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Hi Babygirl, This thread is really old, and I am pretty sure that Amerihealth has revised their coverage policies since 2003. The only way to tell is to call them and ask what the coverage criteria are for bariatric surgery. If it's an exclusion on your plan they'll tell you. Good luck!!

Im hoping we can work together on this let me tell you a little about my story -- LAP-BAND® 9/2005 02/06 - slip 03/06 - re band throught the past 5 years I have STRUGGLED and the ONLY time i lost weight was when the bad was so tight I barely could drink Water. One day I would be able to eat yogurt, the next day it would get stuck -- it was this way constantly and Id never know what i coul or couldnt eat unless i tried - so in teh end I have a band with 1/2 fill so i can eat normally but it defeats the purpose of even having TWO surgeries because here I am weighig in 10lbs les then my 1st surgery and 10 more then my second.... Just went to the Dr. yesterday and he suggested I look into the bypass revision. He made it sound really good but he also didnt leave out the fact that because it is a revision - the risks are automatically higher for compications. I sit here wondering if my body had this many compications with a simple band who will ti react to a bypass? Maybe I will do great with bypass and i will finally see results Ive been striving to see forever what is I am the 15% that thigs go drastically wrong My job now covers this revision - if I waitr health care might change ................................... I too dont know what to do! Complications? What kind of complications? Like is its "dumbing" more often.. k I can handle that.. If its leakge... that can cause death.. IDK I wish I could survey 100 ppl who had this themself! Help for us both What ever we decide , we r not alone! sry for typos - at work tryign to do this fast w/out boss seeing XD Lisa (yes im lisa as well)

Someone might get revision from the lapband to the sleeve and only have 35 pounds to lose. What kind of weight loss results.

Hi everyone! I just got approved to get the band out and the sleeve ASAP. I really haven’t spent a lot of time researching what to expect and it just dawned on me to come here! My band was a disaster and never was viable. The port came out after 2 revisions and I had MRSA. 12 yrs later it’s coming out. So excited for that. Did everyone have the revision to sleeve in multiple surgeries? Reading about the intolerance to artificial sweeteners has been interesting ...I’ve been trained since WW in the mid 80’s to have fake sugar. Any major advice for someone who is about to start this journey again? allison

Thanks to all for chiming in!! For those who have surgery scheduled this month all the best and please please keep us posted.. For those whom have had success with revision thank you for sharing it is encouraging to hear about your journeys. And for those whom are skeptical of people who use WLS a a crutch.. I see your point but I can only speak for myself and say am I fully in control of my efforts, no..I'm always the first to admit it but the effort I need to put towards any kind of weight loss is 3x more the norm due to my PCOS and after battling this for so long and having that delay things like building a family my BIGGEST demon is to not feel sorry for myself day to day, to not feel like a failure and all I can do is try try try to focus on what I DO have and what I HAVE achieved and hope that in time my body will cooperate..

I too am a band to sleeve revision patient. I'm scheduled to have my surgery Monday, 4/7. While I haven't had the surgery yet, I've been researching it for well over 2 years. There are many on this board that I believe confirm the following: 1. Yes, many who have a band to sleeve conversion lose all their excess weight and more. It requires working with the band and following the eating guidelines your doctor has set out for you, but it is totally possible. 2. The rate of weight loss seems to be slower (for some), my doctor told me this would happen and said it was because your body already understands what you are trying to do (drastic calorie reduction) and will work to hold on to weight longer. There are several on this board that I've read who did not have this issue, and several who do seem to lose slower, but they lose and that, to me, is the most important part. 3. Your doctor was telling you the truth about the hormone that causes the hunger sensation. It is called the ghrelin hormone and it is produced (for the most part) in a part of your stomach that is removed. Many people on these boards report no sense of hunger (or minimal sense of hunger) for several months (6-9 months appx.) after surgery. Beyond that point, your body increases the production of this hormone, and you do feel a stronger sense of hunger, but, I've read, not like it was prior to surgery, however, you still have to manage it. In addition things like acid reflux, GERD, and head hunger can make you think you are hungry when in fact it is something else. We have to train ourselves to recognize the difference. I hope this helps, there are many, many posts on these boards about these exact topics from those who have had the surgery. It has helped me in planning to read what others have experienced and to understand that this isn't a magic bullet, but a powerful tool that we can use to help us in our weight loss goals.

