Search the Community

I'm in Hollywood and starting the revision process 3 months starting October. I was sleeved 4 years ago Sent from my Z981 using the BariatricPal App

Honestly? That I wish I never had it done and did more research on the other options. I was, on the outside, a success...but I suffered a lot to lose my weight and am about to go through revision surgery to Bypass. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@2babutterfly thank you so much for your concern. I guess I'm just scared trying to process the fact fat I may have to have a revision. if it fails and I will be a two time loser. I did get some fluid through maybe this good things to come.

Sorry: revision!

The peso has also gone way down, that's why the pieces have dropped in dollars. I just went to Dr. Aceves for a fill on Saturday and the cost for the flouro was only $60 instead of $75 because of the exchange rate. As for why I chose the band over the sleeve, I was not interested in cutting off a perfectly good part of my body. I realize it takes longer to lose the weight and you have to work at it, and it requires follow up but I was OK with all of those things. With the band everyone has their individual "sweet spot" yet with the sleeve it's an irreversable one size fits all. That just seems odd to me. The potential for revision from band to sleeve is there but not the other way around. I'm just a chicken, what can I say! LOL. With that being said, Dr. Aceves is the best choice for either (and yes I'm biased ) I believe he is doing more sleeves then bands now because of the demand. The day of my surgery I was the only band and there were 2 others getting sleeved.

All policies vary, however, most either do not cover revision will only cover it in the case of a failed band (failed meaning a situation that would require removal of the band, like erosion or a leaking band).

I know I'm a few months late, but I wanted to chime in too. I love Dr Singh and Albany Med. I wouldn't go anywhere else for my care. While his bedside manner isn't the best - he is good at what he does. On Monday he will be removing my band and 2/23 he will do my revision to RNY but really there is nobody else I would trust to do my surgeries!

Warning!! Cut and Paste to follow :wink: Looks credible to me. SiCKO' Truth Squad 'SiCKO' Factual Backup SiCKO: There are nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention actually reported that 54.5 million people were uninsured for at least part of the year. Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2006. Centers for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur200706.pdf The amount of uninsured is rising every year, as premiums continue to skyrocket and wages stagnate. From 2004 to 2005 the number of uninsured rose 1.3 million, and rose up nearly 6 million from 2001-2005. Leighton Ku, "Census Revises Estimates Of The Number Of Uninsured People," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 5, 2007 http://www.cbpp.org/4-5-07health.htm. With 44.8 uninsured in 2005, in 2007 the number will be much higher. Professors Todd Gilmer and Richard Kronick, in "It's The Premiums, Stupid: Projections Of The Uninsured Through 2013," Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w5.143, "project that the number of non-elderly uninsured Americans will grow from forty-five million in 2003 to fifty-six million by 2013." According to these authors, by now the number of non-elderly uninsured by this date clearly would be nearly 50 million. SiCKO: 18,000 Americans will die this year simply because they're uninsured. According to the Institute of Medicine, "lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. Although America leads the world in spending on health care, it is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage." Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations, Institute of Medicine, January 2004. http://www.iom.edu/?id=19175 SiCKO: Richard Nixon and John Ehrlichman are heard discussing the concept of a health maintenance organization in Oval Office Recordings. On February 17, 1971, Richard Nixon met with John Ehrlichman to discuss the Vice President's position on health maintenance organizations, as heard in the film. The Miller Center of Public Affairs has this audio recording (conversation number 450-23. "Richard Nixon - Oval Office Recordings," http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/digitalarchive/presidentialrecordings /nixon/oval?PHPSESSID=b813e56b3017d097cd176720bc10fc74 The next day, Nixon called for a "new national health strategy" that had four points for expanding the proliferation of health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. "Special Message to the Congress Proposing a National Health Strategy," February 18th, 1971, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3311 The term "health maintenance organization" was coined by Nixon advisor Paul Ellwood. Patricia Bauman, "The Formulation and Evolution of the Health Maintenance Organization Policy, 1970-1973, Social Science & Medicine, vol. 10. 1976. After Congress passed Nixon's HMO Act in 1973, HMOs in America increased nine-fold in just ten years. N. R. Kleinfield, "The King of the HMO Mountain," New York Times, July 31, 1983. SiCKO: The American Medical Association distributed a record featuring Ronald Reagan discussing the evils of socialized medicine. Ronald Reagan's recording was widely available in the 1960s, and was a part of the American Medical Association's "Operation coffee Cup," a coordinated rebuttal to Democrats' push for Medicare. Max Skidmore, "Ronald Reagan and Operation Coffee Cup: A Hidden Episode in American Political History," Journal of American Culture, vol. 12. 1989. SiCKO: $100 million spent to defeat Hillary's health care plan. "Even before debate began in Congress, a powerful coalition had been cobbled together to fight Clintoncare, as opponents labeled it - congressional Republicans, the insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Business Roundtable, the Christian Coalition, the conservative radio talk show network. Those groups spent between $100 million and $ 300 million to defeat it. And the battle was fought like a presidential campaign - with a TV advertising campaign, a network of field operatives and public relations experts to lobby members of Congress back in their districts." Rob Christensen, "Who killed health care reform? Answer: Everyone," News & Observer, June 19, 1996. "In 1993-94, the Health Insurance Association of America, a trade group, spent about $15 million on advertising to defeat Clinton's proposed overhaul of the nation's health care system." John MacDonald, "Proponents, Opponents Join Battle Over Drug Price Limits," Hartford Courant, June 21, 2000. "'We spent $1.4 million to fight President Clinton's plan,' [Mike Russell of the Christian Coalition] says." Harold Cox, "Business will spearhead Health Reform II ; Old enemies of Clinton's plan in lead," Washington Times, December 27, 1994. "A study by Citizen Action, a consumer group, reports that doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and other providers of medical services made campaign contributions of $ 79 million during the 1993-1994 election cycle. The insurance industry passed out $16 million. The American Medical Association, which objects to cost-control measures, contributed $ 3 million." Froma Harrop, "The big lie about health reform," Rocky Mountain News, August 20, 1995. "According to [Citizens for a Sound Economy] spokesman Brent Bahler, the group has not bought any airtime for commercials but has 'tentative plans' for a grassroots advocacy effort that would include an advertising component. Last year, Bahler said, the CSE spent more than $2 million on print, radio and television advertising to defeat Clinton's health care reform plan." James A. Barnes, "RNC Turns To TV Ads On Budget," National Journal, 5.16.95. SiCKO: The United States is ranked #37 as a health system by the World Health Organization. "The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds." "World Health Organization Assesses The World's Health Systems," Press Release, WHO/44, June 21, 2000. http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-44.html SiCKO: Health industry companies accused of wrongdoing in Sicko. Aetna: "Aetna Inc. … settled with the plaintiffs, which include the medical associations of California and Texas. Aetna agreed to pay the plaintiffs $120 million." Milt Freudenheim, "Class-Action Status Is Upheld for Doctors Suing Insurers," New York Times, September 2, 2004. See also, Susan Beck, "HMO Postmortem," American Lawyer, October 10, 2003. Settlement Agreement, http://www.aetna.com/provider/agreement_with_physicians.html Blue Cross/Blue Shield: "Sixty-seven Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies across the