Band issues, curious.

[Mitchell 0]

Hi everyone.

I had my band put in Feb 24 of 2006. I have lost a total of 60lbs over the years.

Recently I have been having a lot, lot, of acid reflux and pain when I twist or turn. I have had three surgeries, including the band placement. I don't live in the same state that I had my band put in, so I have been going to a local doctor, but found out he no longer takes my insurance. I am considering getting the band removed, as I am not happy with it, worried sick I have erosion or slippage and dreading another surgery to fix whatever is wrong and then have another issue happen.

For those that have had their bands put in in the states, and had to have them removed. Is it covered under insurance? If I have to get this band removed, and possibly in a hurry, will it be covered? What do I do? My current doctor's insurance lady isn't much help, because they don't take my insurance anyway, but I could go back to my original doctor if he would remove it.

I am scared and confused, but really want it removed. Anyway have experiences they can share, especially witht he insurance portion.

Thanks,

-Mitch

[Nanook 2]

Mine was removed due to GERD and the fact that I wasn't losing weight with it and it was covered by insurance. The pains I had with GERD were so bad I was put in the hospital to make sure it wasn't my heart and of course it wasn't. I'm sure everyone's situation and insurance company differ but it can be covered, good luck, Nancy.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Are you ill with symptoms you feel are band related, or do you just feel the band isn't helping you? Honestly I know the band isn't for everyone and as Nanook correctly said, it can be removed and many insurance companies will pay if there is a medical necessity.

HOWEVER, may I ask if you have been getting adequate follow-up care? If you don't have a physician or surgeon who specializes in the band, but also don't have symptoms of erosion/slippage/etc, it's possible you just need an attitude adjustment and a band adjustment.

I don't mean to negate your fears, just offer another opinion/side of things. The band requries aftercare, no doubt about that, and it sounds like you haven't really had that, at least for a while. Odds are you'll regain what you lost if you have it removed (sad but true)

I don't "know" you, your story, your situation, so I don't mean to be presumptuous. But something convinced you 3 1/2 years ago, that the band was for you. Since then you lost your specialized care and any impetus to use the tool you have. Slips and erosion are possiblities but most of us don't go day to day fearing that. I know, though, my good doc is a phone call or a short car ride away. It's possible a good bariatric surgeon could help you. At the worst, a good bariatric surgeon can help you see if insurance will pay for your band removal.

[ellendeette 1]

I had the lapband procedure on May 20, 2008. My band slipped when I was on a trip to Kauai last month (July 2009). It is my understanding that it is quite rare for the band to slip but mine did. I had to have it removed when I returned because it not only slipped but was twisted.

As you know when you have the band put in, the costs for the procedure vary from insurance to insurance. The same is true when you have the band taken out. I have Blue Cross PPO and my out-of-pocket cost for the hospital ALONE was $2,920. I have not received my doctor's bill yet.

I am sad that I don't have the band any more. We were a great team. I've lost 85 pounds and I want to maintain my weight loss plus lose some more. I may or may not have a new band placed again in the future.

I would suggest going to a bariatric doctor and finding out the status of your band (slipped, eroded, etc.). Also find out through your insurance company what would be covered and not be covered so you will know ahead of time.

I am very concerned about your symptoms. When my band slipped and twisted, I could not take any liquid or food and my saliva would even come up. It was terrible! You get dehydrated very quickly.

The emergency doctors in Kauai did not know much about the lapband procedure. One thing they did do which was good is that they put me on an IV ASAP. If I was on Oahu, it probably would have been better. They tried taking Fluid from my port and were unable to. I had three doctors trying to remove Fluid. Later we found out, the band had twisted so they could not remove fluid anyway.

Good luck to you! Please let me know what happens when you go to the doctor. I would suggest not seeing any other doctor but a bariatric doctor because any other doctor is not trained for lapband problems. The longer you delay with a slip or twisted band, the more it could damage your stomach. I had to be in the hospital three days for testing prior to my removal because the doctors had to find out the status of my stomach. All was well (no erosion) but it really traumatized my stomach.

[Mitchell 0]

Are you ill with symptoms you feel are band related, or do you just feel the band isn't helping you? Honestly I know the band isn't for everyone and as Nanook correctly said, it can be removed and many insurance companies will pay if there is a medical necessity.

HOWEVER, may I ask if you have been getting adequate follow-up care? If you don't have a physician or surgeon who specializes in the band, but also don't have symptoms of erosion/slippage/etc, it's possible you just need an attitude adjustment and a band adjustment.

