breprih

Thank you for the response! I just had some fluid taken out Friday and my port is not 100% flipped but it's def pretty titled. It was tough for them to get in there. I meet with the surgeon on 10/3!

My insurance gave me this website. From what I can tell if you look at page 4 coverage sounds pretty optimistic! https://cignaforhcp.cigna.com/public/content/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf

So I had my consult yesterday! I know most of the nurse practitioners in the office so it was really nice seeing them and catching up as it's been a few years since I've been there for my band. I weighed in at 202lbs (I wore the heaviest clothes I own) and that only puts my BMI at 33.66 so right now the concern is that I don't weigh enough. They are confident that insurance will pay to have the lap-band removed but not confident that they'll pay for sleeve revision. So.......when I see the surgeon on 10/3 I somehow need to be 11lbs heavier. I'm going to have to figure that one out. If my BMI is 35 I need a comorbitity. The only one I used to have is sleep apnea. When I went through all these pre-op things with the band I had a sleep study and found out I had it. So, I'm going to be having an at home sleep study and hopefully I still have it. That feels so weird to hope I have it. Insurance is so twisted. Anyway so next Friday 9/22 I have to go for a barium swallow and lab work. Then, on 10/3 I'm going to meet with the surgeon. I'm waiting for the sleep lab to call me but I am hoping I can get the sleep study done before I meet with the surgeon. If all goes well and the surgeon thinks I could be a candidate for sleeve I'll have to have an upper endoscopy too to check for erosion and scar tissue. It's possible that I may only be a candidate for bypass due to erosion so we will see. That isn't really what I want but I'll cross that bridge if I come to it. There will be other with nurse practitioners and nutritionist if all goes well but for right now I need to have the barium swallow and meet with the surgeon and go from there! Oh, and I also had them remove some fluid from my band and my heartburn has subsided. Hallelujah!

So I had my consult yesterday! I know most of the nurse practitioners in the office so it was really nice seeing them and catching up as it's been a few years since I've been there for my band. I weighed in at 202lbs (I wore the heaviest clothes I own) and that only puts my BMI at 33.66 so right now the concern is that I don't weigh enough. They are confident that insurance will pay to have the lap-band removed but not confident that they'll pay for sleeve revision. So.......when I see the surgeon on 10/3 I somehow need to be 11lbs heavier. I'm going to have to figure that one out. If my BMI is 35 I need a comorbitity. The only one I used to have is sleep apnea. When I went through all these pre-op things with the band I had a sleep study and found out I had it. So, I'm going to be having an at home sleep study and hopefully I still have it. That feels so weird to hope I have it. Insurance is so twisted. Anyway so next Friday 9/22 I have to go for a barium swallow and lab work. Then, on 10/3 I'm going to meet with the surgeon. I'm waiting for the sleep lab to call me but I am hoping I can get the sleep study done before I meet with the surgeon. If all goes well and the surgeon thinks I could be a candidate for sleeve I'll have to have an upper endoscopy too to check for erosion and scar tissue. It's possible that I may only be a candidate for bypass due to erosion so we will see. That isn't really what I want but I'll cross that bridge if I come to it. There will be other with nurse practitioners and nutritionist if all goes well but for right now I need to have the barium swallow and meet with the surgeon and go from there! Oh, and I also had them remove some fluid from my band and my heartburn has subsided. Hallelujah!

Amazing! Thank you for all of this!

Great to know. Thanks for responding!

What does your diet look like 9-12 months post op? I'm hoping for a January surgery date and am going on a Cruise 9 months later. I'm just trying to get a realistic idea of what people eat that far post op.

You look so familiar!

Almost! I live in Tyngsboro, MA right on the NH border! I'm like 3 minutes from Hudson, NH. I work in Salem, NH. I have my consultation tomorrow at Lahey.

I believe it! Congrats you look fab!!!

Congrats on the surgery date! You are going to do great!

2017 - around 200lbs give or take 5lbs

2012 - pretty darn close to goal at 150lbs

2008 - before Lap Band surgery. 252lbs

Hello Everyone, In 2009 I underwent Lap Band surgery with a starting weight of 252lbs. I slowly lost over the course of 3 years weighing in at 149lbs (103lbs lost). I literally had never felt so good in my entire life! Around this time I started noticing that some things felt “off” with my band. However, my focus was then on my struggle with infertility so the band was put on the back burner. Fast forward 4 years later and 2 rounds of IVF I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! Now that my son is a year old I’ve been focusing on my health a bit more. During my struggle with infertility I gained around 50lbs back and am pretty upset about it! I actually just got a letter from my hospital about revision from the band to the sleeve. The letter stated that greater than 50% of their lap band patients were having complications and undergoing revision surgery. My consultation is this Friday 9/15/17! I’ll be back to update you on how it goes!

Hi All, I was banded back in 2009 with a starting weight of 252lbs. In 3 years I was down to 149lbs. From 2012-2015 I got back up to the 200lb mark, yuck. I’ve had major food intolerances and heartburn ect. I had surgery for something else in 2015 and that surgeon took a look at my band and said “it doesn’t look right” so I’m suspect it has slipped. I have my consult for the revision surgery on Friday 9/15. Some questions: What was the recovery like for you? How long did it take from your consult to the surgery? Anyone with Cigna? Can you share your experience with insurance? What is the post op diet like? Similar to the band? When were you sleeved and how much have you lost so far? Do you recommend the sleeve?

I just wanted to add the suspected slippage is because in 2015 I had surgery to remove a fallopian tube and my surgeon said "I took a look at your band it something doesn't look right".

Banded in 2009 went from 252lbs to 149lbs in 3 years. Then I started having problems....... Food intolerance Heartburn Suspected slippage However I began a battle with infertility at the time and didn't care about my band even a little. Now that my son is old enough I need to get my band taken care of. I have a consult Friday for a gastric sleeve revision. I'm a little nervous about the whole idea. Anyone else in a similar situation. Oh and I've gained like 50lbs back. I am currently bouncing back and forth between 195lbs and 200lbs.

Can you share your experience with insurance approving your revision surgery? I have a lap band (2009) and have a consult 9/15 to have it revised to a sleeve. Cigna is my insurance company. Also, how long from your consult to your surgery date?

Thanks for the responses! So I made a consultation appt. for this Friday 9/15! I am excited and nervous to hear what they say. I'm about 50lbs heavier than I was the last time I was there so I feel a little embarrassed about that. =/

Hi All, I had the lap band back in 2009 and in 3 years I lost 103lbs. At that time I started trying to have a baby and that proved to be very difficult. After many miscarriages I finally had a baby 4 years later (after 2 round of IVF. During my struggles with infertility things seemed off with my band though I was preoccupied with trying to conceive and I didn't really care too much. Due to an ectopic pregnancy I had emergency surgery to have a fallopian tube removed and even that surgeon said that she took at look at my band and it "didn't look right" to her. Now that my baby is a year old I've been thinking about going back to my baratric surgeon. As of right now I've gained half of my weight loss back. I also just got a letter from my surgeon's office stating that greater than 50% of band patients are having revisions due to ineffectiveness of the band, food intolerance, band slipping, and heartburn/erosion. I'm pretty sure I have all of those things. I'm a little nervous about a new surgery but I can't live the way I have been living anymore.