Lap band revision- how long did you wait?

[Byrd0315 3]

I’m having significant issues with the band and am wondering if I will have yo wait 4 months for the revision or if they are likely to do it sooner since I am having problems?

[lvidacovich 372]

For a revision to sleeve or bypass? I don't see why you wouldn't have to go the whole 6 month waiting period that most insurance companies have unless you're self-pay. Even then most GOOD WLS clinics have a protocol you must go through that can take a while.

[Byrd0315 3]

I’m just wondering if they will maybe take the band out separately since it is causing problems and then have me wait for the revision

[catwoman7 10,922]

sometimes they do it at the same time, sometimes they wait a few months. It probably depends on your particular situation and your surgeon...

[loridee11 510]

My surgeon wanted the band out for at least 3 months before they would do bypass. I had the band out in August and feel SO much better - I was completely unfilled for the last 2 years but still had heartburn and days where I could barely swallow Water. Other days I was fine and all of that is now gone. My RNY is scheduled for Dec 31.

[Byrd0315 3]

Good luck Loridee11. Please keep us updated on how your bypass goes. Same here with no Fluid but continuing to have issues. I think just having it put would be better but would like to only go under once If possible

[SorryNameTaken 85]

My doctor told me if my band was slipped, he would take it out, I'd wait 3 months, and then he'd do my bypass. If it wasn't slipped, he would do it all at once. My testing didn't show I was slipped, so I went through the 7 months of weigh-ins for insurance.

Well, when they got in there, my band was actually slipped, and slipped bad. My surgeon (which ended up being my original doctor's partner) took my band out and did my bypass all at once. I'm so thankful he did it all at once, especially due to anesthesia complications and changes in insurance.

[HBLOSINIT 0]

I had my Band removed on 5/31. Dr. wouldn’t even talk Gastric Bypass until after 3 months. Then two weeks after my first appointment to talk about revision , I had my first really awful Gallstone attack. I ended up having it removed on 10/18. So now I’m going to get all my pre-submission appts. I’ve met with the Dietician, have sleep Study scheduled for 12/16. Waiting to hear on Psych visit. Once all of those are done, he’ll review and the submit to insurance. I have no clue how long it takes to be approved. I’ve got to start making headway on weight loss. He never gave me a % to lose.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,933]

On 11/25/2019 at 7:30 AM, Byrd0315 said:

I’m having significant issues with the band and am wondering if I will have yo wait 4 months for the revision or if they are likely to do it sooner since I am having problems?

That is a tricky question. Some dr. will do the removal and revision at the same time..... but it all depends on what he finds when they open you up. Some times the scaring it too bad to do all at once. Some make you wait 3-6 months. Removal was a piece of cake.

I had to have mine removed march 23, 2017. I was at 143lbs and had been there for 7+ years. So when they removed it, he would not do a revision because insurance didn't cover the removal and for sure would not cover a revision. Plus.... I didn't weigh enough. I'm 5'2". I searched tons of places and got the same response. I was about to head to Mexico for revision when i happen to find a dr. right here 10 mins from my work....... No, the insurance still didn't cover it and i was now at 173.5lbs and 31 BMI. But because i was a "revision" (2.5+ years later) and i was cash pay ($14k)... the sleeve was done 8/28/19. He said when he opened me up.... my stomach looked great. Very very little scarring. I did, however, have a hiatal hernia i didn't know about. Since i have lost 31.5lbs... and i'm sitting at 142 which is 1lbs less then when i had the band removed.

The SX was the easiest i ever had. Zero pain and was back to work on Monday.

[Byrd0315 3]

Thank you all so much for your responses. Waiting to get upper gi now so they can see if it has slipped. At first I thought I really wanted it done all at once but I am miserable and after reading some of the responses here, it seems like it would be better to get removed first. Given I have just started the process for bypass surgery, it doesn’t seem like it would slow the process and I am hoping for some relief. I don’t think I can handle this for 4-6 months longer!

[Byrd0315 3]

SorryNaneTaken... how did you have a bad slip that didn’t show up on the X-ray or upper gi? I just had mine done and radiologist said nothing looked abnormal on first look

[LadyVS 75]

On 11/25/2019 at 7:30 AM, Byrd0315 said:

I’m having significant issues with the band and am wondering if I will have yo wait 4 months for the revision or if they are likely to do it sooner since I am having problems?

When I first saw my doctor, he and I had already discussed doing the surgery all-in-one. (Revised to sleeve) I was having a lot of problems. My band had slipped so from February until my surgery last Monday, my band has been unfilled. We didn't know that my port slipped down two inches as well until he went in. My surgery took longer than anticipated, but it was sooooo worth it. Good luck to you! I hope you don't have to wait.

Edited November 27, 2019 by LadyVS

[JRT Mom 919]

On 11/25/2019 at 2:03 PM, SorryNameTaken said:

My doctor told me if my band was slipped, he would take it out, I'd wait 3 months, and then he'd do my bypass. If it wasn't slipped, he would do it all at once. My testing didn't show I was slipped, so I went through the 7 months of weigh-ins for insurance.

Well, when they got in there, my band was actually slipped, and slipped bad. My surgeon (which ended up being my original doctor's partner) took my band out and did my bypass all at once. I'm so thankful he did it all at once, especially due to anesthesia complications and changes in insurance.

I had two barium swallow tests that showed my band was in perfect position, but I was still tossing up most of what I ate, so my surgeon said I had to get it removed, and he would do an RNY in the same surgery. He likes to do it in one surgery if he can...less cost and one less chance for anaesthesia complications. He thinks the bypass is actually better to do than the sleeve on a one-surgery revision.

Well, he got in there, and my band HAD slipped, and on top of that I had a hiatal hernia! When he cam to see me after the procedure I asked him why everything looked good on the xrays, he said it's not uncommon for slips and hernias not to show up on the xrays.

[Byrd0315 3]

I meet the surgeon Monday so hope to get some more info. I really feel like something is not right even if not showing up on upper GI. I am also wondering if I may have a hernia as well.