Lap band reposition after slip?

[azdmelissa 7]

Hi everyone, I was a low BMI bandster. I had good weight loss success with my band, but it has been a journey. Fills, unfills, episodes of being so tight I had to have an immediate unfill, etc. About 6 months ago I started having symptoms associated with a slip and the upper GI tests I've had done definitely show a slip. My choices are: remove lap band (which is not what I want to do), reposition lap band, or revise to a sleeve or bypass.

I work for one of the largest health care providers in the St. Louis area and my insurance will cover a revision, but only with a provider in their network. Guess how many bariatric providers there are in the network? 2! One is the surgeon who did my lap band and he only does lap band. The other surgeon is currently not doing revisions and won't be for potentially another year.

I could go to another surgeon and do self-pay, but that seems crazy to go through that again. I was self pay for my lap band surgery because my BMI was not high enough and I just recently paid all those bills off. I am also leery of the sleeve surgery because it is so permanent. Lap bands can always come out.

I feel like the decision is being made for me. I prayed for assistance making this decision and all arrows are pointing me this way.

Has anyone had success after a lap band slip, then reposition? I am worried about it happening again in another three years.

[c945105 12]

I'm interested too in what others say. I had my band in 2012 and have been very successful losing 95lb but I like you went through back and forth of fills. It took allot of fill for me to feel restriction and then it was too tight and slowly let some out each time. Now for the last year I thought it was fine but they imaged it and it's slipped. I don't have really any symptoms. They took 2 cc out and I guess it goes back into place allot. I am praying it does. I was self pay too and I don't want to deal with what that would cost. I feel like I knew this would happen and after the surgery I really wished I had gotten the sleeve so I didn't have something foreign in my body. It just seems like too many things can occur with something that shouldn't be there normally. Anyhow, I'm curious what others say. Good luck to you.