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I posted the attachment for the difference on a thread under Insurance I titled: Aetna Revises Policy downward from 5 years to 2 Years! Check out the attached pages that compare the old Aetna clinical policy bulletin to the new one they just posted on their website with a revision date of Feb 8, 2008 -- reduced the time for severe obesity wording from "at least 5 years" to "at least the last 2 years" . This was the ONLY change I could find in comparing the whole document with regard to anything to do with Lapband surgery qualifications.

I think it's so insane that one little post upset so many as it wasn't intended to. First of all I commend a doctor who doesn't take anyone's money to do this surgery. It shows he has some scruples. It's not only doctors who have strict criteria it's the insurance companies that are dictating who gets this surgery and it's very common for an insurance company to expect you to have a BMI of 40 or have a BMI of 35+ with multiple comorbs. Mine did and I'm sure there are plenty others. I met that criteria without a problem. I admit there was information I was lacking before getting the lap band and it didn't work out for me as planned. Mistake made. Lap banding may not seem as drastic or invasive as RNY etc... but it's still surgery and there are still many risks and there are still chances it may not work or eventually you'll have complications and have to have it removed anyway, possibly struggle with weight gain again and consider revision surgery. I feel bad for self pay people also because I can't imagine what happens when you have complications and have to pay for that down the road. Anyway it was a simple poll posted by Froggi and possibly made people think about what they were doing especially with such low BMIs. Maybe a bit of work on learning to love ourselves at a heavier weight is more important and constantly struggling to be a certain size dictated by our society and shoved in our faces constantly. And having surgery for that purpose might be a bit extreme even if it is only a lap band. Just a thought Nancy.:smile:

Congrats on your weight loss success, I am sure it is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you see the change in your body and your health, keep up the good work and keep us posted, I am awaiting my revision from Lapband to VSG surgery on July 12th I am on my pre op diet which is not bad I must do all lean proteins and fruits and vegetables, and my vitamins but No Carbs, its funny because there are good carbs and then the obvious ones...lol so I am learning to do this all over again and I must do it the right way, well you continue on your Journey and I wish you the Best.

I just found out today my Dr won't do the revision in one surgery. I was so angry. I was never told this. I'm so frustrated. So much time wasted. I have been deflated since October 18th. Why didn't they tell me this I'm getting married in April and wanted to lose a nice amount of weight. Trying not to let it ruin my holiday.

Thank you ladies. Marie, I wanted to wish you luck on the port revision. Let us know how it goes.

My revision is October 4, Toronto Canada Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

You can do this! I'm on day 10 of my pre op diet and if I can get through this without a "cheat", you sure can! I also a revision patient.Just keep reminding yourself that it's not worth it. You want to set yourself up for success and you don't succeed if you start out by finding ways to sneak around the rules. It hasn't been easy, but when my stomach is growling, I remember why I am doing it. Drinking lots of extra fluids help fool an empty stomach too. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App thank you @! Yes, that's what I'm focusing on...the end result. I've already awakened once "sleeveless" because the surgeon felt my scar tissue was too excessive to get around. He told me to wait a year or two for new techniques to become available. I was beyond devastated! So, this go round will be by the "book" to the best of my ability... Thanks for the good wishes. Heading to get my Protein Shake now Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had my surgery on 12/17 and my doc wants me to return on 1/15 I had a revision from the band to rny maybe that's why.

I have mine scheduled on October 4. I'm hoping for a revision to bypass. What my doc said to me is that it depends on the scarring. He said if the scarring is too bad he won't be able to do a bypass because they won't be able to properly close the incision. So I was given 2 options. If the scarring is bad, they will remove and then I'd have to go back later once the scarring reduces or they can do a sleeve in which case they just work around the scar tissue. I've told him to do the sleeve if he can't bypass. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App I'm planning to take, one week and then 1 week working from home. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I had band removed in February 2016. Weight started coming back just got revised to rny. Weight is dropping Proves if you follow the rules RNY works. Once you have the taste of being normal weight for eight years , it is hard to go back. Best of luck to you

