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Wanting to check in and see how some of us who didn't revise to other surgeries are doing since band was removed?? I've lost 10 pounds of the 20 re-gained in the two months after my band was removed in March. I do 60 mins of cardio --yes, 60 -- almost every day and average 1800 calories or less... that got the 10 pounds off...but plateaued for about a month...it SUX... to be putting so much effort into with no results... NO WONDER I quit so many times before and ended up obese! On the advice of my former nutritionist, who I called for advice on kick-starting things here, my doctor put me on Metformin, which apparently helps the body process glucose/carbs more efficiently rather than storing them as fat (haven't been eating many carbs as it is, based on their advice)... Nutritionist said she had clients who had a hard time losing weight and went on it because of glucose intolerance and started losing weight when they weren't losing before... but didn't help me at all... Really discouraged, and seeing that discouragement trickle into my eating habits. The old "why bother" head games. It's just sooooo hard to stay motivated when you have no progress... My son is going away to his dad's for two weeks and thought that might be a good time to try Jenny Craig or similar program and see what happens...since I won't have to cook for him... (Weight Watchers is always a bust for me.) Anyone lost weight after being de-banded? Maintaining even? It just kills me that I'm still 10 pounds heavier than I was the day my band was removed. I could be 10 pounds less. (Based on losing 10 of the 20 I quickly gained back.) Trying not to focus on the #$%^& numbers on the scale and just eat right and feel good. But, it would help to have progress!! Advice, comments and encouragment welcome!! Elizabeth

Doc said the surgery was long, when I woke up I was in soon much pain. I was a revision from lapband to RNY. They were giving my pain meds in the IV but still the pain was horrible. Doc said it went great, my test results were great but he said u really look bad and I felt horrible. I think my first walk was day 2 and that was getting up and going to the restroom and i felt like i ran a race. Day 3 i walked the hall but could not do the lap. He made me stay so they could watch me.

Yea, I would talk to your surgeon about a revision to a different surgery

I am 2 days before surgery but I have mixed emotions. I am nervous because I worry about complications because I am a VSG to RNY revision. But I am excited because I am one step closer to starting this new journey

I never had to go through all of this because I was private pay for my lap and and then my revision was done as an emergency surgery (so it wasn't planned) but I did work for an insurance company and while they all have their own rules and guidelines but the surgeons know the criteria. Just go with it and do everything they tell you. I can also tell you if you are denied go through their appeal process because a lot of times it gets approved the second time around. I may wish I had gone through all the hoops as I now have about 60,00.00 in medical bills from the revision and insurance hasn't paid any of them.....YIKES!!!

Where do I start I was sleeved on April 20th took 8 hrs due to many issues found while removing my lapband, on road to recovery and it's been a great 4 weeks post op, loosing weight so fast and walking 4 miles a day now, I'm 57 pounds down now since pre op weigh in. I started out at 447 on first consult in Feb and we decided my band was to tight so in April tried to unfill it but port had fliped so Dr requested urgent repair/revision with insurance company got approval the next day and booked in 6 days later. I didn't get a chance to think about worrying it happened so fast. After 12 years of my band which worked for me for about 7 of them I was now free from it and sleeved and enjoying my new life every day so much more now as those pounds I gained come off and my new body comes to life once again. Cheers Mal and Aussie Up Over is Fremont CA

I paid $18,500 for lapband in 2008 and then just paid $28,800 for lapband removal and revision to rny bypass on May 21, 2014. In Connecticut.

Like I said I have never had a problem in 9 years. I had a revision 2 weeks ago and have completely different insurance then in 2005. Of course each policy is different but I, personally, find it unlikely that most insurances will not cover these medical costs. When you do have to get new insurance you should certainly check your coverage but this has been my experience. Also, not many people have the same insurance for the rest of their life.

My husband and I have been together for 11 years, married 5 of those 11. When we began dating I was very healthy and active. In the past 11 years I have had 7 surgeries and a few illnesses that have taken their toll on me and needless to say my husband. I am having revision surgery tomorrow due to a slipped band and my husband is being a jerk. He's been this way for about the last 4 surgeries. I was hospitalized twice for kidney stones in the last six months and he didn't come to the hospital one time and the other he came and didn't even give me a kiss, no support nothing. He is usually supportive, but doesn't seem to have it in him anymore when I am sick. I have discussed it with him and he just says it gets hard after a while and he's just worn down. Which really worries me because what else is he tired of? I know I'm probably reading too much into it, but it really hurts me that he can't find enough love to support me. He has maintained his active and healthy lifestyle in spite of my health. But I try my best to keep up with him but I know I must slow him down some. Has anyone else experienced this? Have any advice?

The first two issues should be easy to resolve. It's not up to a clerk to decide if something is medically necessary. Fed BC/BS most certainly does pay for sleeve. The BMI...that one they may just get you on. If their requirements are that you be a certain BMI they have every right to deny you. :laugh0:( Not right and not fair, but they get to make the rules. I would explain that the Standard of Care is such that you should do a revision at the same time as the band removal when possible. Now, if you have a slip it may not be possible to do a revision at the same time as band removal. If your stomach is swollen it is not wise to do a sleeve until it heals. The problem is, then you really will be in a pinch because it will no longer be considered a revision to get a sleeve but it will be treated as your original surgery. WLS for an obese person and you *will* have to meet all the requirements.

