Im familiar with it, and know I have the commitment. I even feel that I've been given a second chance of sorts. I became less and less diligent as time went on. This can be looked at as a wakeup call!

As your band has been trouble-free and you are where you need to be, I would just leave it. Mine has been in place for almost 7 years. Don't know why it slipped, but as soon as he removed all the Fluid, I regained 13 pounds since October. I need the tool it provides, was successful with it, and plan to keep it forever. They are intended to be permanent, with the removal option if something goes wrong. there is no harm in leaving it in place, especially since you are experiencing good results.

It wouldn't hurt to go to a support meeting and voice your thoughts. People who are new to banding are usually "up" on all the latest insurance and alternative surgery issues. I hope you continue to be successful!!

[SLO_loser 0]

<p>I had my original banding in 12/07 - had nothing but problems but lost 80 lbs. In 04/10 the band slipped and I had to be re-banded. Started all over again. My surgeon told me then that I would probably never lose as much as I had the first time, I gained back 50 lbs; that's the bad news. </p> <p> </p> <p>The good news is that I'm in a good place and I'm where I want to be in the amount of food I'm able to eat. Pre-surgery I could have wolfed down a triple cheeseburger, fries and a few dozen Cookies and still feel hungry. Now it takes very little to feel full and I've learned to listen to my body. I don't crave carbs like I did in the past.</p> <p> </p> <p>My challenges are that I will "forget" to eat - I'm just not hungry and when I do eat, it's just not the right things - so I have a lot of work to do on that end.</p> <p> </p> <p>Bottom line: I do not regret getting the band in the first place or even having to be re-banded - I would probably be over 400 lbs the way I was going.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Debi, I'm a bandster too and I had my band placed 12/30/2010. Unfortunately I have had problems with it from the start, couldn't tolerate fluids hardly at all, at my early post op at 1wk I had lost 17 lbs, I thought great, lots of weight loss but I felt terrible, I have spent the better portion of the 3 years feeling a fullness at the bottom of my throat and in the fall started having 'stuck' vomiting sessions of just the mucus and saliva, regardless of it being immediately after eating it was like the bottom of my esophagus clamped down. Over the first 18 months I had a steady loss to the max-64lbs, I am 5#8.5" and started at 246, down to a wonderful but not finished 182 then started gaining back to 135, now 132. Mostly because of not tolerating meat, only tolerating sliders and Beans, NO RICE, Potatoes, minimal Pasta high in Fiber. I have seen another bariatric surgeon nearer to my home as my insurance doesn't cover the original surgeon at the highly rated hospital in Santa Barbara Cottage, instead they'll cover a new program that hasn't received the special rating yet. Had my port emptied, with much difficulty, 4-5 sticks before hit the right spot due to my port tilted almost 90 degrees. Then got a skin infection, never had that with all the fills at the original surgeon. So, I am considering lapband removal and may have to wait to let that tissue heal before doing a gastric bypass. I have since met quite a few people who have had the gastric bypass and gained a lot of weight back and I am wary. I am ashamed, angry, frustrated, exhausted.

[SLO_loser 0]

I had my original banding in 12/07 - had nothing but problems but lost 80 lbs. In 04/10 the band slipped and I had to be re-banded. Started all over again. My surgeon told me then that I would probably never lose as much as I had the first time, I gained back 50 lbs; that's the bad news.

The good news is that I'm in a good place and I'm where I want to be in the amount of food I'm able to eat. Pre-surgery I could have wolfed down a triple cheeseburger, fries and a few dozen Cookies and still feel hungry. Now it takes very little to feel full and I've learned to listen to my body. I don't crave carbs like I did in the past.

My challenges are that I will "forget" to eat - I'm just not hungry and when I do eat, it's just not the right things - so I have a lot of work to do on that end.

Bottom line: I do not regret getting the band in the first place or even having to be re-banded - I would probably be over 400 lbs the way I was going.

Debi, I'm a bandster too and I had my band placed 12/30/2010. Unfortunately I have had problems with it from the start, couldn't tolerate fluids hardly at all, at my early post op at 1wk I had lost 17 lbs, I thought great, lots of weight loss but I felt terrible, I have spent the better portion of the 3 years feeling a fullness at the bottom of my throat and in the fall started having 'stuck' vomiting sessions of just the mucus and saliva, regardless of it being immediately after eating it was like the bottom of my esophagus clamped down. Over the first 18 months I had a steady loss to the max-64lbs, I am 5#8.5" and started at 246, down to a wonderful but not finished 182 then started gaining back to 235 now 232. Mostly because of not tolerating meat, only tolerating sliders and Beans, NO RICE, Potatoes, minimal Pasta high in Fiber. I have seen another bariatric surgeon nearer to my home as my insurance doesn't cover the original surgeon at the highly rated hospital in Santa Barbara Cottage, instead they'll cover a new program that hasn't received the special rating yet. Had my port emptied, with much difficulty, 4-5 sticks before hit the right spot due to my port tilted almost 90 degrees. Then got a skin infection, never had that with all the fills at the original surgeon. So, I am considering lapband removal and may have to wait to let that tissue heal before doing a gastric bypass. I have since met quite a few people who have had the gastric bypass and gained a lot of weight back and I am wary. I am ashamed, angry, frustrated, exhausted.

[kll724 3,055]

I had to have a revision. My surgeon, too, thought that he would have to remove and give me a new band, but it was not necessary. I do have a titled port, but surgeon says that happens when the port is big and then you lose weight and you might need a smaller port to fit. I don't get fills anymore, since I can't tolerate any larger than what I currently have, 5 cc. So, I will cross the bridge of smaller port at some other time! Best wishes to you and i hope that the plan that you have with your surgeon works out for you. Karen..aka.kll724