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I know you didn't ask me this, but some insurance companies will approve revisions if there's a medical reason for them. So GERD would count...

So can I ask a question? What are the insurance criteria for revisions? You're under 40 GMI now, but you have GERD, so is that a comorbidity? Are the approval requirements for a revision different than for original surgery?

I’m meeting my surgeon in a couple weeks. What can I expect to lose from revision.

It’s been a while but I’m back. I have been suffering from GERD and Regain. Insurance fought me all the way but I was finally aloe for revision. Meeting with my Surgeon next month, hopefully to set date.

Depends on insurance. Usually for a revision you have to have some type of complication w the original wls

Welcome. I had a sleeve in 2013 and a revision to Modified DS in 2020. I hope your recover is smooth.

Is the process to get insurance to pay for the revision the same as the process for getting the original sleeve ?

Seven months after a Duodenal switch revision surgery I reached my goal weight of 190 lbs. That's 110 lbs. down from 300 at the beginning of 2020. I've adjusted well to my daily nutrition plan and am exercising every day.

Hey guys just venting. I have been approved for a revision to gastric bypass from VSG due to severe GERD and just found out I have COVID. I'm super disappointed. There will be three weeks in between from when I tested positive to my surgery date and I've researched that people can continue to test positive even though they are no longer infectious. I'm sure my doctor's office will reschedule I'm just sad this happened. Not much I can do about it now. COVID sucks.

I've never dumped, and no absorption issues. With the exception of iron (some people can't absorb oral iron and have to have occasional infusions - but the vast majority of us do fine on oral iron). anyway, besides the iron, absorption issues are pretty uncommon as long as you keep on top of your vitamins. as for eating, I can eat anything now except for really fatty meals. For example, before surgery, I used to love to go out for Friday night fish fries. These would consist of two or three pieces of breaded, deep-fried fish, French fries, cole slaw with mayo, and a roll with butter. No way could I eat that much fat now. I could maybe have half a fried fish filet. Anything I had with that would have to have little to no fat. Other than that, I have no restrictions - I can eat everything I ate before, just in smaller quantities. As an example of that, before surgery, my husband and I would get a large pizza and each eat half of it. Now I can only eat one or two pieces. I physically cannot eat any more than that at one sitting. But...that's fine. That's about what most of my never-been-obese women friends eat, so... as far as "finality" - a couple of thoughts. RNY is technically reversible, although it's a complicated surgery and is only done if you have a serious medical issue that cannot be resolved another way. Sleeve is not reversible. The other part of your stomach is gone forever. As for revisions, the most straightforward one for sleeve is DS, since at one time the sleeve was the first phase of the DS back when they did the DS in two stages (they discovered a lot of people were able to lose their weight just with stage one, so they started offering that as a standalone surgery a few years back, and it pretty much replaced the lapband back when that went out of vogue). They also do VSG to RNY revisions, but that's mostly when there's an unresolvable GERD issue. RNY usually improves - if not outright cures - GERD (not always - but usually). RNY can be converted to DS, but that's a complicated surgery that only a handful of surgeons do. To do that, they have to reverse the RNY, then do the sleeve, then do the intestinal bypass (stage 2) part of the DS. Although to be honest, most people with RNY don't get revisions. We do see some revisions from VSG to RNY because of GERD, though.

that's the reason I went with bypass. Too many stories about people getting GERD with the sleeve - or people with existing GERD having it get worse. And a few of them ended up revising to bypass. it doesn't happen to everyone. I think I remember reading that it happens to about 30%. But I was not willing to take the risk of ending up one of those 30%. Some people are - and many of them turn out lucky. It's kind of a crap shoot..

I'm not a revision, so maybe it's different, but I can handle fat. Not a TON of it - for example, I used to like to go out for Friday night fish fries prior to surgery - 2 or 3 breaded fried filets, French fries, cole slaw with mayo, roll with butter. I could never handle that now. I could maybe eat 1/2 of a fried fish filet, and anything else I ate with it would have to be low in fat. But I CAN eat it as long as I don't overdo it.

So I’m looking at a surgery day in February I’m have a lap band revision to bypass at the moment and I’m wondering after surgery how well do u digest fat

December 14th gastric revision from lapband to sleeve. 2nd week post op

Wait and speak to your surgeon because they may have a way that complies the results to get insurance approval (hypothetical example: insufficient weight loss + gastritis + esophageal emptying issues) But just so that you're aware if you are converted to RNY (not DS or SIPS), the gastric emptying time may be quicker because the pyloric valve is no longer used (unless your surgeon does a pyloric valve sparing procedure - I'm not sure those are perfomed for revisions but that's something to discuss with your surgeon). Good Luck ♥️

Okay. So I had my sleeve done back in October of 2017. I was doing really well and went down to 185lbs. I’m now back up to 235lbs. August of 2018 my father was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed in May 2019. So I feel of track and 7 days after he passed I found out I was pregnant which was very exciting and yet extremely difficult and I suffered from severe depression and just kinda gave up. I have always had reflux and issues with being sick to my stomach. My pregnancy made it worst and I have yet to lose my pregnancy weight and I feel stuck. So I have been seeing a surgeon about a revision. I’ve had several test done. I had a swallow study which said my esophagus isn’t emptying properly and a gastric emptying study done that came back as saying I have rapid gastric emptying, and my sleeve is only retaining 8% of what I eat in under 60 minutes. My Fluroro was normal and so was my EGD except for some mild gastritis. I just finished my Bravo test ( Ph test) for GERD and it came back as normal . I haven’t seen the surgeon yet, but was under the impression that if this test was normal then I won’t qualify for insurance to cover my revision surgery . I have BCBS Medicaid of Sc. I was wondering if anyone else had similar issues and were still able to get a revision or had any advice? I’m over the reflux and I’m shocked my test is normal.. HELP!..

