Surgery on 2 19 13 and all went well. Fill every six weeks as ordered and within 7 months I was seeing green and was giving away the pounds. One year checkup and 90 of those little suckers were gone and I was given the go ahead to talk to plastic surgeon about skin removal. Then I started having issues with coughing and spitting up phlegm after eating. Nothing was stuck and Portion Control was good. So had .5cc Fluid removed. That was 2 days ago and still coughing but not as often or as much.

Then found out plastic surgeon my weight loss surgeon recommended does not take my insurance, but he did give me an exam to see if I would qualify for the surgery anyway. He said he could not do anything I needed to see general surgeon because I have issues with hernia and some muscle placement due to previous colon surgery. Well, that doctor told me yesterday that he could not operate until I had some of the excess skin removed. He tried a couple of his colleagues to see if they take my insurance and was told no. So, I need hernia repair, skin removal and can't find a doctor to remove the skin and take my insurance so the general surgeon, who takes my insurance, can repare the hernia. I knew it was too good to be true. I could removed the lap band, gain the weight back fill out the excess skin and have the hernia surgery, but don't know if my doctor or my insurance would reinstall the lap band.

Well, this is quite confusing? Why would you want to or need to remove your band?

God Bless you. You have gone a long journey to have the band removed. I hope there is a new way to go through this, I imagine can be frustrating and sad; but nowadays insurance companies are harsh and don't realize that a simple repair is much better than having a patient with tons of medical issues due to overweight.

I hope you can have your extra skin removed soon, and the hernia repair. You will feel incredibly and amazingly on top of the world just not having to deal with heat and your pants fitting better. Good Luck.. Maria

thanks Happy Momma. I did find a plastic surgeon to work with my general surgeon. Plastic surgeon said Medicare will approve a "skin amputation" and nothing else. No tummy tuck, nothing off the lower back which after I saw the picture she took almost is as bad as the front. The amputation can be approved to get the skin out of the way for the general surgeon to go in and repair the hernia and the muscle realignment needed after my 3 colon surgeries in 2006 and 2008. So, looks like I will get some help from insurance afterall.

Update. Did find plastic surgeon who takes Medicare, but Medicare will only pay for a skin amputation in the stomach area. No tuck, no butt lift, no skin removed under arms, etc. So then the general surgeon said I should have the skin done and then he will see if it will still be necessary to do the other hernia and muscle repair. He thinks that the skin removal may take care of the other for awhile. He does not want to do both surgeries at the same time because the healing process from the skin removal will take some time and doing both would make the healing process more troublesome. So, maybe there is hope.

Good luck to you. It sounds like you are going through insurance hell, and that isn't fair to someone who needs help.

Found out medicare may pay for "skin amputation" in the stomach area. This is not a tuck, but just removal of the skin so the general surgeon can get in to repair the hernia, but nothing for under arm flab or around the back where I must have about a 2 inch roll. Won't do anything until after Aug 1 though as I have a short trip planned and don't want to be healing from this surgery as it is much worse than the WLS.