nation have paid the United States a total of $117 million to settle government claims that Medicare made primary payments for health care services that should have been paid by the Blue Cross/Blue Shield private insurance companies, the Department of Justice announced today." "Blue Cross/Blue Shield Companies Settle Medicare Claims, Pay United States $117 Million, Agree To Share Information," Department of Justice News Release, October 25, 1995. http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/Pre_96/October95/551.txt.html Cigna: "Cigna Corporation, [has] settled with the plaintiffs, which include the medical associations of California and Texas. … Cigna agreed to pay $85 million." Milt Freudenheim, "Class-Action Status Is Upheld for Doctors Suing Insurers," New York Times, September 2, 2004. "HCA Inc. (formerly known as Columbia/HCA and HCA - The Healthcare Company) has agreed to pay the United States $631 million in civil penalties and damages arising from false claims the government alleged it submitted to Medicare and other federal health programs, the Justice Department announced today. … Previously, on December 14, 2000, HCA subsidiaries pled guilty to substantial criminal conduct and paid more than $840 million in criminal fines, civil restitution and penalties. Combined with today's separate administrative settlement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under which HCA will pay an additional $250 million to resolve overpayment claims arising from certain of its cost reporting practices, the government will have recovered $1.7 billion from HCA, by far the largest recovery ever reached by the government in a health care fraud investigation." "Largest Health Care Fraud Case In U.S. History Settled; HCA Investigation Nets Record Total Of $1.7 Billion," Department of Justice News Release, June 26, 2003. http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/03_civ_386.htm SiCKO: Executive Compensation Michael B McAllister earned $3.33 million in compensation as CEO of Humana. "Forbes 2006 Executive Pay list," April 20, 2006. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/12/AG0Q.html. John W Rowe earned $22.2 million in compensation as CEO of Aetna. Rowe has since left Aetna. "Forbes 2004 Executive Pay list," April 21, 2005. http://www.forbes.com/static/execpay2005/LIRS5NI.html?passListId=12 &passYear=2005&passListType=Person&uniqueId=S5NI&datatype=Person Bill McGuire has stock options worth $1.6 billion at the end of 2005, as CEO of UnitedHealth Group. Robert Simison, "SEC Investigates UnitedHealth Over Stock-Options Practices," Bloomberg News, December 27, 2006; Michael Regan, "Business 2006: Who Won, Who Lost," Associated Press,December 26, 2006. SiCKO: There are four times as many health care lobbyists as there are members of Congress. According to the Center for Responsive Politics (www.opensecrets.org), in 2005 there were 2,084 health care lobbyists registered with the federal government. With 535 members of Congress, that's 3.895 lobbyists per member. SiCKO: Hillary Clinton became the second largest recipient in the Senate of health care industry contributions. "As she runs for re-election to the Senate from New York this year and lays the groundwork for a possible presidential bid in 2008, Mrs. Clinton is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from doctors, hospitals, drug manufacturers and insurers. Nationwide, she is the No. 2 recipient of donations from the industry, trailing only Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a member of the Republican leadership." Raymond Hernandez and Robert Pear, "Once an Enemy, Health Industry Warms to Clinton," New York Times, July 12, 2006. SiCKO: Drug industry money to members of Congress, and the president, who led the effort to pass the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. "The health industry gave $14 million total to the eleven elected officials largely credited with negotiating the bill. Pharmaceutical company PACs, employees, and their families gave more than $3 million in campaign contributions to (those) eleven elected officials." Buying A Law: Big Pharma's Big Money and the Bush Medicare Plan, Campaign Money Watch, January 2004. http://www.ourfuture.org/docUploads/donnelly$_1-15-04.pdf SiCKO: The Medicare Part D plan will hand over $800 billion of our tax dollars to the drug and health insurance industry. According to the Congressional Budget Office, for the ten-year period, 2006 through 2016, the projected spending is $848 billion. "The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2008 to 2017," Congressional Budget Office, January 2007. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/77xx/doc7731/01-24-BudgetOutlook.pdf SiCKO: The elderly could end up paying more for their prescription drugs than they did before under Part D - and a majority of senior citizens could still pay over $2000 a year. "For all patients, Medicare covers 75 percent of the first $2,250 worth of drugs. But after that, coverage drops to zero - and doesn't resume until the patient hits $5,100 in expenses. Then Medicare kicks in again, paying 95 percent of costs. But it's this gap - of almost $3,000 - that many sick and disabled seniors call unaffordable." Medicare's 'Donut Hole,' CBS News, July 26, 2006. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/26/eveningnews/main1839288.shtml "Nearly 7 million seniors and individuals with disabilities who purchased stand-alone prescription drug coverage are now at risk of falling into the 'doughnut hole.' According to a report released today by Senior Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee… nearly 88 percent of new drug plan enrollees, roughly 7 million individuals, are at risk of losing coverage for their medications while they continue to pay monthly premiums to their insurers. The report further details how few individuals have enrolled in plans without doughnut holes, presumably because of the prohibitive cost of such plans." "88% Of New Medicare Drug Program Enrollees At Risk Of Falling Into The 'Doughnut Hole,'" Joint News Release From Representative Charles B. Rangel, Ranking Democrat, Committee On Ways And Means, Representative Pete Stark, Ranking Democrat, Subcommittee On Health, Committee On Ways And Means, Representative Sander M. Levin, Ranking Democrat, Subcommittee On Social Security, Committee On Ways And Means, September 21, 2006. http://www.house.gov/list/press/wm31_democrats/060921_88 _of_new_medicare_drug_program_enrollees_at_risk_of_falling _into_the_doughnut_hole.html "Over the past year, Part D drug prices have increased