Ok, I was banded November 2006 at 300 lbs and lost 80 lbs. Well here I am now up to 290 and it is just depressing. I feel no restriction but yet the doctor says im completely filled to the max. I'm really interested in getting the sleeve because I've heard a lot of good things about it versus the band. I was self pay for the lapband and am getting married so will probably try to see if my husbands insurance will cover the revision since I was self pay. Anyone know anything about insurance companies and revisions? He has aetna insurance. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Missy, I never had a band but others have and I'm sure they'll answer you. I just wanted to welcome you to VST. This is a wonderful forum with lots of caring people.

I had the band and revised to the sleeve, best decision I ever made ! ! ! As for the insurance, I am clueless about Aetna, and now with all the specific employer policies in place, it's really hard to tell unless you can get your hands on a couple of the policy.

The sleeve is a wonderful tool, and you won't have to worry about no restriction. Find a good revision surgeon, and check out all of your options. If you have any specific questions, feel free to post away, we'll try to help as best as we can.

I'm not sure but I think Aetna may cover the sleeve, but since it's through your employer I'm not sure since I think the employer has its own policies. Hope you get what you want.

No clue about the insurance - you'll have to ask your future hubby to check his policy. They're all different. I also had a band and was self-pay for it and the revision surgery. You're lucky to be in TX, as we have plenty of great bariatric surgeons to choose from. When I had the band, I lost all of my weight in the first three months. Then I too put some of it back on. It's too easy to "eat around the band" by eating high-calorie "slider" foods. As long as your tummy is still the same size as before, you can slide a lot of queso, ice cream, etc. down that small hole and keep those pounds on.

I love having the sleeve now as I don't have a choice about eating too much or not. Also, since getting it, sweet things like colas and ice cream nauseate me, so they are no longer on the menu and are one less thing to worry about making me fat again.

Right now Aetna doesn't cover it. I'm hoping they revise the policy in April. That is the word going around.

** In the meantime...why don't you make any appointment for April?

Edited March 22, 201016 yr by mrlddst
added extra line

You should have your surgeon check and see if you have a leak. I have a leak and getting a sleeve revision next Monday! My insurance wouldn't cover it unless there was a flaw in the band.

Hi Missy-

I had lapband surgery in 2007 and went from 350ish to about 270. Today I weighed in at 301. I 've had serious issues with acid reflux induced laryngitis (lost my voice for 6 weeks) and when I moved to Philadelphia...no doctors here will do my fills becuase they didn't do my procedure.

I have decided to do the sleeve but I am self pay. Just wanted to say you aren't the only one who had issue with the band...and I am sending you an ocean of good wishes...

My surgery is next friday in Mexicali with Dr. Aceves. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions..

Grace

You should have your surgeon check and see if you have a leak. I have a leak and getting a sleeve revision next Monday! My insurance wouldn't cover it unless there was a flaw in the band.

If you don't mind me asking, how much is the revision going to cost out of pocket?

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm now getting worried about insurance companies in general with this new health reform bill that's being passed. I wonder if they're going to want to cover anyone anymore.

The health insurance bill covers MORE people for MORE things, not less people or less stuff. :001_tt1:

Your fiance should be able to call up Aetna and ask them if his plan has a "rider" for bariatric surgery. Aetna should be able to tell him over the phone. If not, he should be able to ask his HR.

Aetna does now cover VSG (it was considered experimental under their policies until just a week or two ago), however VSG is not explicitly listed under the surgeries covered for a revision... so you may have to ask about that once you are covered.

I hope everything aligns right for you!

Banded 2006, attained goal within 6 mos. regained all the weight. throw up all the time no matter how small the bite or how well the chew. Saw another doctor who called Aetna. My policy has no limit on bariatric surgeries and will do the sleeve and pay 100% after deductible is met. Am starting the process to have the band removed and the sleeve done. Wish I had never done th band. I have read that the sleeve brings nausea, some throwing up if you don't chew well or if you drink while you eat. How does it compare to the band?

Banded 2006, attained goal within 6 mos. regained all the weight. throw up all the time no matter how small the bite or how well the chew. Saw another doctor who called Aetna. My policy has no limit on bariatric surgeries and will do the sleeve and pay 100% after deductible is met. Am starting the process to have the band removed and the sleeve done. Wish I had never done th band. I have read that the sleeve brings nausea, some throwing up if you don't chew well or if you drink while you eat. How does it compare to the band?

Nausea is typically only a temporary side effect, and I only had it with other medications like antibiotics, or when introducing new foods through the post op diet. The throwing up thing typically occurs early out while your stomach is still swollen and you have to chew it well so it can go down.

All of the horrible crap with the band is nothing like the little things that are minimally bothersome, and typically very temporary with the sleeve.

The band vs. the sleeve is like night and day.

Thanks so much for your response! I have a few questions still. My online research refers to "dumping," hair loss, acid reflux and throwing up. Any long lasting issues with those side effects? I read that the 10 year study on the band shows almost 50% failure rate. If they had told me about the 30 carb per day limit, I never would have done it. I was never "full," but often "blocked" which resulted in vomiting several times a day. I learned to eat around the band. My typical lunch salad while at work would take about 3 hours to eat so I could keep it down. They wanted me to eat in 15 minutes. No way! I saw on u-tube that some sleevers actually have to make themselves eat because they are not hungry, and they divide their day into 6 small meals. What about when you get old? Will you still eat or will you just dry up from malnutrition? I've made a terrible mistake with the Lap Band but it is reversible. The sleeve is not. I want to know everything I can from real sleevers before I commit. Please help!

Edited May 1, 201016 yr by jobigirl
misspelled word

It is much easier to manage weight loss after a Sleeve than with a band. There is not the problems with band fills, no waiting to get to the "sweet spot" of ideal restriction and the reduction of the Ghrelin hormone allows patients to eat small portions without hunger (For the majority). It's less invasive than a Bypass, and doesn't have the on-going difficulties with dumping and mineral deficiencies that a bypass creates. The sleeve is great. I initially was going to go with the band, and it was my surgeon who told me the sleeve would be best for me. And boy, was he right.

Thanks so much for your response! I have a few questions still. My online research refers to "dumping," hair loss, acid reflux and throwing up. Any long lasting issues with those side effects? I read that the 10 year study on the band shows almost 50% failure rate. If they had told me about the 30 carb per day limit, I never would have done it. I was never "full," but often "blocked" which resulted in vomiting several times a day. I learned to eat around the band. My typical lunch salad while at work would take about 3 hours to eat so I could keep it down. They wanted me to eat in 15 minutes. No way! I saw on u-tube that some sleevers actually have to make themselves eat because they are not hungry, and they divide their day into 6 small meals. What about when you get old? Will you still eat or will you just dry up from malnutrition? I've made a terrible mistake with the Lap Band but it is reversible. The sleeve is not. I want to know everything I can from real sleevers before I commit. Please help!

You are to be commended in doing much research and asking many questions. Hair loss is expected. I personally lost at least a third of my hair. Although it came out in handfuls during a wash etc. Oddly enough the hair lost was evenly distributed around my head. I am 7.5 months out of surgery and the hair loss is about ended. I am hoping that my hair will thicken once again. I have not encountered "dumping". I do not fully enjoy eating however and must eat slowly not to feel too full to eat enough. It seems that many others have little problem enjoying food. Your question about eating later on in life and the potential for malnutrition makes sense to me. As you must already know the gastric "sleeve" per se' has not been around as a weight loss procedure for that many years. You would perhaps benefit by researching the stomach gastrectomy which has been done for decades, performed for health reasons other than weight loss.