Questions about band removal

[mandi78 3]

My surgeon suggested today that I have my band removed since I am having chest pain and left side pain that I am pretty certain is being caused by the band. That coupled with the fact that I have not lost any weight because I cannot stand the pressure in my chest it causes when I eat.

My questions are:

1-If you had a non-emergency band removal, did you have to stay in the hospital overnight?

2-Does anyone have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and if so, did they pay for the removal?

3-What was the recovery/pain/gas, etc like? Similar to when you had the band placed?

4-Did you have to do a pre-op diet before band removal? My surgeon said I do not have to but that makes no sense to me because it seems like the work they will be doing in there (band removal plus removal of scar tissue/adhesions), they would need the liver to be shrunk and out of the way and I have a history of having an enlarged liver.

5-How long after surgery did you have be on liquids?

[Jodi_620 37]

My surgeon suggested today that I have my band removed since I am having chest pain and left side pain that I am pretty certain is being caused by the band. That coupled with the fact that I have not lost any weight because I cannot stand the pressure in my chest it causes when I eat.

My questions are:

1-If you had a non-emergency band removal, did you have to stay in the hospital overnight?

2-Does anyone have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and if so, did they pay for the removal?

3-What was the recovery/pain/gas, etc like? Similar to when you had the band placed?

4-Did you have to do a pre-op diet before band removal? My surgeon said I do not have to but that makes no sense to me because it seems like the work they will be doing in there (band removal plus removal of scar tissue/adhesions), they would need the liver to be shrunk and out of the way and I have a history of having an enlarged liver.

5-How long after surgery did you have be on liquids?

1.) Whether you need to stay overnight will likely be the same as if you needed to when you got the Lap Band. The surgery is about the same (some say easier) as getting the band put in.

2.) If they covered putting it in then they will probably cover removal...if not, I doubt it. You will need to check your particular policy though.

4.) Have you gained any weight since getting the band in? The first place you gain or lose fat is around your liver. If you have not gained weight then there probably would be no need to diet to get the fat off the liver.

[lilnena 0]

Here is what I experienced:

My questions are:

1-If you had a non-emergency band removal, did you have to stay in the hospital overnight?

I stayed overnight, but it was my choice - I could have left that night but pain meds were better in the hospital

2-Does anyone have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and if so, did they pay for the removal?

I have Empire BC/BS and they paid for the removal - didn't need pre-approval either since it was an outpatient - but all insurance policies are different

3-What was the recovery/pain/gas, etc like? Similar to when you had the band placed?

Recovery was MUCH easier. I was off pain meds within 10 days - back at work after a week (and I had my gallbladder removed at the same time as the band)

4-Did you have to do a pre-op diet before band removal? My surgeon said I do not have to but that makes no sense to me because it seems like the work they will be doing in there (band removal plus removal of scar tissue/adhesions), they would need the liver to be shrunk and out of the way and I have a history of having an enlarged liver.

No pre-op diet - just 24 hrs of liquids before surgery

5-How long after surgery did you have be on liquids?

1 week liquids, 1 week mushies, then regular food again

[Nanook 2]

My surgeon suggested today that I have my band removed since I am having chest pain and left side pain that I am pretty certain is being caused by the band. That coupled with the fact that I have not lost any weight because I cannot stand the pressure in my chest it causes when I eat.

My questions are:

1-If you had a non-emergency band removal, did you have to stay in the hospital overnight?

2-Does anyone have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and if so, did they pay for the removal?

3-What was the recovery/pain/gas, etc like? Similar to when you had the band placed?

4-Did you have to do a pre-op diet before band removal? My surgeon said I do not have to but that makes no sense to me because it seems like the work they will be doing in there (band removal plus removal of scar tissue/adhesions), they would need the liver to be shrunk and out of the way and I have a history of having an enlarged liver.

5-How long after surgery did you have be on liquids?

Mandi,

I already answered part of your questions earlier but the part about pain/gas and recovery I didn't. I found it much easier to have it removed than to have it placed. Of course everyone is different and I had no complications. But I did not have the bad gas pains I had when I got the band. I suppose they didn't have to pump me full of gas either.

My recovery time seemed much easier and shorter than when I had it placed too. I think they were really careful about the pain meds they gave me when I got the lap band but not as strict after the surgery so that may have something to do with it. I was mostly concerned with the port removal and assuming it would be really painful but it wasn't. I didn't have any issues with anesthesia either.

I was about 20 lbs heavier when I had it removed than when I had it placed and I assumed that they would make me do a liquid diet, I was wrong. Because I had so much blood work done because I had been hospitalized two weeks before for the chest pains they didn't even do the preop blood work! I basically breezed in and out it was totally different.

I also thought they'd make me do the 3 day enema that was required before getting the lap band. No thank God! All they required was that I not eat or drink after midnight the night before the surgery. My surgery was at one in the afternoon so they let me drink Clear Liquids till 9:00 AM. So all the things I assumed they'd make me do they didn't so it was much easier all around.

They did not seem concerned about me having a fat liver or not as it wasn't even discussed and like I said I gained 20 lbs since I had gotten the band the 14 months prior to removal.

Then after surgery I thought once again I'd be on liquids, they just wanted me to have a light diet that day of surgery afterwards but they weren't concerned other than that day.

I did not have a scar tissue issue, they used the same incisions but just to the side so my incisions scars are now wider than they were when I first got the band but even the healing seem to go smoothly. I have dark purple lines still but it's no big deal to me, just my battle scars.

Anyway I wish you luck and your doctor and hospital will tell you what they require from you. I'm just sharing my own experience and hopefully yours will go as smoothly as mine did. Good luck and health, Nancy.:crying: