I'm wondering if there is anyone out there who has been at or close to goal weight and needed to convert from band to sleeve. My body just isn't tolerating the band any more. I'm afraid of the long term complications of having so much of your stomach removed and loosing too much weight. At most I can only lose another 30lbs. But, without a "stop" button, I'll be right back to 285lbs or close to it. The more I read about the sleeve, the more it seems to do what I thought the band would. To be able to eat salad, veggies and fresh fruit again would be amazing

Thanks - Mary

This has been a topic I have been interested in also....

For myself...I am not afraid of ever gaining my weight back...the band is, and has been my stop button after getting it properly adjusted to suit me.......the fact that it restricts me from eating certain foods, and prohibits me from ever overeating, is the primary reason I lost all my weight.....

If these barriers were removed, then what would prohibit me from then gaining weight?

As far as loosing too much weight, I have learned as long as I get the needed Protein to protect and not loose what's essential, my body will loose what is not essential (fat) and settle out and stop all on it's own...I have not gained, or lost weight in over 12 months...having reached that point of equilibrium...which is vastly different from what my goal was.....

But like I said, I too am interested in what the future may bring....

But for now, my Dr. says that THIS PHASE of the weight loss treatment - procedure is complete, no longer being overweight....and to learn to live and behave the same way normal weight people do.....and that's just being smart about what I put in my body, and stay very active....

I see him again in Jan., and I am going to mention what the long term plans are, if they change at all.....

But I would be concerned about doing anything that would let me get fat again....I like the way I am right now....

My husband went from band to sleeve. He was never successful with the band, gaining back more than half of what he lost. He has done much better with the sleeve, almost hitting his goal. Only problem is he became lactose intolerant. He found out the hard way too. Other than that no problems.

Mary, there is a gastric sleeve site (like this one) where there are banders that went to sleeve: www.verticalsleevetalk.com.

I too am am contemplating to get the sleeve but it is due to complications with the band. I haven't had success with the band and only lost 40 pounds due to a dilated pouch. So it's between fixing the band or going to sleeve. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what to do but I'm leaning towards the sleeve. Best of luck to you.

Mary I have had friends who went from band to sleeve but due to band failure and they both have done very well. I had another friend who lost her band due to slippage but she was at goal and our insurance would not pay for a new band or the sleeve because she was 3 years post op and of a normal BMI. She was told her BMI would have to be over weight or unable to maintain current weight before they would approve her for the sleeve. Sad, because she is really struggling with not gaining weight and up about 20 lbs.

Does insurance cover a conversion?

Does insurance cover a conversion?

Depends on the insurance company unfortunately :/

Thank you everyone. Unfortunately, things got so bad that I had to have my band removed emergently. I should know in a day or 2 if my insurance will cover the sleeve conversion. Come to find out, the band had slipped - even though it didn't, show on any of the studies. I didn't want 2 surgeries, but d/t the amount of swelling, they wouldn't have done the sleeve at the same time. My surgeon says that the research shows that when the band is removed, most people regain some or all of their weight. I have great insurance - so hopefully all will go well. I'll keep you posted. In the interim, back to weight watchers.

My husband went from band to sleeve. He was never successful with the band' date=' gaining back more than half of what he lost. He has done much better with the sleeve, almost hitting his goal. Only problem is he became lactose intolerant. He found out the hard way too. Other than that no problems.[/quote']

How long did he have to wait before insurance approved to switch from band to sleeve

How long did he have to wait before insurance approved to switch from band to sleeve

Not long at all, couple months maybe, although our insurance did make him go through the preop testings again. We have horizon BCBS of NJ.

Not long at all' date=' couple months maybe, although our insurance did make him go through the preop testings again. We have horizon BCBS of NJ.[/quote']

Thats cool. How long did he have band

Sorry to hear you had to remove your band. Best of luck in the future whatever you decide to do.

Thats cool. How long did he have band

He had the band almost 5 years. I personally didnt think the surgeon placed it properly. Sleeve was done by another surgeon.

I was looking into the sleeve also. Then my new doctor said to work with the band. So I will be getting a fill on Friday and will be restarting a new.

I've known a few people who had insurance cover their conversion to sleeve or GB after losing their band because the band failed. I think it really depends on the insurance company though, best thing is to call.

I've heard the similar line about a former bandster destined to gain all their weight back. I would think that's likely but not because of the WLS. Isn't the statistic for anyone who has lost weight gaining it back pretty high, something like over 50% or higher?

I guess my point is make the best decision for you but don't let someone tell you that you have to have another WLS. The decision should be based on your needs. Did you lose your weight and now you just have to maintain? What's different now than before your WLS surgery? Have you learned how to eat intuitively? Exercise regularly now? Write everything down that you eat? If you've developed all of the good habits that people who "lose weight and keep it off" do, maybe you don't need another WLS.

I'm in the same boat. I'm having my band removed on 1/23 because of erosion and the surgeon has said that I'll have to wait anywhere from 2-6 months before I can even consider another surgery and I don't even know what my insurance would cover. I'm only 30 pounds over my goal though and he is encouraging my to try it without and see what I can do. He makes a good point that the band was a tool that helped me lose the weight but it didn't lose the weight, I did by eating my Protein, drinking my Water and exercising. I've learned the good habits over the last 5 years, maybe I can just keep doing that.

I don't know the answer but I wish you all of the best as you make the best decision for yourself.

Take care,

Anita

I revised from the band to the sleeve last year. I wrote about my experience on a thread yesterday:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/163124-help-guys-band-or-sleeve-im-scheduled-for-band-feb1/

I had been at my goal weight for just over 4 years when my band was removed. I have excellent insurance, and it paid for my band removal in April 2012 and for my sleeve surgery in August 2012 because my surgeon's amazing insurance coordinator was able to use her skills and my medical records to prove that the surgeries were medically necessary. So if your band troubles have been well-documented (and surely a band slip and removal were well-documented), it's possible that your insurance will cover your sleeve even if you're no longer obese.

Although I don't love my sleeve like I loved my band, I strongly believe that revision was the right thing for me to do because I knew I needed a surgical tool for lifetime weight management. I regained 30 lbs in the short time I was trying to wing it on my own. That is really scary, because I wasn't pigging out and eating stupid stuff (most of the time, anyway), and I was still exercising and generally a lot more active than I was when I was obese. Obesity is caused by our conscious eating behavior but also by factors that are outside our conscious control, like genetics, neurological and hormonal dysfunction, etc. etc. So however we lose weight (with or without WLS), weight management is a lifetime project.

As for losing too much weight - I haven't seen that happen to a sleeve patient except for a friend who revised to the sleeve when she was at her goal weight, and then lost another 20 lbs she didn't need to lose. But part of her problem was the formation of strictures that made it hard for her to even drink Clear liquids, never mind eat real food. She had the strictures dilated and is doing much better now. Also, although the sleeve has micronutrient malabsorption, it doesn't (as far as we know) involve the macronutrient malabsorption that makes it so some calories consumed "don't count". If you can't eat much at one time, you can keep your calorie intake where it needs to be by adding healthy Snacks to your day. You might need to work with a nutritionist to do that effectively. I lost weight quickly after my sleeve surgery, so that for a while there I wondered if I was going to be able to stop losing weight, but my weight loss slowed because I was able to eat more (a normal consequence of the healing process) and because I was getting lighter so I needed fewer calories. I haven't lost any more weight in 3 weeks so I think I'm where I need to be.

Good luck!