several times faster than the rate of inflation. Families USA analyzed the prices for 15 of the drugs most frequently prescribed to seniors. We examined prices for each of the plans offered by the largest Part D insurers, which together cover about two-thirds of all Part D beneficiaries. We then compared the lowest available Part D price for each drug in April 2006 with the lowest available price for the same drug in April 2007. The lowest price for every one of the top 15 drugs prescribed to seniors increased, and the median increase was 9.2 percent." Medicare Part D Prices Are Climbing Quickly, FamiliesUSA, April 2007. http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/medicare-part-d-drug-prices.PDF SiCKO: Fourteen Congressional aides went to work for the industry; Billy Tauzin left Congress to become CEO of PhRMA for a $2 million annual salary. See, e.g., The Medicare Drug War: An Army of Nearly 1,000 Lobbyists Pushes a Medicare Law that Puts Drug Company and HMO Profits Ahead of Patients and Taxpayers, Public Citizen Congress Watch, June 2004, http://www.citizen.org/documents/Medicare_Drug_War%20_Report_2004.pdf "Retiring Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., who stepped down earlier this year as chairman of the House committee that regulates the pharmaceutical industry, will become the new president and CEO of the drug industry's top lobbying group…Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, called Tauzin's hiring 'yet another example of how public service is leading to private riches.' Tauzin gets a pay package reportedly worth at least $2 million a year, making him one of the highest-paid lobbyists in Washington." "Tauzin switches sides from drug industry overseer to lobbyist," USA Today, December 15, 2004.. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2004-12- 15-drugs-usat_x.htm SiCKO: Canadians live three years longer than we do. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, and the life expectancy in Canada is 80.2. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf. SiCKO: Tommy Douglas, who pioneered Canada's health care system, was heralded as the nation's singular most important person. "In November 2004, Canadians voted Tommy Douglas the Greatest Canadian of all time following a nationwide contest. Over 1.2 million votes were cast in a frenzy of voting that took place over six weeks as each of 10 advocates made their case for the Top 10 nominees in special feature programs on CBC Television… . From his first foray into public office politics in 1934 to his post-retirement years in the 1970s, Canada's 'father of Medicare' stayed true to his socialist beliefs -- often at the cost of his own political fortune -- and earned himself the respect of millions of Canadians in the process." "The Greatest Canadian," CBC, 2004. http://www.cbc.ca/greatest SiCKO: Canadian "wait times" not nearly as long as some try to allege. According to Statistics Canada, the official government statistical agency, "In 2005, the median waiting time was about 4 weeks for specialist visits, 4 weeks for non-emergency surgery, and 3 weeks for diagnostic tests. Nationally, median waiting times remained stable between 2003 and 2005 - but there were some differences at the provincial level for selected specialized services.… 70 to 80 percent of Canadians find their waiting times acceptable" "Access to health care services in Canada, Waiting times for specialized services (January to December 2005)," Statistics Canada, http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-575-XIE/82-575- XIE2006002.htm A recent study of emergency care in Ontario found that overall, "50% of patients triaged as CTAS I [most acute] were seen by a physician within 6 minutes and 86% were seen within 30 minutes of arriving at the [Emergency Department]. In contrast, the 50% of patients triaged as CTAS IV or V who were seen most quickly waited an hour or less, while 1 in 10 waited three hours or more. Understanding Emergency Department Wait Times: How Long Do People Spend in Emergency Departments in Ontario? Canadian Institute for Health Information, January 2007. http://www.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=reports_ wait_times_bulletins_e "Gerard Anderson, a Johns Hopkins health policy professor who has spent his career examining the world's healthcare, said there are delays, but not as many as conservatives state. In Canada, the United Kingdom and France, 'three percent of hospital discharges had delays in treatment,' Anderson told The Miami Herald. 'That's a relatively small number, and they're all elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacement.' John Dorschner, "'Sicko' film is set to spark debate; Reformers are gearing up for 'Sicko,' the first major movie to examine America's often maligned healthcare system," Miami Herald, June 29, 2007. SiCKO: Drugs in England only cost $10. For much of 2006, the standard charge for a prescription was £6.65. "The cost of an NHS prescription in England is to rise by 15p to £6.65 from the start of April." "Prescription charge to rise 15p," BBC News, March 13 2006. From April 1 2007 to present, the charge is £6.85. "There are many unacceptable inequities and anomalies in the present system. Although around four out of five prescriptions are exempt (see below for list of exempt categories), the price of a prescription (£6.85 from 1 April 2007) often hits those who cannot afford such charges. There are many people with chronic conditions who are not exempt and those on low incomes find it very difficult to pay. This causes a disproportionate levy on a limited section of the population." British Medical Association, "Funding - Prescription Changes," March 2007. http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/FundingPrescriptionCharges SiCKO: After losing 42,000 civilians in eight months during a vicious bombing campaign during World War II, Britain pulled together and instituted a National Health Insurance program in 1948. "The Blitz was September 7, 1940 through May 11 1941. "42,000 civilians are estimated to have died during the campaign, with over 50,000 injured, and around 130,000 houses destroyed." See, "Remembering the Blitz," http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/archive/exhibits/blitz/intro.html; "Living With War; Air Raids," The Discovery Channel, http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/ww2_home/ww2_living_with _war/index.shtml "The NHS was set up in 1948 and is now the largest organisation in Europe. It is recognised as one of the best health services in the world by the World Health