1. Full feels different now. I'm four weeks out from revision and get full very quickly-I'm on soft foods and can usually eat about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to feel full. Don't overeat! It's not like the band where you can eat a few more bites-if you think you are full, STOP! It will all come back up. 2. Did your program give you a food progression program?? I was two weeks full liquids, two weeks puréed, two weeks soft and then ease into "regular" food. I just moved to soft foods earlier this week. 3. You had surgery on the INSIDE of your stomach. There is a food progression to allow the stitches and staple line inside of your stomach to heal. It didn't feel good because your stomach has an open wound. Call your doctors office or go see a dietitian. You can mess up your recovery if you don't follow the rules. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello Third time should definitely be the charm for you, I hope it goes well. I can relate, last 4+ months have been hell, horrible GERD, no solids for months...getting tired of pureed soups, as they at the only things that don't get "stuck" and cause severe pain, vomiting, etc. Tired of having to supplement w/ protein powder all the time. They missed the hiatal hernia (how?) with first endoscopy and hospital stay back in Feb. Had the barium swallow last month...radiologist saw the hernia right away. Had another endoscopy a week ago, confirmed fixed hiatal hernia (medium in size). Now I'm on more meds, waiting for blood work results to check for vitamin deficiencies.... and, not too thrilled that I will be needed to take a road trip to have the torture manometry test before they decide whether to do a Nissen procedure or just go ahead and do the revision to gastric bypass. I'm hoping for the latter. Had my sleeve back in Nov 2016. For me, I hope the 2nd time is the charm. Good luck w/ your surgery!

Hi all, After 2 years of having my lap band and having lost nearly 80kgs I had a horrid slip. I had revision surgery on 07.05.18 and they repositioned by lap band and replaced my port. I suffered a terrible bowel infection post surgery so I couldn't eat anything for 2 weeks postop anyway. On Tuesday (29.05.18) I had my first postop fill, my surgeon put 4ml in. Pre-slip I sat with 4.7ml and this was my green zone. Now, even with 4ml in off the bat I have restriction at all. I wanted to know if anyone else has had a slip revision and this has changed the amount of a fill they require to get adequate restriction? My surgeon said the word 'leak' during my fill because there was so much air in my band. I have had the worst 6 months with the health of my whole body and cannot handle having to go in for surgery again. Please share if you have gone through this!! Thanks, Jenna :-)

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 ♥️

That's interesting... I had revision surgery the day before you, so we should be on the same stage, but even over a week after you posted this, I'm only allowed 3oz protein and 1oz veg, fruit, OR starch. 4 oz. total, with no indication that these amounts will ever change moving forward. And I'm being told that I should not be using protein shakes anymore if at all possible. I'm struggling with how to consistently get 20g of protein per meal when I can only have 3oz. at a time. If I could just eat plain chicken breast for every meal, sure. But I'm not cleared for unrestricted textures yet, and canned chicken breast is only 15g protein for 3oz. The dietician also REFUSES to give me any guidance on how many calories I should be aiming for per day and says that I shouldn't be "restricting," because I'm in my "maintenance phase" now. Which I am extremely confused by, because according to their plan, I'm still on "soft foods" until Monday, 2/25. And I have 25-50lbs to lose, still at the high end of the "overweight" BMI range.