Hello, I’m scheduled for January 12th, having a sleeve revision. Excited and ready

Congrats! I am scheduled for Jan 28. I hv chronic lower back pain (3 dislocated discs) & had bi-lateral knee replacements 5yrs ago & a revision on the left knee 2yrs ago. most of my weight is in my stomach, so I'm hoping this will elevate some of my pain away(mainly in my back). I do want to walk & dance again w/o the pain. I hv already started the diet &lost 6lbs so I'm excited for the New yr! My birthday is in Feb so I'm looking for a Newer me very soon

Oops, when I read restriction I thought you had the sleeve done. Sorry but it's my understanding you can get a DS revision following gastric bypass. True You does do both sleeve and gastric bypass revisions.

Oops, when I read restriction I thought you had the sleeve done. Sorry but it's my understanding you can get a DS revision following gastric bypass.

There is a new nonsurgical procedure called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. I had the procedure done in June 2020 but not as a revision. Google True You Weight Loss or Dr. Christopher McGowan in Cary, NC for more info. Also, many others have either had revisions to RNY or DS. I think there is a revision forum you can check out.

Surgery 03/2013 280lbs I've managed to gain back all my weight. I do not feel restrictions when I eat anymore. Possibly medication related. Possible bad habits returned. I bit the bullet and called the WL clinic because I don't know what options are available in my area. I've done all kinds of research. Nurse told me they rarely do any revisions and never have done a band over gastric (I was really wanting that) She mentioned possible medical weight loss such as appetite suppressants etc... I would rather have a surgery than to take any weightloss pills with side effects.I am wondering if any of you who had a regain have gotten any medical weightloss options that worked?

Here in the US, the MGB is not a common option, though it has been adopted by bariatric groups in other countries. When my wife and I were first investigating WLS some twenty years ago, the MGB was kicking around the sidelines of the bariatric field trying to find its place, but it never did here, failing to gain acceptance of either the ASBS/ASMBS or the insurance industry. In the meantime, both the DS and VSG have gone mainstream. There may still be a few isolated practices that offer it on a self pay basis, and there are several groups in Mexico that offer it, mainly as a cheaper, but not necessarily better, alternative to the RNY. The main bugaboo that I recall with it has been a greater propensity toward bile reflux, which is easy to understand if you look at its anatomy. As for a revision to counter regain, It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, as its metabolic strength is so similar to the RNY - much the same as switching between the VSG and RNY, or vice versa, for weightloss/gain reasons, doesn't make a lot of sense. To counter a regain problem, one should look to a stronger procedure, which in the current world is the duodenal switch (DS). Unfortunately, that is a very complex revision which only a half dozen or so surgeons around the country are capable of doing. That would be your best shot at losing a major part of your regain, but also the hardest. There is the newer SIPS/SADI/"Loop DS" that is a simpler and more accessible procedure that seems to sit between the RNY/VSG in DS in effectiveness, but it is still working on gaining acceptance from the ASMBS and insurance industry, but it doesn't seem far off now; that would be a compromise worth looking into, but it's not an easy revision, either, as it is sleeve based procedure, so the stomach first needs to be but back together before proceeding with the revision. The RNY, overall, is a difficult configuration to work with if it's not working right. The "simple" regain fixes such as re-doing the pouch, tightening the stoma or putting a band over the pouch don't seem to work all that well - figure on losing maybe 20 lb, on average, mostly from having to go through all of the restrictive diets around surgery time again, but beyond that it is mostly individual effort (which is what one does without surgery.) The other major option may be offered is to change it to a distal RNY (as opposed to the familiar proximal RNY) which dramatically increases the malabsorption component, with the trade off of the expected increase in supplement needs and potential for more significant nutritional problems. It is not usually approved by US insurance as a primary WLS procedure, but sometimes can be justified for special circumstances. Revisions are not a simple thing - research them carefully to fully understand what is involved, and what the potential risks and benefits are. Good luck,

Kempner, TX but working out of the Killeen office with the Texas Bariatric Specialist group. Sleeved December 2018 and had revision to Roux-en-x-y gastric bypass on October 7th, 2020 per GERD/Acid reflux issues causing damage to my vocal chords and creating a cancer risk. Lost 20 more lbs since revision and am happy with results as I was only able to get to 173 with sleeve and now I am 8 bs from goal weight ( Now weighing 153) and finally within reach. I have had no complication and no longer any problems with GERD or reflux and am very happy thus far.

Ugh... I'm so sorry you have to go thru another surgery. I don't think I could deal with that. At this point, the pain isn't that severe, it's just constant and annoying. I don't get a "full" feeling like I did pre-op. Instead, I have to really pay attention when I eat as I get the discomfort every time I eat or drink, and the only way I know I'm full is when the discomfort gets really bad. It's so annoying! Good luck with your revision!