Organisation but there need to be improvements to cope with the demands of the 21st century." "About the NHS," NHA website, http://www.nhs.uk/Aboutnhs/howthenhsworks/Pages/ HowtheNHSworks.aspx SiCKO: In a study of older Americans and Brits, the Brits had less of almost every major disease. Even the poorest Brit can expect to live longer than the richest American. "The US population in late middle age is less healthy than the equivalent British population for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, lung disease, and cancer. Within each country, there exists a pronounced negative socioeconomic status (SES) gradient with self-reported disease so that health disparities are largest at the bottom of the education or income variants of the SES hierarchy. This conclusion is generally robust to control for a standard set of behavioral risk factors, including smoking, overweight, obesity, and alcohol drinking, which explain very little of these health differences… Level differences between countries are sufficiently large that individuals in the top of the education and income strata in the United States have comparable rates of diabetes and heart disease as those in the bottom of the income and education strata in England." (See also Table 1 - for example, prevalence of diabetes among high-income Americans is 8.2 per thousand, while it's 7.3 among low-income Brits.) Banks, Marmot et al., "Disease and Disadvantage in the United States and in England," Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006;295:2037-2045. SiCKO: A baby born in El Salvador has a better chance of surviving than a baby born in Detroit. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report, the rate of infant deaths per thousand in El Salvador is 10.5. "Table 3, Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year, June 15, 2007." http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the rate of infant deaths for Detroit is 15.9 per thousand. "Number of Infant Deaths, Live Births and Infant Death Rates for Selected Cities of Residence, 2005 and 2001 - 2005 Average," Michigan Department of Community Health Web Site, http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/InDxMain/Tab4.asp. SiCKO: Around 65 percent of young Americans can't find Britain on a map. "About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn't even locate the U.S. on a map. The Pacific Ocean's location was a mystery to 29 percent; Japan, to 58 percent; France, to 65 percent; and the United Kingdom, to 69 percent." "Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy," National Geographic Today, November 20, 2002. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1126_021120_ TVGeoRoperSurvey.html. SiCKO: Companies that no longer offer pensions to new employees. These can be found on a list prepared by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Pension Change Fact Sheets, http://www.bc.edu/centers/crr/PFFS.shtml In addition, the Pension Rights Center has also compiled a near-comprehensive list. Companies That Have Changed Their Defined Benefit Pension Plans, http://www.pensionrights.org/pubs/facts/company_list.html SiCKO: Like Canadians and Brits, the French live longer than we do. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, the United Kingdom is 78.5, France is 79.6, and Canada is 80.2. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf. SiCKO: The productivity rate per hour in France is higher than in America. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, France has a higher labor productivity (GDP per hour worked) than the United States. "OECD in Figures 2005, 2005/Supplement 1 at 84. http://213.253.134.29/oecd/pdfs/browseit/0105061E.PDF "Britain has yet to catch up with its rivals on productivity. Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has long wished to close Britain's productivity gap with other countries. It is proving a long haul. In 2004, output per hour worked was 19% higher in France, 15% higher in America and 5% higher in Germany than it was in Britain." "Poor show; International comparisons," The Economist, January 21, 2006. SiCKO: French policy on childcare and household assistance for new parents. According to the French-American Foundation comprehensive review of child care, "For non-working parents or parents who work part-time, haltes garderies (drop-in centers) provide part-time, occasional, and drop-in care. Haltes garderies are also subsidized (by municipality and the National Family Allowance Fund), with parents paying a portion of the costs based on a sliding scale (parents pay an average of $1 per hour). … For working parents [there are] licensed family day care providers (assistants maternelles), licensed babysitters at home (social security costs and salaries subsidized by the National Family Allowance Fund)." Peer, Shanny., "The French Early Education System," French-American Foundation, November 13, 2003., www.eoionline.org/ELC/Presentations/Peer4.pdf SiCKO: There is a company in France, SOS Medecins, which will perform doctor house calls at any time. SOS Medecins has an English website, viewable here: http://www.sosmedecins-france.fr/en/smf_en_present.htm. SiCKO: The government initially refused to pay for the health care of 9/11 volunteers, because they were not on the government payroll. It remains difficult for the volunteers to access the $50 million fund that has been appropriated for their care. The Department of Defense and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery From and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States Act provided a total of $175 million for workers compensation programs - $125 million to NYS Workers Compensation Review Board, and an additional $50 million to reimburse the NYS Uninsured Employers Fund, including for benefits paid to volunteers. However, there have been major delays in getting money to volunteers. See. e.g. "Statement of Robert E. Robertson, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues," "September 11, Federal Assistance for New York Workers' Compensation Costs," United States Government Accountability Office, (GAO-04-1068T) September 8, 2004. "With strong advocacy from New York's Congressional Delegation and labor leaders, a portion - about $52 million - of the $125 million in federal funding that had been allocated for administering workers compensation claims was re-allocated to provide some funding for medical treatment programs, but it will only meet a fraction of the need. Congress approved the legislation authorizing this funding in late December 2005." Devlin Barrett, "Congress Gives New