I don't mean to negate your fears, just offer another opinion/side of things. The band requries aftercare, no doubt about that, and it sounds like you haven't really had that, at least for a while. Odds are you'll regain what you lost if you have it removed (sad but true)

I don't "know" you, your story, your situation, so I don't mean to be presumptuous. But something convinced you 3 1/2 years ago, that the band was for you. Since then you lost your specialized care and any impetus to use the tool you have. Slips and erosion are possiblities but most of us don't go day to day fearing that. I know, though, my good doc is a phone call or a short car ride away. It's possible a good bariatric surgeon could help you. At the worst, a good bariatric surgeon can help you see if insurance will pay for your band removal.

Actually I have had adequate followup care. Minor adjustments to the band, food changes etc. I have had the band going on 4 years, this isn't like I just got it last week.

Last year I had symptoms where I felt like someone was pulling on my throat, so I went to a surgeon that specialized in the band and after all the tests they decided it was my Gallbladder and it needed to be removed. So I told the surgeon I didn't think that was what it was but because it had a lot of stones in it taking it out was probably the best thing to do. But I also told him to check the band and check the fill line because the discomfort I was feeling was just that, a pulling sensation.

When he removed the gallbladder he found that a section of cavity fat and flopped onto the cable and was indeed pulling the fill line, so he repositioned the cable and also added a stitch to the backside of the band (one had apparently come loose somehow).

After that I had minor pains but I just assumed it was the stitch healing. I waited 6 months and got another small fill and everything was fine.

Three weeks ago I started getting sharp pains when I twisted my body, I feel like I have something gripping my chest right behind my breast bone. I have seen the surgeon, he wants to do a endoscopy and then a exploratory lapriscopy to check the inside and outside of the area and maybe remove scar tissue and shorten the fill line.

My thing is, how many surgeries do I want to have and complications before it is too much? I am not getting younger. This pain is currently barely tolerable. I am taking two nexium a day right now. I can't find a doctor in the area that takes my insurance and does the band, even though I live 15 minutes from Washington DC! Sure there are surgeons around that do t, but none seem to be in the United Healthecare EPO plan (In network doctors only). The current surgeon I am going to was in network and was covered for my regular checkups and maintenance but is now out of network. I did get my insurance to give me a GAP coverage for him to perform the two listed proceedues. Since I couldn't find a doctor within 30 miles and niether could the insurance company. But After 3 surgeries for this, I am beginning to question if it is worth it to have another. The pain I am having right now is not fun, I love the weight loss I have had, but is it worth this? Everyday I wait for help is another that convinces me getting a revision would be worth it.

Do I want to get one, right now yes. But maybe it is just a desire to get help for the pain. If I wasn't in pain, or discomfort, I wouldn't want to get it removed. Fear is a powerful thing.

I also know where the band is and I know where the pain is, and they are both in the same spot. I was right about the last complication, I am probably right about this one. Naturally I am not an expert surgeon, but I know when something is wrong, pain says so.

My family wants me to get it removed, they don't like me staying up all night because it hurts to laydown, hurts to situp, can't sleep from worry: eat foods other than salads and Soups because it hurts.

I loved the band when I got it, still love what it has done for me. Didn't like getting a new port put in because the first was too big. Hated getting my gallbladder removed because fatty tissue was pulling on the fill line. Don't want to go in and get another surgery to see what is going on on the outside, maybe fix a line issue, or something, and then have to go back again for some other possible complication. I am reaching out to help myself decide what my limit is for weightloss to pain/discomfort.

Where do the surgeries end? That is why I am considering a reversion.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Thanks for taking the time to explain your situation; I asked because I hoped I could help but it sounds like, short of changing your insurance and giving you access to another surgeon and a 2nd opinion, not much will help you right now!

You probably know, then, that your best recourse is to contact your insurance company and if it's a medical necessity, make sure they'll pay to have your band removed, and get your "dispensation" to have that done.

It isn't for everyone; I'm sorry the experience wasn't what you'd expected or could even live with, but we have pain for a reason and you are right; living in constant pain is no way to be, especially if you can help it.

Good luck!

[justiceaim1 0]

I had the lapband procedure on May 20, 2008. My band slipped when I was on a trip to Kauai last month (July 2009). It is my understanding that it is quite rare for the band to slip but mine did. I had to have it removed when I returned because it not only slipped but was twisted.

Do they know what caused it to slip? Were you doing something athletic at the time or did you eat something too big? That's scary. How can a person make sure there's doesn't slip or do the doctors know what causes this?

[Mitchell 0]

Thanks for taking the time to explain your situation; I asked because I hoped I could help but it sounds like, short of changing your insurance and giving you access to another surgeon and a 2nd opinion, not much will help you right now!

You probably know, then, that your best recourse is to contact your insurance company and if it's a medical necessity, make sure they'll pay to have your band removed, and get your "dispensation" to have that done.

It isn't for everyone; I'm sorry the experience wasn't what you'd expected or could even live with, but we have pain for a reason and you are right; living in constant pain is no way to be, especially if you can help it.