I want to thank everyone who has had this surgery for their posts! I am having my band removed due to erosion and am currently in the research phase of trying to decide between the sleeve and banded plication. I like the sound of banded plication but am so afraid of having a repeat erosion and then being unable to revise to the sleeve. My understanding is that slippage and erosion are greatly reduced with banded plication as they do not have to fill the band as frequently and as tightly as they do with the band by itself. It makes sense to me and the thought of not cutting my stomach is very appealing. I just want to make sure that whatever I do is successful because this will probably be my last opportunity to do this.

This information helps me, as I'm looking at revising from the Band to Sleeve. One of the worst things about the band is the gross stuck/full feeling you have while the bottom half of your tummy is still growling for food...to me that is SO miserable. Not to mention the horrible stuck feeling...I can eat ice cream, cake, pudding just fine, but if I try and eat something healthy (chicken breast and salad) I spend 2 hours trying to get it un-stuck. Yes, I'm a little grouchy, the lapband has NOT been good for me.

I have two friends who also went bypass and did well. I researched everything but the sleeve and still came up with the band. For me, I felt like all I needed was something to help with the satiety and help me to eat less food. Also, I liked the idea that it was adjustable and if it didn't work out I could have it removed or revised to bypass or sleeve. Keeping my stomach intact was important to me. You have to decide what's important for you. WLS may be what you need but only you know what the right choice can be? tmf

Went for my upper endoscopy today. Band erosion confirmed. You can clearly see half the band on the inside of my stomach. Will be meeting with my surgeon soon to come up with a plan of action. Here's hoping my insurance will cover revision to the sleeve.

Hi CowgirlJane, I know that BCBS AL does cover the sleeve. I just don't know if they cover revision after band failure especially if the original procedure was either self-pay or covered by another insurer. This remains to be seen. I am currently waiting for a call back from my bariatric surgeon and have a boatload of questions written down so hopefully things will be somewhat clearer this afternoon.

Hi. I had my gastric band removed after 10 years with revision to sleeve just 3 weeks ago. How can I help?

Hello to revision from lapband to sleevers. I’m 22 days out and just wondering how everyone is doing. I’m having a lot of heartburn no matter what I eat. I’m still very fatigued if I do something for more the two hours straight, like housework. I actually feel faintish. Sometimes I’m hungry sometimes not. When I eat I have to be very careful because I don’t feel full until it’s to late then I’m sick, I’m trying to measure out food but I’m so hungry at that moment that I feel that one more tablespoon is not going to make a difference..wrongo! Otherwise I’m feeling great, no pain or soreness anymore I never took pain meds so that wasn’t and issue. Sleeping is getting better can lay on my side now without discomfort!! Just like to know how everyone else is doing and stage they are in?

I had the band for 10 years and I felt like I was always hungry, but eating dense Protein often made me feel pain or discomfort. Since I knew that revisions might not lose weight as well, I talked alot to the nutritionalist about this. She started me down the path of not thinking about "full" or "too much". Rather I was to practice stopping eating when no longer hungry. Now, that was a new concept! So, I suggest that once you are on solid foods you start thinking that way - absence of hunger, not full. I have vomited a few times since being sleeved, each time it was from inhaling food too fast. I don't know about foamies or any of that... I am 2.5 years out and have not experienced those things. Small quantities of dense protein and veggies, follow the guidelines and you will likely feel satiated. A couple of caveats... first 6 weeks, I ate by the measuring spoon and clock - while your stomach is healing you can't trust the "signals". Also, acid can feel like hunger so be sure you are on a PPI the first few months at least while your body adjusts to a small tummy.

