Could I do DS at a 34 BMI?

My doctor has suggested a band to VGS revision. The more I hear about DS the more I like it as an option. Can someone get it with a lower BMI? There just doesn't seem to be enough research and data about the sleeve.

Is it hard to get insurance approval?

 

I just had a band to ds revision on May 14. My BMI was 35.4. I was self pay so I can't tell you anything about insurance.

My H had the DS for his type 2 diabetes at a 27 bmi.  Self pay.

 I had to fight for mine because they said I was the one who failed the first surgery. They wanted proof that there was something wrong with the band.  If not then their opinion was that I can use my first surgery. My surgeon had to appeal for me and explain to them that at my BMI and co morbidities the band was not the correct surgery for me in the first place. They finally relented but it took awhile.

I was told that even for revisions you have to have a high BMI or co-morbidities for most insurances to cover the DS but that could be wrong. Just ask your surgeons insurance lady and she can tell you if your insurance requires a higher BMI or not. 

revisions are not the same as virgin wls......my bmi was less and i was covered by insurance, but it was medically necessary as my primary wls caused me irreversible damage, and it was a emergency i first get it removed and second if i didnt get a revision then i woul dhave gained it all back, yes that was part of my appeal.....

My BMI at time of revision from  VSG to DS was 34. That was 2 1/2 weeks ago.  I was 7 years out from my sleeve, and had regained half of the 130 lbs I'd lost.  I was self pay, but only because my insurance excludes wls.  My doc said he was having success getting ins to pay for revisions.  I wanted the DS as my first surgery, but no MD anywhere near here was doing them, so I gave the sleeve a shot.  I was one of the first my surgeon did, and he says now he probably left my stomach too large.  Still, I got to goal in a year very easily with just the sleeve.  So far so good....not having any problems at all, but am right in the middle of a wicked stall!  I dropped 13 lbs the first week, then gained back 3 of them, lol!  Still, my scale says by body fat % is dropping, and I have ketones in my urine, so not really worried about it. 

Good luck!

 

 

I got part 2 of the DS with a BMI of 30 - and I'm eternally grateful to my surgeon for that.   I was a self pay so can't advise on insurance.

Sounds like I have crappy insurance lol

Your doctor doesn't do the DS and isn't going to suggest it for you. He is suggesting what he knows how to do. It would be helpful for you to have a consultation with a surgeon who does the DS to get another opinion.  The best list of DS surgeons can be found at dsfacts.com.

The short term results of the sleeve seem to be very similar to gastric bypass, at least as far as weight loss goes, and not as good for resolution of type 2 diabetes. As you have already learned, the longterm results are unknown. For me, that would be a deal breaker, but you must make your own decision.

Larra