I want to know how you revise a bypass to a sleeve! I've been dying to know this ever since the topic first came up on another board.

Hi WASA, What's funny is that they didn't deny the VSG for the BMI reason, the denial letter states only that it's investigational. It's the removal of the lap band that they denied because of the BMI. Isn't that funny? Like no matter how much you're suffering you have to regain the weight AND vomit and not be able to eat to get the danged thing out. Or be lucky enought to have a slip before you lost much weight :-). Even if they brought out the BMI argument for the VSG I'd still fight them - I had a gastric restrictive procedure and it needs to be fixed so that I have gastric restriction again. My original surgery was covered and I met all the requirements so it seems like a continuation to me, not something new. If I went and asked for breast implants I'd be denied. But if I had breast cancer and a mastectomy and a year later asked for breast implants I'd be covered. They wouldn't deny me because I no longer had cancer. ahchancey, Would you be willing to share the doctor and/or state in which you had the revision? Part of my argument includes a list of all the doctors I've found with Fed BCBS patients who were approved for VSG. I've been calling the local plan admins in those states and confirming the coverage. So far, everyone says no problem. Of course my state admin said no problem too. They actually have two separate local BCBS companies doing the admin here and I think that's part of the problem. The group that does the customer service told me it was fine but the company that handles the pre-certs says it wasnt' and the other company was wrong. Sigh... Almost every day I think just screw it and I'll go see Aceves and pay for it myself. But now I've almost got the letter done, just need a blurb or two on why VSG is safe and mainstream and I'll send it off. Then I'm done and I'll either get it or book my trip to Mexicali. If I won the lotter I'd just book my trip and get goin' :-). Britt

I don't know why you would consult an attorney or another surgeion unless you think malpractice was done. I think your surgeon did the correct course to fix your henia, then wait to do your revision...... I'm sure you signed your life away before the surgery as well.......

Hi there. I'm 38 years old and had lap band surgery in 2000. Pretty much always been overweight and very unhappy with my body. I was placed on the elective surgery waiting list in Melbourne(VIC, Australia) over 8 years ago for arm lift, breast reduction and tummy tuck. I had my breast lift and arm lift done 12 months ago (Aug 2012). I am so very happy with my breasts, I love them now. However, I am really upset at the way my arms turned out as they are still very heavy and saggy. They were terrible before surgery (surgeon took 12cm off each arm). I borrowed $5600.00 to have liposuction on my arms before the arm lift as the surgeon said there was too much fat in them for a lift to be of any great benefit. I had the lipo done and the lipo dr thought that they would cut out the saggy part underneath so he did the upside of my arms. Before the surgery there were concerns that my arms had too much fat underneath still and that they may sag again. My surgeon reassured me that if that did occur, she would perform a revision to correct that. I went in to discuss that and now she's saying she doesn't want to do the revision. My lipo dr said he's happy to redo more lipo to correct his part of it but he wants to speak to the surgeon first to clarify exactly what they need done. Both him and the surgeon are of the opinion that I am being too "picky" and that my expectations are unrealisitc. I haven't stopped crying since they said they won't do the revision because I do not have the money to pay for the surgery so will be stuck with fat, saggy arms AND thick red scars because the weight in my arms has stretched them! I don't care about scars but to still have the large unsightly arms AND the scars is uinacceptable to me. The depression I feel about this has been overwhelming. I'm struggling immensely and am contacting a psychologist who specialises in body image therapy to try to help with that. I'm tired of feeling so ashamed of myself and no one understands how I feel. I have been single for most of my life as I am so self conscious about my body that I can't relax and just be myself. I've dated some lovely men, but due to my poor self image I haven't been able to feel comfortable enough to be myself, I feeze up emotionally and just can't get past the way I feel about myself! I've become obsessed with having surgery as I feel like I can't keep living with this misery and lonliness any longer. Last week I was booked in to have my abdominoplasty on October 7th, which has been a life saver. When the surgeon refused my revision, she also said she didn't want to do my tummy tuck because she feels that I've had enough of a go with the public system and that I have unrealistic expectations! She also said that I'm not even on the waiting list anymore. I broke down at the hospital when she told me this as I was devastated. They then booked me in to see a different surgeon who will do the procedure for me. I wrote a letter to the hospital explaining that I was told that I'd be given revision surgery for my arms and was then refused, and I'm waiting to hear back from them regarding that. I'm feeling really torn between feeling ungrateful and being unable to accept this result for my arms. I know that in another 12 months or so they'll be back to the way they were before because the sagging only gets worse - as many of us on here well know. In addition to the tummy tuck, I also need to have a lower body lift (at the back and a thigh lift so I still need to borrow at LEAST $10,000.00 for those. That will be another 12 months - at least IF I can even manage to do that. I'm hoping the tummy tuck makes me feel a lot better about myself because I'm really struggling at the moment. Does anyone else feel this bad about themselves? I've attached a pic of my arms and breasts which was taken half an hour ago (12 months post op) so you can see the results. Does anyone think I am overreacting about how bad my arms still look? I am absolutely devastated! I would really love to start up a foundation for people like us who need surgery after weight loss to provide both support for each other and funding for people who cannot afford it. I know that if I was unable to get on that waiting list 8 years ago I probably wouldn't be here now. It's been the only thing keeping me hopeful that I will feel good about myself........one day. I'm so lucky that I had this and I realise not everyone is so lucky. I'm so glad that I found this forum too and that there are others who understand the intensity of the emotional and physical pain and sufferring we endure every day. Thank you all so much for being so brave to share your stories, pictures, strength and support on here. It has given me the strength to do the same :-)