I was banded in 2001 at 272. Lost to about 205 in a year. Had issues. ..unfilled by 2003 By 2005...All time high 332. Band removed and revised to sleeve in Dec 2011 at 308; lost 150 over 14 months. Now maintaining in the 150 ballpark...total loss 160. So for me the sleeve has worked alot better.

Hi Nicki, I'm having revision from lapband to bypass and I can tell you, I wish I would have just gone with the bypass to begin with. For me, the gas pains from having the lapband was terrible and I'm not looking forward to that again and the lapband didn't work at all for me. I do have a sweet tooth so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I dump to keep me away from those foods, not that I'm even thinking of having those things anytime soon after my surgery. Ultimately the choice is yours and you have to do what makes you feel comfortable. Good luck in your journey!!! Heather Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well, as the title suggests I've been a member of the form for a while but just as a reader I haven't posted anything yet. I figured it was time to post my story so I could get some feedback, and possibly a little guidance. My journey started about a year ago when I had made the final decision to go ahead with the gastric sleeve. I was very confident in my surgeon and was excited about the surgery. As per protocol, he did and endoscopy beforehand and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I had my sleeve gastrectomy done on August 28th 2017. Almost immediately, I noticed what I would call an agonizing amount of pain and extreme gastric reflux. This was before I was even off of my post-surgery liquid diet. Over the coming weeks it didn't get better, only worse. I was continually told by my surgeon that it's normal, and it happens to some people. Within about 2 months the pain in my stomach to get better, at that point I was developing a pain on my right hand side below my rib cage. I had done some research, so I had a pretty good idea that it was my gallbladder. My surgeon agreed with me, and without even running any tests he decided to remove my gallbladder. My gallbladder was removed in January of 2018, and almost immediately I noticed the pain in my abdomen was gone. However, the gastric reflux still persisted. In early February of this year by surgeon decided to do an endoscopy to see what could be causing the acid reflux. He told me that I had numerous moderate to severe ulcers and that revision surgery would be advised. I was scheduled for traditional gastric bypass on March 22nd of this year. I'm pleased to report that the gastric reflux has gone away. However, I'm not able to keep down any solid foods without violently regurgitating them. I was following my post surgery diet without any deviation. The first soft food that I tried was mashed potatoes, no salt or butter and it didn't go well. Almost immediately I violently regurgitated them. Within about three minutes of that I had some of the most excruciating pain I've ever had in my life, it started near my stomach and felt like a travel down. I told my wife that I had to go to the emergency room immediately, once I got there she called my surgeon. The surgeon conferred with the emergency room physician and ordered a CT scan with contrast. I was advised that my stomach was clear and I didn't have any blockages. My surgeon had told the emergency room physician to prescribe me Prilosec 40 mg and I was to take it twice a day until I saw him again. A few days later I saw the surgeon, and he informed me that it was most likely an irritated stomach and that it was normal. This was about 3 weeks ago. I'm still not able to keep down any soft food of any type. I'm still on liquids, and even when I take in liquids I feel very uncomfortable. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, it's not cramping, it's not nausea or pain it's a very awkward feeling. At this point, I've decided to get a second opinion and had all my records sent to another surgeon. I'm just curious if anyone has had these symptoms, rather these combination of symptoms or if anyone has any ideas for me to try. If you're reading this and considering weight loss surgery please I implore you to not let this deter you. From people I've talked to and information I've read, this amount of side effects is very out of the ordinary. I've lost almost a hundred pounds since my first surgery and I am feeling pretty good other than the symptoms I've described. Thanks everyone so much for taking the time to read, I look forward to any advice that can be offered. I hope everyone out there is doing great, and I wish everyone the best of luck and whatever stage of the journey they may be in!

hi and congrats ur approved for it. iam in thhhe preop process adn indeed havean upper gi series planned for mondday a.m.i am seeking revision surgery to to a failed byppass. iwll have lapbanding as my pouch has stretched out and i hav e 3 comorbidities. i acant wait to get started i hav ebeen gaining due to meds i am on. ouch.