Life to 9/11 Programs," Newsday, December 22, 2005. A $52 million fund for volunteers was eventually established, but experts agree it's inadequate. The New York Times reported on September 6, 2006 that "Dr. John Howard, who was named the federal 9/11 health coordinator in February, has already said that the $52 million the federal government has appropriated for treatment late last year is inadequate. He said in an interview yesterday that the new study will very likely mean that the gap between funds and the need for them is going to grow." Anthony DePalma, "Illness Persisting in 9/11 Workers, Big Study Finds," New York Times, September 6, 2006. SiCKO: American officials claim that detainees at Guantanamo Bay receive excellent health care. "There is still acute care 24 hours a day, in which surgical procedures, everything, can be performed right there in the detainee camps, but as those wounds healed and as the detainees got further and further away from acute injuries, there has been increasing emphasis on preventative care. Indeed, the immunization rate there is higher than in the United States of America…. Things such as screening for cancer have taken place there. Colonoscopies--a procedure which, as we all know, is used commonly in this country to screen for colon cancer--are performed there on a routine basis. The health personnel-to-detainee ratio is 1 to 4--remarkably high. That is all health personnel who are there. And I guess, as I left this briefing and the opportunity to talk to the doctors and the nurses and the psychologists and the psychiatrists, I left with an impression that health care there is clearly better than they received at home and as good as many people receive in the United States of America." Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), remarks on Guantanamo Bay, U.S. Senate, September 12, 2006. "They go out, they do sick call on the blocks three times per week, care for them there, if they can… We have diabetes. We have high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Those detainees -- we've created a population health database so that we can track those detainees to make sure we're seeing them frequently, monitoring their labs and their overall health." Statement of Navy Commander Cary Ostergaard. "Hearing Of The House Armed Services Committee Subject: Detainee Operations At Guantanamo Bay," June 29, 2005. "Detainees receive medical, dental, psychiatric, and optometric care at U.S. taxpayers' expense. In 2005, there were 35 teeth cleanings, 91 cavities filled, and 174 pairs of glasses issued." "Ten Facts About Guantanamo," Department of Defense, September 14, 2006. http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/For-the-record/documents/ GuantanamoBay_Top10_ATTACHMENT2.doc. SiCKO: Cuba is one of the most generous countries in providing doctors to the third world. "WHO statistics show that the incidence of AIDS in Cuba is the lowest in this hemisphere, and there are now more than 800 Cuban doctors in Haiti alone working to control the AIDS epidemic. President Castro has offered an almost unlimited number to be sent to Africa, to be paid by the Cuban government with only a small stipend from the host countries." "President Carter's Cuba Trip Report By Jimmy Carter," May 21, 2002. http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc528.html "The close friendship between Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has netted Venezuela a loan of 20,000 Cuban health workers -- including 14,000 doctors, according to the Venezuelan government -- who work in poor barrios and rural outposts for stipends seven times higher on average than their salaries at home. Castro has vowed to send Chavez as many as 10,000 additional medical workers by year's end." "As Cuba Loans Doctors Abroad, Some Patients Object at Home," Boston Globe, August 25, 2005. "President Evo Morales on Friday heeded the wishes of six visiting U.S. senators by acknowledging the positive effects of American aid in his country - but added that Cuban doctors had had a greater impact on Bolivia than their U.S. counterparts… n a Friday interview with Bolivian radio network Fides, Morales said the assistance of Cuban leader Fidel Castro - who has sent Bolivia some 1,700 doctors and paramedics this year alone, setting up free hospitals and eye clinics throughout Bolivia -- outshines the United States' own medical aid." "Morales Says Cuban Doctors top U.S. Medical Aid," Boston Globe, December 29, 2006. SiCKO: In the U.S., health care costs run nearly $7,000 per person. But in Cuba, they spend around $251 per person. United States health spending per capita is $6,697 per person according to Catlin, A, C. Cowan, S. Heffler, et al, "National Health Spending in 2005." Health Affairs 26:1 (2006). As with the number of uninsured, the number continues to increase and is projected to be $7,092 per capita in 2006, $7,498 per capita in 2007 and reaching $12,782 by 2016, according the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures, National Health Expenditures Projections 2006-2016, http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/proj2006.pdf The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report says Cuba spends $251 per capita on health care. (Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/indicators/52.html) SiCKO: In Cuba, access to health care is universal. "Cuban dissatisfaction with their personal lives does not mean they are negative about the revolutionary government's achievements in health care and education. A near unanimous 96 percent of respondents say that health care in Cuba is accessible to everyone. Gallup polls in other Latin American cities have found that on average only 42 percent believe health care is accessible." Gallup/ Consultoría Interdisciplinaria en Desarrollo, "Cubans Show Little Satisfaction with Opportunities and Individual Freedom Rare Independent Survey Finds Large Majorities Are Still Proud of Island's Health Care and Education," January 10, 2007. http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brlatinamericara/ 300.php?nid=&id=&pnt=300&lb=brla SiCKO: Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate and a longer average lifespan than the United States. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, and is 77.6 in Cuba. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report, the rate of infant deaths per thousand in Cuba is 6.2 per thousand, and in the United States is 6.8. "Table 3, Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year, June 15, 2007." http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf

It's definetly a risk that is not talked about much. If you still have alot of weight to lose, I would consider revision to a gastric sleeve. You should also consider a different doctor, if he/she is not going to listen to you. They should have tested you sooner!

I had port revision too and I wear The Genie Bra, very comfy, don't know I have it on.

Banded 11 months Started at 205. Currently at 141.4. Wanted to lose 75 pounds. Revised to 70 pounds Have lost 63.6 pounds. 27 of that was pre-op. Rating of 10. I love the way I look, the way I feel. But biggest difference is in the bloodwork. Triglyceride count from 399 to 133. Overall cholesterol normal. Hga1c is 5.0 from being a type 2 diabetic. Pretty awesome. Did I mention I'm hot now??

Yesterday I celebrated my 1 year Gastric Sleeve post op (Revision from lap band) So glad I got the revision cause I was going NOWHERE with the band!

I am having band revision to bypass in June 8!! Super excited!!

My one year surgiversary for my sleeve is 9/13. I am thrilled with it! My surgery was uneventful as well as my recovery. I was self pay and chose to go to Dr Hargroder in Baton Rouge, LA. The cost then was 11,900 and that included everything. I considered Mexico but my husband was more comfortable with my staying in the states and Dr H was a 6 hr drive from home. If it had just been me, I probably would have gone to Mexico to either Dr A or Dr H, they both have lots of happy patients over on obesityhelp. As for why I chose the vsg, I didn't like the rerouting aspect of the DS or the RNY. I didn't like the foreign body aspect of the band. I heard too many people having to have revisions due to slippage, erosions, etc. I also didn't want the maintenance of fills and unfills. With my vsg it was one surgery and no maintenance, that's my kind of surgery. With any surgery there are risks of complications so you have to take that into condiseration as well. There was also a recent study about all wls and it said that the bigger, higher rated hospitals have smaller complication rates. If you want specifics, I posted about it a week or so ago on my blog and there's a link to the article included. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

FINALLY AFTER MANY MONTHS MY REVISION SURGERY HAS BEEN APPROVED!!!!! THANK YOU WALTER & KELLEY LINDSTROM, Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy, FOR NOT GIVING UP AND FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. 2016 is going to be a year of wonderful changes in my life! I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life!!!!

When you have an unusual situation such as you have, I have found it useful to get second and even third opinions. A general or general GI surgeon may not have that much experience with bariatric patients, and a strict bariatric surgeon may not have run into this type of problem before (though is more likely to be familiar with such complications. Is this a problem with something that's odd about you, or was there something odd about the way the bypass revision was done - good to get a fresh set of bariatric eyes on that to check. Is it a hiatal hernia - some bariatric surgeons have a hard time dealing with them, (and some don't...) and likewise some general surgeons may have a hard time dealing with that in a bariatric patient. A regional cancer center with a GI department can be a good place to consult, as they tend to have experience with a broader set of unusual cases, and they also usually have an associated bariatric department. I ran into an odd cancer situation a few years ago (thankfully fairly minor and early), such that even a major center might see one or two per year, and was a subject of one of the department's monthly meeting where the doctors all get together and discuss their "interesting" patients and brainstorm different approaches to the problem. You may need that level of "interest" to solve your problem hopefully not,) but it's good to be able to tap into that level of resource if it's needed. Good luck in finding a solution...

Thank you. It was really getting to me and causing me to feel very depressed. I actually went to my doctor today for a follow-up and she says I am doing great. She thinks 5 lbs a month is a good goal for the revision and feels I am on track, it is about the big picture.

I had a revision from sleeve to bypass, and I'm 4 weeks post op. In the first 4 weeks after my sleeve, I lost 30 pounds. In the first 4 weeks after my revision, I've lost roughly 15. So yes, definitely slower. But I didn't have the revision due to not losing weight. I was actually doing great with my sleeve. I had a lot of complications with the sleeve (gastritis, esophagitis, tons of polyps all through my stomach, horrible gerd). I got my life back and am slowly getting back to the things I could do before. As long as you continue to lose, and you make sure to exercise and stick to your meal plan, you will be fine. It'll take longer, but it'll happen.

Hello Friends! I had a lap band done years ago and have a ticker here showing that and my status as lap band patient. I now have had the revision from lap band to bypass and would like to add a new ticker and change my patient status. Can anyone give me the directions on how to change all this? I can't find it anywhere and don't remember how I did it 14 years ago! If anyone from Bariatric Pal sees this, please include an instructional section to the website. Thanks!