I think you are confused about a few issues. Let me explain so you will understand. First of all, going to Mexico isn't anymore dangerous than going to a surgeon in the US. Regardless of country it is critical to research your surgeon. My insurance would have covered my band and my revision to sleeve in the US. I didn't like those surgeons. Now, when I had my band I didn't want to jump through insurance hoops and wait a year to get my band so I did my research and I went to Mexico. I hated the band, hated it with a passion. I had band intolerance. I got to a point where I couldn't wait any longer. I needed a revision. There are no revision surgeons in AZ that I was comfortable with. I am a nurse and it was my choice not to go to them. I wanted the best surgeon possible and for me that was Dr. Aceves. Yeah, he's in Mexico. I have news for you, just because someone is in the US does not make them good and just because a doctor is in MX does not make him bad. Open a book, do some research, you will see that there are fantastic surgeons in every country just as their are crappy surgeons in every country. I'll bet you a dollar my surgeon has better stats than your surgeon and I don't even know who your surgeon is. As far as angry... Ok. Let me rephrase my comments about banding. I have very fond memories of acid shooting out my nose in my sleep, it was an enjoyable experience puking acid in the middle of the night. I should have known better than to lay flat in bed. Lord knows, I should have slept standing up. My fault completely. I was especially thrilled each morning when I would wake up so I could look forward to finding out if I could eat food that day or not. Or... if I could drink water. It was nothing short of trippy discovering I couldn't drink water that day. Yet, on other days I could eat a steak in one sitting. Social events were exciting! I'd go out with friends shopping, then we'd go to lunch and if I dared to eat anything solid I stayed in the bathroom puking and stoma spewing while my friends waited for me. I could go on but no doubt you can see how much fun it all was. I have very fond memories of banding and ohhhh, I wish I could do it again! Just for the heck of it! Do you know what Inamed's stats are? At the end of 5 years you can expect to have kept off 55-60% of your excess weight. Those are horrible stats. 30-50% of people have to bank on having a 2nd surgery before 5 years is up. Anything from a flipped port to repairing a slip (which is still on the rise, btw), to removing a band due to band intolerance, erosion, or a host of other reasons. Banding is the hardest procedure to lose weight, it offers the slowest weight loss and the lowest weight loss of all procedures. It has more long term risks and complications than the sleeve - hands down. So before you start talking about how we are, those with problems, you keep that band and when you are at five years we'll see you here too, probably sooner. Please don't assume you have the slightest clue what the people here have been through. Unless you have experienced what those posting here have, you have no room to talk as though you have any idea of what they have lived through.

Once you have one band out, the tendency is for subsequent bands to be problematic. If the first one is causing ulcers and infections, why wouldn't the second? I would consider revising to a sleeve or an RNY. My band is coming out soon and I couldn't be happier. It was an $18K nightmare from day 1.

I am also having a revision on the 28th

I'm sorry for the late reply. I had my band since April 2010, the surgery took 3.5 hours, he said mine was the longest and most complex revision. However, he says I still got a beautiful sleeve. Lol

A lot of people maybe also left because they simply go on with life. I stopped posting on boards about WLS long ago and started again when I had my revision. Now I notice again that I'm not really interested anymore in posting a lot. One of the reasons is that I recently started another education so I have other things on my mind but I also notice that I don't have anything constructive to say about a lot of things. I can understand the need to make snarky comments about certain things (as so many of the vets that left did) - but I don't do it. It's a very destructive thing to do so I rather hold my virtual tongue. With time it's tiring to read about the same stuff and I feel that what I have to say about certain things is not what people want to hear.

Hey y'all! I had my revision from a lapband to a sleeve on Monday.I agree with teitei636's description of the pain. When I was in the hospital, it felt like I had done too many stomach crunches. The gas pain that I'm feeling whether I'm drinking something or not feels like muscle spasms. Don't get me wrong, it hurts. But I think I was expecting to feel like I had been cut and that's not how it feels at all.

I am the analytical type... so I tend to want to know the "why" - but when it comes to managing obesity I am over it. At this point, it is just "how" I was committed when I revised from band to sleeve... and I remain committed to the "fight". I love life as a normal sized person too much to consider any other path.

I am almost 2 years out. I do not regret the decision to have weight loss surgery at all although if I had known I would end up needing a revision due to reflux I would have chosen bypass initially instead of sleeve but I had no way of predicting that. I'm down 172 pounds. From a 54 BMI to a 24 BMI. Russell stover makes delicious sugar free peanut butter cups. There are reese's and quest ones too. I made what I call peanut butter cup oatmeal for breakfast today which is oatmeal, pbfit powder for protein and Walden farms zero calorie chocolate syrup. I've had diet coke a few times but carbonation bothers me so I have to let it go completely flat and it isn't worth it. I don't miss it too much. My PCP wasn't super big on WLS but my insurance didn't require a referral from him and honestly when I went back for a regular visit about a year post OP he was happy to see that it had been successful for me to have surgery. I don't eat red meat often as I don't do as well with it since my galbladder was removed.

Greetings Everyone! Has anyone heard of a Kaiser patient getting a revision from Band to Sleeve? I got my band at Richmond (boo-hiss) and transferred my care to So SF. They're much much better, but I was pretty much told to make an appointment with a mortuary if I had a revision. I'd appreciate any news. Thanks

they told me that they revise on a case by case basis, but only if there is a problem with the band. ...now I don't want to "wish" for something to be wrong with my band, but . . .