mrlddst

Congrats! Did you do the 3 or 6 month requirement?

Aww man, well I will cross my fingers for you!!!!!

Its official!!! Okay so maybe its not on the bulletin yet, but someone posted TODAY that Aetna approved their sleeve!!!

I'm following closely!! Its a shame we have got the Obesity Bulletin figured out. Anyway, my guess was April 12th.

I was talking to the practice manager where I plan on having my revision done if/when Aetna decides to cover the VSG. I was approved for a revision back in Nov'09 to replace my band, they were not able to and could only remove the band, my port is still in place. She said that I may have to do a supervised diet to get approved for another revision. That really confuses me because it would seem as if I should already be covered by the Nov'09 approval. Anybody else have to jump through any special hoops? I think I'm going to make an appt for my PCP just to get my weight logged for the month.

Any updates on this?? I'm am patiently waiting...its killing me. I have a doctors appt on April 23rd, I'm wondering if I should move it up.

Right now Aetna doesn't cover it. I'm hoping they revise the policy in April. That is the word going around. ** In the meantime...why don't you make any appointment for April?

Glad to hear your doing well!! Happy V-Day to you!

I called my doctors office today and they have yet to have anyone get approval from Aetna.....I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Yes, please keep us posted. I called my doctors office on Friday to see if anything had changed and she hadn't heard anything.

The jury is still out of that one. If medicare isn't picking it up than I don't think Aetna will. I was reading somewhere that they need at least 5 years of consistent sustained evidence that a WLS works before they will add it. I can't find anyone before 2006 who had the surgery Just sent them an email asking them about any pending updates. Will post reply.

No not yet...I googled the news for Aetna and the policy on the site still states the same thing.

Same story here although I really do miss my band, slip or no slip. It did provide restriction for me and now that I don't have it, I have regained about 30 lbs :crying:. Anyway....I have Aetna, so I'm hoping that they revise their policy this month to include the VSG, it was scheduled to be reviewed starting yesterday. If not, I may just ask to be rebanded :lol0:

Way to stay positive!

I went to the doc last week and they(his insurance team) think that Aetna will come around this year. So I'm supposed to go back in April.....I'm a little pessimistic so I'm not going to hold my breath.

Its funny because even people who are waiting on WLS are judgmental. I was in a nutrition class and a woman who was waiting on her surgery was saying how she tells anyone who will listen. However, another woman at her job had the same surgery and she spent most of the class telling us about this woman and how she screwed up her surgery by eating this and that. I was sitting there thinking, this is exactly why few people know about my surgery.

Thanks for the insight! Sometimes reading these boards, with the one exception of the one person in the complications board, its hard to find what problems people had with their VSGs. I know hair loss is a issue but I have never thought about reduced energy.

Any updates?

Wouldn't you be in the hospital for an extra day. Maybe the $8000 covers the extra hospital day.

Thanks! I will look into it now.

I'm a previous bandster who is thinking about getting the VSG. I was supposed to have my band swapped out for a new one but due to complications it was not possible. This happened in Nov'09. I am supposed to tell the doc this month how I want to proceed for a revision. He said we could try the band again, RNY, VSG, or nothing. My insurance doesn't cover VSG but I have been looking into it since he mentioned it. I'm looking for any long term data on the VSG! It seems impossible. I looked on the OH page and its only goes back to Apr'09 which doesn't help. I don't want to jump on the band(no pun intended) wagon. I know no WLS is permanent or truly long term but I would like to know if I will be on somebody surgical table 5 yrs from now because this went wrong. I know when I go back in I want to have some kind of tool, if not the VSG then I will be re-banded. By the time, it needs to be replaced again, maybe I will have a gauge on just how successful the VSG really is...or I will regret not doing it the 1st time (but hey by then my insurance should cover it).

Well?? How did it go?