Hi I live in Ottawa Ontario Canada. I had my surgery in Bay- St- Paul QC in May 2002.I've only gotten a fill recently April 2004 and have lost a total of 40 lbs. There are a few reasons for not getting a fill: Originaly Dr was 8 hrs away by bus. Went over there 2nd month after sugery had not lost any weight and he refused to fill me!Total of 16 hrs on a bus with 1/2 appt in between!! I though i was a failure and just went about as normal. THEN i found this place!!! When i finally went back he had relocated to Montreal which is 1 1/2 hrs away and i can get there by car and i went armed with knowledge. I had to have a port revision then went for a fill in April of this year. Fills DO make a difference!! I've gone from a size 24 to 18! I have one son who's 5 and a 2 year old daughter. Chantal

Actually, Saturday I plan on talking to my doc about revision to a sleeve. So far he's saying no. But I am saying yes. Not sure who will win this one. ;o)

The sleeve is the first "half" of the DS. Would you consider the sleeve, with future revision to DS if necessary? There are heaps of Sleevers who have lost more than you need to lose. Anecdotally I am a sleever who left the hospital with a sleeve and without diabetes. I have also lost over 70 pounds in just under 7 months so far. I got the sleeve with the plan that if I needed a revision because I couldn't get to a healthy weight, I'd go with DS. Another thing to consider is your pattern of eating. If your weakness is fatty foods, the DS is known to be more "ok" with that, because it inhibits absorption of fats. But if your weakness is sweets, you are much more likely to have dumping with DS than even RNY. And we are talking uncontrollable diarrhea and nausea if you eat a lot of sugar or carbs in a sitting. Some people would consider dumping a good thing because it can keep you on the straight and narrow, but others would consider it a quality of life issue they are not willing to risk. True dumping is very rare with the sleeve or band because the pyloric valve is left intact and the intestines are not shortened by rerouting. Evaluate your food demons, your goals, and what potential side effects you feel able to handle, research, and talk frankly with your surgeon or even several surgeons. That's my best advice.

Hello everyone, I've finally had all my appointments before the surgeon and just need a few follow up calls but then I should be moved onto the surgeon. I just have a few questions: 1. Do you normally have to lose a certain amount of weight before the surgery? I've seen people say they had to lose 25 lb before the surgeon would operate, does that normally happen? Or is that in extreme cases? 2. What's a revision? I've seen posts about people getting a revision a few months after having the surgery but what is that for? If you have any advice that would be greatly appreciated!! I'm from Ontario, Canada! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

In Australia (self pay too) it may be different than where you are but, 1. Standard blood tests to establish base points and any comorbities (not that I probably needed comorbities my weight was high enough), also need a test for H-pylori (negative for me), if positive would have needed a course of antibiotics. 2. General anesthesia 3. Yes, but this really depends on the doctor. Some doctors do it to ensure a pattern of compliance, if someone can't do two weeks pre -op liquid/shake diet how will someone be able to manage the post-op liquid diet?? 4. None for me. Some people for various reasons have lost restriction. Tests have revealed that the sutures have become lose or undone. Reason may include non-compliance with post op guidelines, doctor inexperienced with ESG and suture placement, some people who have had a gastric balloon prior to ESG have a higher failure rate, some people with severe vomiting (due to other illnesses) which has caused sutures to loosen...and then there are the people for some inexplicable reasons the ESG has failed even though they have followed all the insructions and they have experienced doctors etc. Some points to bear in mind for ESG: weight loss will likely be slower and lower than the surgical options (average weight loss is 20% of excess weight, some people have lost a lot more, some people have lost less), adherance to post op guidelines is vital - it will help the suture anchor points heal which will help the restriction hold tight. Like the surgical options there is a weight loss sweet spot, for the ESG it is probably the first six months to 12 months. It's tool, we need to make it work to ensure the best weight loss, this means a compliance with post op guidelines for diet and exercise, will need to change all those not so healthy eating habits particularly emotional eating. Generally the ESG is not reversible, and it has been said that for those who choose to have a revision (where the ESG has failed) that a VSG is not a safe option (though I have seen research where such revision has been successful) - i think it may be a chase of the suture anchor points may get in the way of a VSG. Bypass seems to be the surgeons' choice for ESG revision to surgical option. Another ESG is also a viable revision.

I look at this thread and I reminded of all the people who post I lost __Fill in the blank___lbs Gone Forever! It used to make me so sad because I was one of the first people to join this board, revising from a band and I knew I had made the right decision. I lost weight right away because I got revised quickly when I started to have band problems. All of a sudden, between year 2 and 3, I could not lose the little gain I had over the weekend. I was good all week long, ate all Protein drank my Water and the scale did not budge. Pretty soon it was time for the next weekend, and I gained 2 more lbs. Then the holidays came around and I was completely depressed. I lost all my regain with the 5:2 plan rather easily. I didn't have a bf or husband, so I could plan all my meals the way I wanted. All that changed when I got another bf. Popcorn at the movies, him bringing home ice cream and donuts constantly etc and I am right back to where I was. I had back surgery in early Nov. and I have had complications from that, so I can't even exercise. I am determined though. It's either take off some weight or go and buy new clothes. I refuse to give all my really cute and stylish expensive clothes to a thrift shop. I just have to gather all my willpower and stop snacking in the evenings. I hate to say I'm glad other people are now gaining weight back, but i have to say it was so depressing to keep reading how everyone was getting full from 4 bites of food, and they have lost all desire for sweets. We can do this, and we don't have to do it alone!