3 am Freaking OUT

Well, here I am 7 years post Lap Band surgery and 30 pounds heavier. No kidding.
On July 1st I will switch to BCBS of NC and they cover weight loss surgery.
After being a total Lapband failure - and having no insurance to cover it, I put RNY out of mind.

Then my best friend goes and has RNY -- and gets me all worked up about it.  Now I can't stop thinking about it!!

So, if you have been approved for Revision - what extra steps do you have to take? I am very concerned because I was banded in Mexico and do not have any medical records.  Will the insurance co freak out because I was banded elsewhere?

So now I am a nervous wreck over the whole stupid thing.

I wish I had never heard of a Lapband.

 

 
Calm down and breathe lol. . .I'm sure it will all workout fine!  

Being a revision, I had LESS steps to do than when first Banded, and I went to a different surgeon who is out of state; it was not an issue at all. 

I was just revised 4 wks ago from Band to RNY.  I only had to do a cardio consult/stress test and ekg. . . no nutrition, no pulmonary, no additional psych eval. . .I was revised due to 3+ years of acid reflux with an empty band, so that may be part of why I didn't have to start all over again.  

I'm not sure what your insurance will require, but even if you have to start from scratch and do all of the consults and evals, it will totally be worth it!!!!

See if you can go online (or have them mail, email or fax you) the insurance requirements for revision WLS.  That will more than likely answer a lot of your questions. 

Best of luck to you!

I feel the same exact way about the lapband. A lot of people do. You're not alone in your feelings about it! 

The lapband is very damaging and such a bad idea. I can't believe I ever thought it was a good idea.

Good luck to you, Sherrie.

YOU are not a failure, your band is the failure! It has failed many of us! Try to relax and just wait till you can find out from the new insurance what the requirements will be. Then take it step by step till you get your revision. Making yourself a nervous wreck won't help one bit, just take it one day at a time till you achieve your goal.

I just want you to be aware that there is another surgery called the duodenal switch.  Instead of your stomach made into a pouch, you preserve your pylorus valve.  Your stomach is made smaller, called a sleeve.

You can eat more fat, you malabsorb 80% of fat, so if you enjoy full fat mayo and things of that nature, you should research this surgery.

ALSO, with the RNY, you will NEVER, EVER be able to take NSAIDS again for inflammation/arthritis.  (ibuprofen, aleve to name a few)

You will need to take vitamins, ALOT of them with the RNY for LIFE, but your malabsorption goes away in 18 months to 2 years.  With the DS, your malabsortption is forever and the vitamins are also needed with the duodenal switch as well.  The vitamins needed for the 2 surgeries = the quantity needed is pretty equal, but there is a variation of the ones needed between the 2 surgeries.  If you have an RNY, and gain weight.  It is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get back to your lowest weight.  YOU CAN, however achieve and get back to your lowest weight.

The DS has the very BEST long-term, maintained weight-loss stats for any form of WLS.

Just food for thought!!!!!


Research, Research, Research

Thanks for everyone's reply.

I thought the DS was for people with really high BMI.

I will discuss it with the surgeon.

Thanks!!

Nope---but your surgeon may tell you that it is. In the past---like 10-15 years ago---the DS was MOSTLY done on people with BMIs greater than 50. These days, it's fairly frequently done on lightweights---people with BMIs around 35. I even know a couple of people who got the DS with a BMI near 30, because it's the Number One treatment for diabetes. And I know a couple of revision patients who got the DS at or near their 'ideal' weight, due to problems with their original WLS.

The DS is the surgery people revise to when other surgeries have failed. Some people have been revised from Band to RNY to DS---and that's at least two too many surgeries. (And revision from the RNY to the DS is the most complicated, high-risk revision out there.)

Research ALL your options, while you still have a fairly intact stomach. Don't do it any more damage than is strictly necessary. Look long and hard at both the DS and the Sleeve.

The DS is mainly done here on the bmi 50+ people.  There are only two places that do it in all MI.  My sister's surgon has stopped doing it.  My insurance won't let me go where it is done.  So, I'm fighting to get ride of the band and get the sleeve.  At least I'll be half way there.

Hi:

I just had my surgery last Friday 6/29.  I had my Lapband (placed in 2003) taken out and the RNY done all in the same surgery.  It went fine.  

I can't comment on insurance issues because everyone differs in their experience.  However, I can tell you that I really to understand the anxiety.  I think getting the information, dealing with the insurance companies, undergoing the testing and ultimately making the decision are all much harder than the surgery itself.

I'm very happy that the band is out.  I never had any big complications.  My band just never worked.  I had it adjusted and adjusted and no matter what I did I never felt full!  Before surgery he pulled out 4ccs of fluid from a 5 cc band.  That's tight!!!  I was able to eat anything.  So, it's better for me that it's just out.  My weight was higher when they took it out than when they put it in.  

I hope that you're able to get the surgery that is best for you.  And you will.  Honestly, the anxiety is the worst part.  Once the dust has settled and you know what you're going to do, it'll be a relief.



 

 I just had to keep trying till I found a doctor who was willing to work with me. I was close to 600 LBS.

Once I found a doctor who wanted to help I just "jumped" through all the test, exams and evaluations that he prescribed.

Insurance, (Aetna) gave me no grief at all.

Regards
Allen