Having a revision due to severe acid reflux after the sleeve my date is October 8 fir some reason am nervous about the surgery

I am four months post op today and still am very aware of my revised tummy. I feel it from to to bottom, especially when eating or drinking. I'd say its normal this short time after surgery.

I have the sleeve and I am scheduled to have the mini Bypass on the 25 th .., with the sleeve I did not loose more than 10 pounds and I have bad acid reflux. It has been 2 years since I got sleeved ... I have hypothyroidism so I think that is what made me not have weight loss

I went into my initial consult not really knowing much about either procedure. After the nurse gave her presentation, I knew that I wanted the RNY. I had mild GERD, and was concerned it would get worse with the sleeve. After I joined this board, I read a lot of stories about members having a revision from sleeve to RNY b/c of GERD which reinforced my choice. So far, so good!! I'm very happy with my surgery!

It appears that you had a lap band and are currently trying to obtain a revision to RNY gastric bypass. What happens to several individuals with lap band is a serious complication where the band erodes into the stomach. This is a dangerous condition and causes several individuals to transition to gastric bypass to correct the problem. I am over 3 1/2 years post-op RNY gastric bypass. One of the interesting things that happened to me was that after surgery I completely lost my hunger. When hunger is not constantly, continually gnawing at my bones, I found that it was not difficult to drop the weight. The experience after surgery was not akin to dieting. It was a totally different experience. Many people experience this effect (but not all). Generally you will not notice this effect take hold until you transition from the puree to solid stage of the program. Generally pre-op, the insurance requirement is to show that you are trying very hard to lose weight through diet and exercise. So make sure you document your attempts such as giving up soda, walking each day. Document your diet through a journal to track your food intake. Attend bariatric surgery support group meetings. And let nature take its course.

This is a big question of "WHY" to me as well.The lapband is causing damage and the amount of revisions to sleeve or bypass is astounding.The lapband has caused me alot of organ injury.My esophagus is messed up and so is my teeth from vomiting .Its amazing the years I put up with the band suffering and trying to make it work....if there ever becomes a civil class action lawsuit I am in...

What percentage is the "large number " requiring revision. To bypass? Frankly, although it is much safer now, ANY WLS should scare the crap out of you. It's just that the alternative (over 300 and gaining, lifetime of trying to control my weight) was like 100 percent chance of early death with a side trip through disability. Post sleeve, maintaining a 150# plus weight loss for 3 years now I have a chance at a much better life. I was in turmoil for a solid year over revising from the failed band because of all these concerns. Bypass is a good procedure too, but has its own set of risks and issues. I think the soul searching I did during that time had contributed to my success with the sleeve. Lots to say about that, but it boils down to - do I choose living to eat, or eating to live. I choose living a full life, for as long as I am blessed with that chance.

I had the band and just had revision surgery to the sleeve last Tuesday. The band never worked for me and I tried to utilize it as a tool to the best of my ability. My doctor said it just doesn't work for some people. I had it for 2 years and lost 30 pounds. It wasn't worth it!

Glad I found this thread, my revision was 4/18/16 and so far 35 lbs down. Was sooooo discouraged cause I have a friend who got it done (just sleeve not band to sleeve) and is down 79 and she got it done 2 wks after me. Now that I've read everyone's post, I feel much better. I've even had some cheat meals, but haven't gained anything.

So, I've been on here for awhile - and originally had gastric sleeve surgery in March of 2016. After my original surgeon made the sleeve too big (words from my current surgeon after having an upper GI study) and me gaining weight, and not loosing any - we both agreed I need a revision. DESPITE the failure of the sleeve being the surgeons fault, I need to still go through insurance hoops, the psych visit, 6 months weigh ins, nutritionist,. etc. So I have 2 questions: 1. Has anyone switched from a sleeve to a bypass, and what were your results? 2. Has anyone needed any type of revision and needed to go through the entire insurance process again? Thanks!

I had the same thing. I was constantly throwing up due to the hernia. My surgeon just corrected the hernia and made the diaphragm hole smaller without a bypass revision. . My problem now is that I’m struggling with that stuck feeling and feeling a bit nauseous. My surgery was just 2 weeks ago, so still figuring it all out