Good luck!

Ya I am sorry too, that is why I have still not convinced myself to get it reversed. Why I fight with the insurance to get the tests done. I figure if anything, when the endoscopy gets done and they can see something, I can make the decision then, call my doctor that did the banding and see if he will reverse it if needed (he ironically does take my insurance, except he is in Nevada).

I probably should start preparing them, just in case.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Ya I am sorry too, that is why I have still not convinced myself to get it reversed. Why I fight with the insurance to get the tests done. I figure if anything, when the endoscopy gets done and they can see something, I can make the decision then, call my doctor that did the banding and see if he will reverse it if needed (he ironically does take my insurance, except he is in Nevada).

I probably should start preparing them, just in case.

I really do hope it works out for you; maybe they'll find something like a hernia or something that is fixable and not band related. I don't remember how old you are (if you posted it) but I know as we get older, "life" happens and some things just go wrong (like the gall bladder; that's common with good weight loss. THe other issue with the tubing isn't so common!)

Is there any way you can go to Nevada and your original doc (if you trust him and think he could pin point things for you?)

[SuzanneG 1]

So sorry about your experience. Maybe you could try having the Fluid removed first and see if things settle down and how you feel with the band not offering restriction.

As for the doctor, mine is in Richmond. Still a haul for you, but not as bad as Nevada. I dearly LOVE him and St. Mary's hospital (where his office is and where he operates) is fantastic. It might be worth giving him a call. Dr. Brengman, Richmond Surgical Group, 804-285-4133.

Also, mumof2boys, had her surgery at GW. She LOVED her doc. His name is, Dr. Fred Brody, GW Hospital Washington DC. I got that from her signature line, so I don't have a number, but your insurance could look it up.

Best of luck to you. Please keep us posted on what you decide to do.

[Nanook 2]

Sorry Mitchell that you're going through this especially after 3 surgeries and having issues with your insurance company. I grew up just outside of DC and would have thought you could have many opportunities to find a good surgeon but I see your insurance company is holding you back. That is exactly where I had my pain and why I was in the hospital overnight to rule out my heart.

I knew it was a band issue so I called my primary to make an appt. to see if they could send me to have some type of x-ray/test done to pin point the problem, this was per my insurance company since I knew after 14 months of my band not working that it was time to take it out and especially with the pain I was enduring constantly. So even though I was trying to go by the steps the insurance company suggested I do my primary told me to go to the ER of my nearest hospital and that included spending the night in the hall of a crowded hospital with lights above my head and a nitroglycerin patch on giving me major headaches I stuck it out and was released by the attending who said it was GERD due to my band and put me on protonix. This was in the fall of 2008.

So forward two weeks and my band is being removed and due to that ER visit it sped things up quite a bit for me.

So it appears to me you have to be the "sqeaky wheel" and do whatever is possible to get it covered by a good surgeon and whatever repairs you need covered also. I know I needed an endocopy performed after the removal to check for damage and I didn't have nearly the complications you appear to have.

Anyway pain is always scary and it's there for a reason so I wish you the best of luck and hope you get things taken care of take care, Nancy.

[Mitchell 0]

Sorry Mitchell that you're going through this especially after 3 surgeries and having issues with your insurance company. I grew up just outside of DC and would have thought you could have many opportunities to find a good surgeon but I see your insurance company is holding you back. That is exactly where I had my pain and why I was in the hospital overnight to rule out my heart.

I knew it was a band issue so I called my primary to make an appt. to see if they could send me to have some type of x-ray/test done to pin point the problem, this was per my insurance company since I knew after 14 months of my band not working that it was time to take it out and especially with the pain I was enduring constantly. So even though I was trying to go by the steps the insurance company suggested I do my primary told me to go to the ER of my nearest hospital and that included spending the night in the hall of a crowded hospital with lights above my head and a nitroglycerin patch on giving me major headaches I stuck it out and was released by the attending who said it was GERD due to my band and put me on protonix. This was in the fall of 2008.

So forward two weeks and my band is being removed and due to that ER visit it sped things up quite a bit for me.

So it appears to me you have to be the "sqeaky wheel" and do whatever is possible to get it covered by a good surgeon and whatever repairs you need covered also. I know I needed an endocopy performed after the removal to check for damage and I didn't have nearly the complications you appear to have.

Anyway pain is always scary and it's there for a reason so I wish you the best of luck and hope you get things taken care of take care, Nancy.

Well it looks like I will be joining you. I went to the surgeon today, that isn't covered and told him what was going on and that something had to be done. He has scheduled an endoscopy tomorrow with the local hospital and is going to see if he can determin what is going on. Then after, if it is needed he is going to remove it that day or Friday.