My surgery was 12/18/17. No regrets at all! I feel better every day. The only thing is, I tire out easily. I was extremely tired after a trip to the doc and nutritionist a week post op. It’s a 2 hour drive one way. Also, because I was a revision from lap band to Bypass, my surgery was 5 hrs long due to scar tissue and my surgeon took his time and didn’t rush things to get it done properly. That last was from his PA. She is impressed with his patience in surgery. That’s exactly what you want in a surgeon! I was on full liquids the first week with no issues. After my first post op, I was able to advance to soft, puréed foods. That’s working out well too. I won’t lie to you, that evening after surgery, I was sore. Obviously, my stomach hurt, it hurt to move! I had right shoulder pain from gas they put in your stomach for surgery. But the nurses I had were awesome and experienced in dealing with Bariatric patients. Even thought they came in during the night to check vital, I still got a good sleep. Felt so much better the next day. I walked, sat up on the chair for 3 hours and was able to eat jello. I saw my doctor, nutritionist and his PA all before going home. I hope this is as the information you were looking to get. My highest weight 309, I do not have my surgery day weight, thinking it was about 301. According to the doc’s office 1 week our 290! I’m happy with my results. I haven’t stepped on the scale, but plan to every Tuesday. I would be happy to answer any questions for you. Good luck on your decision.

My tummy tuck held up AMAZINGLY well and, so far, the fat grafting to my butt seems pretty well intact. I haven't been losing the fat there on my way back down. The main issue I've had is that my left breast implant has become malpositioned with the weight gain and re-loss. Like as I gained the weight, the real fat tissue expanded and pushed the implant out of position and now that I am losing that fat again, the malpositioning is obvious. I will have to have a revision to fix it. I've had a consult with a local surgeon and I've had some talks with my original surgeon back in Mexico. I haven't completely decided what and when I am going to do about it. I've decided to sort of take a "wait and see" approach, since I still want to lose about 25 more pounds. I think I'd rather wait until I'm at goal and maintaining for a bit before addressing it.

I can feel my port but not quite see it right now. I had a band revision a few weeks ago and was told not to move it but was given the option free of charge since I was being opened up. I decided to skip it. I am terrified of a port infection and had to have my flipped port reanchored a few months after my surgery. If it bothers you I would look into it otherwise as my doc said there is no telling how the port will look in the new place.

