I had the band for 2 years, went in for a revision on 9/11, woke up after a 5 hour surgery with no revision. The band had done to much damage. I spent 4 days in the hospital. Anyway, my doctor is going to do an endoscopy (probably sometime in Dec) to see if my stomach has healed and I could get the sleeve. I'm wondering if insurance will cover the sleeve as a 'delayed' revision, or if they will require me to do the 6 months of supervised visits? Anyone else have a similar story? What did insurance require?

Every insurance company and policy is different. I know that I would have had to start over if I wasn't able to be revised all at once, but the insurance coordinator in my surgeons office told me that isn't always the case. It would be best to call and get an explanation of benefits from your provider.

Mine did. I have Blue shield of Ca. Initially I was going to take my band out and have the gastric bypass but I woke up from surgery without my band but they couldn't do the bypass either because my intestines are on the wrong side.

Soooo my doctor said he can do the sleeve no problem and we got to work on getting a new approval. That was last week and I just found out today that they approved the sleeve.

It helps that my doctor wrote a letter on my behalf and it only took them 5 days to approve it. So there is hope.

Good luck!!

I am wondering the same thing. I had a lap band placed in Dec 2010, suffered many complications, went in to have it repositioned in Dec 2011 and it had to be removed. I had lost 60# in the banded year and have regained it all. I will attend a seminar on the 10th and meet with the surgeon on the 17th. If I decide to proceed with this procedure and if it is deemed safe for me I hope I do not have to wait 6 months again like I did for the band. If anything it should prove that I can be successful following WLS and that withoutit I am right back where I started.

Keep us updated on what you each find out.

Joan