I had all the liquid removed from it today as well, while it has helped stuff go down it has not removed the pain and GERD.

So hopefully tomorrow I will get more concrete information. Since I got the GAP coverage for him, the endoscopy will be covered and the surgery will probably be covered if it is an emergency and necessary.

I just hope removing it, if that is required, helps because this is just bad. I miss the days right after I got the band where everything felt great, there was a nice restriction.

Now, burning, pain, rapid heart beats every now and then, not fun. I will update over the weekend and let you know.

He asked me if I wanted to get a gastric sleeve after, he said he usually does that after band removal to maintain weight loss. I told him no thank you, if I had to get it removed I would go at it again the old fashioned way. I think I have learned a lot of good eating habits the last 4 years, I will just see how it goes.

Thanks to all for the support, sometimes you think you can go at it alone and learn that is not always the case. It's especially hard when your family is 3000 miles away!

[Nanook 2]

Wow a lot has happened since your last post but it seems like things are moving in the right direction. I know I had the saline removed for about a month before the band was removed and there was still GERD pain and restriction. So hopefully you will know what is going on in there after your procedure tomorrow.

That's wonderful that your endoscopy will be covered. Please let us know how that goes. I didn't have mine performed until after my band was removed so it sounds like they're doing something right!

You're not the only one who is going through this or has gone through this after having smooth sailing for a while with the band and then suddenly "major comps". I'm sure there are plenty who can share their stories with you.

I had no intention of revising to any other surgery but hadn't done as well as you had with your band. My 20 yo daughter had RNY done less than a year after my lap band and lost 150 lbs and after I put on a few lbs after my removal I started thinking maybe there was something out there that would help someone like "me" who seemed hopeless especially where the band was concerned. Anyway 8 months later I revised with the RNY. I hope things go well for you and that you are covered by insurance but that they fix the problem so that you will be healthy again. It can be a scary thing to be in a situation like this and there are a lot of people here to support you and wish you well! Good luck and keep us posted on how things go, Nancy.

[Mitchell 0]

Well I went in Wednesday for a Upper GI and when I woke up from that I was in a hospital room. My doctor admitted me after getting the Upper GI.

I went back into surgery Saturday morning after a battery of tests and had the band removed. The surgery took 4 hours. Everyone said it went well. I apparently had a lot of adhesion of the band to the stomach and other organs around that area and that was causing my pain when I moved or changed position, so he took it out.

He cleaned up a bit of the scar tissue on the outside of the stomach, did some tests to make sure that food would process normally down the stomach and then stitched me back up. He said he could spend the time to clean as much of the scar tissue as he could but that would open me up to more possible complications due to infection and other things so he said he would take what was needed and not a lot more.

Which is fine with me. Other than the recovery pains from the surgery I already feel 100 times better. Naturally it has only been 2 days, but I am optimistic and happy to be out of that pain I was having.

It is also good to know it wasn't erosion or slippage that was the cause of the pain. Adhesion of the band and fill line to other organs was not something I remember being told about before I got it, though it wouldn't of stopped me.

So now I will see how well I learned to eat over the last 3 and a half years and move onwards.

[ellendeette 1]

I'm so glad you posted today. I was quite concerned about you. Your doctor did the right thing to take tests before the surgery. That way they can see the damage and prepare for surgery (that is what I have been told).

I had my band taken out last month due to slippage. It rarely happens (2-4%) but it happened to me. It could have been a combination of weight loss, lifting my arms and being pushed from behind onto a kayak. Who knows? It slipped and I had to take care of it. All I know is that I didn't plan on taking my band out but because of the tests and surgery, my band had to go. It was too swollen and traumatized to add a new band. My surgery last 15 minutes. My port area has taken the longest to heal. I can feel scar tissue and Fluid under that area. I have heard of the band eroding onto other body organs, etc.

I am still uncertain about whether to have the surgery to have the band put back in. I need to heal fully. I have to pay my out-of-pocket expenses to have it taken it. Insurance paid most of it but I have to pay almost $3,000. One thing good, after I pay for this $3,000 (or so), I will have met my $5,000 maximum and I could probably have the band put back in for nothing! BUT, I will have to pay this out-of-pocket expense in 2009 and have the new surgery in 2009. Not much time since its August already.

I am doing quite well since the surgery last month to remove the band. I eat, exercise, go to support groups, go the therapy, etc., like I did before. I am confident that I can maintain my 85 pounds weight loss and lose more. I can see with the band gone that it helped me tremendously.

I guess you can say in the short run that I'm doing okay. I am uncertain about the long run but I'm going to see how it goes.

For those of you out there that have lost your band to slippage or erosion, please post and let us know how you are doing. It helps not only me but helps others in the same boat. Tell us what happened and where you are today. We need all the support we can get!

Ellen