Hi and congrats on taking the steps to a healthier and better you. The sleeve is a wonderful and I absolutely love life post-op. As for your questions, I'll answer honestly and openly as I can. 1) I am a smoker. Smoking inhibits healing, and can cause ulcers. Not only that, it increases your risk of a leak due to hindering healing of the staple line. My surgeon knew my smoking status, but I didn't quit pre-op. Could it have contributed to the fact that I did have a leak, yes, but the biggest issue in my recovery and leak issues was because I had a band first that destroyed my stomach tissue. Smoking also complicates anesthesia recovery. Your abdomen is sore, causes more coughing and I had to use a spirometer to help prevent pneumonia. That really sucked because coughing caused major discomfort. I have quit twice since surgery, and am now trying to quit again. I actually went on Wellbutrin to help with the withdraws of nicotine as the patch, gum and cold turkey make life with me pure hell. 2) I had a huge panel of labs, a chest xray, psych eval, and consult with a nutritionist. Some surgeons require an upper gi and sleep study. 3) I didn't have a drain initially. A lot of surgeons use drains to make sure there is no leak, and some pull it before discharge, some require it stay in for about a week. I only had drains due to the leak repair surgery, and they stayed in for over 2 weeks. 4) I was not catheterized for my revision. I urinated before surgery, and was dry when I came out. 5) hair loss can happen to anyone that goes through surgery. It's a pretty normal occurrence. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. It's a combination of anesthesia, surgical stress, and rapid weight loss. I lost hair for about 3 months, and I lost half of my hair. Luckily, I had super thick, coarse hair and no one that didn't know me before never guessed that I had lost all of my hair. The only thing you can do pre-op and during your recovery is to take hair/nail/skin supplements to help with regrowth. Biotin is usually the one most people choose. I didn't do anything to help with regrowth until I started losing. I used Folicure extra care shampoo. I started having new growth pop in while I was still losing. Currently, I look like a chia pet, and have chopped my hair off, layered it and bleached the top to help hide some of the new growth. I kept the back and underneath dark to help give the illusion of depth and volume. Unfortunately, hair loss seems pretty inevitable. There's several patients on this board that got in there Protein and extra protein, and they lost more hair and lost it for a longer period of time than I did, and I didn't get in my protein until I was on soft solids when I could eat chicken and other meat. My main advice is make sure you can handle the mental and emotional aspect of this surgery. It's a huge change, and no matter how much you read or talk to people will you really grasp it all until you go through it. I truly believe going in positive, and upbeat helps. Find strength within yourself, and know that you are doing something absolutely fabulous for yourself and your family. Know that recovery can be difficult, you'll be tested, you'll be exhausted, you might be mad at yourself especially during the post-op diet, but all of that is just temporary. Questions to ask your surgeon: What size bougie do you use to make the sleeve? What are your leak/complication stats? What are your expectations of my weight loss? Do you provide follow up care, labs, access to a nutritionist and psych if needed post-op (especially since you'll be self-pay find out what all is included in that cost)? Do you prescribe an acid reducer such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium to protect the sleeve, how long should I be on it? Post-op diet instructions? Pre-op diet instructions? How many sleeves have you performed? How many bariatric procedures have you performed? How long is the hospital stay? Leak tests, how many and when are they performed? That's all I can think of right now. Best wishes on your consult, and if you need anything ask away. We'll all be here for you through this journey.

I don't know how well the band worked for you, but mine wasn't so great - had it for 10 years of pretty lousy actually. I did take the time to contemplate how I contributed to "failure" and one mistake I vowed to never make again was to blame myself and not seek help and support. I think it is great you have asked here and I think you should be very straight forward with your doctor. Don't be embarrassed, you need help! I am guessing he has seen all variations - fast and slow losers etc. I think that you might benefit from some sessions with a nutritionalist or even therapist. Reality of it is, you might be slower loser then you were with the band, or compared to some other sleevers. That is painful to accept, but honestly does it matter? I have lost 160# due to my revision, does anyone really think it matters how long it took? The journey is far from over for me even, because i am now in maintenance... in other words, there never is an "end" it is all a process, an ongoing way of living. So, ;practical advice, get yourself a sleeve guidebook (usually provided by your surgeon or NUT) and follow it as closely as you can! Who cares about Cookies, this is your health and life on the line here! Even doing that, it might be more slow and steady, but you will eventually make your goal weight. I think it took me 3 months post op to really get in the total groove with my sleeve. Nerves are damaged, I was dehydreated, sometimes I felt hungrier than I should, sometimes I had no appetite... all over the board. The key is to be eating the dense Proteins. I am talking fish, chicken, sandwhich meat etc etc. If you aren't hungry for a slice of sandwich meat wrapped in a piece of lettuce, are you really hungry? That goes along ways to filling you up and makes it easier to eat properly. There are lots of "sleeve basics" that i presume you know, but following them really does help. hang in there and don't give up!

Do what is right for you. I just found that half of my co-workers have had some sort of bariatric procedure done. The one closest to me told me that I should go ahead and get a RNY becuase everyone else tried the VSG and Lap-Band and ended up having to get a revision. That is probably why his wife got one right off the bat (although I think she would have done just fine with a VSG because her BMI was a couple of points higher than mine). I just don't want any of the issues that come with RNY such as the very rapid weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. I see VSG as more of a tool and not a cure-all. My main problem is not being satsified when I have a meal; after researching which surgery was right for me, I decided that VSG, as opposed to Lap-Band was the way to go. I'm pretty sure that I could have gotten a Lap-Band, but I don't like having any kind of devices in my body.

My Surgery date for revision is Aug 4th 2014.... So excited...