Hi Everyone,

This is my first time posting on lapbandtalk. I was banded in March of 2007. I'm currently below my goal weight and have maintained my goal weight for almost a year.

I've had problems with my band from day one. From being extremly too tight without a fill to having a dilated pouch. Now my doc thinks I have scar tissue built up under that band and wants to do a revision.

I've decided I'm going to have it completly removed. I say that with excitment too.

So there's a little history of me now and I have a ton of questions for those of you who had your band removed and not replaced or any other surgery on top of it.

1. Did you have any complications during the removal of the band?

2. Any complications today because having the band

3. When did you have your band removed? (Month and year is fine)

4. Have you gained or lost any way since the removal?

5. How was the pain? I've hear the area where the port is at is the worse

6. What are your eating habits like now?

7. How long did it take for you to eat "normal" again?

I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thanks for your help:thumbup:

Please, one more question to your list: Did insurance cover your lap band removal?

Please, one more question to your list: Did insurance cover your lap band removal?

My removal will more then likely be approved because the approval they are getting is for the adhesion (scar tissue) repair / removal.

Since my doc has to remove the band anyways its not a problem.

Now if I wanted a new band replaced I would have to pay for the band but part / majority of my surgery will be covered by insurance.

From what I've heard if you just want your band removed you will have to pay for it.

My band has eroded. It seems that insurance payment can be had if coded properly.

I got the call today from my doc office that insurance will be covering my lap band removal.

I think it all depends on how the doc codes it.

Because I have adhesions that need to be removed under the band my band will be removed during surgery.

I'm having my band removed tomorrow morning and my insurance is covering it.

I am so disappointed that the band didn't work for me. Every time I had an adjustment I got really sick. Not from the food I ate or anything getting stuck, it's as if my body doesn't like the foreign object being in there.

I just hope I don't blow up like a house once it's out. I weigh a few pounds more now than the day I had it in, August 7, 2008. Had the port replaced October 22, 2008.

I wish everybody else the best of luck with their journey with the band. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

tiffanydione good luck with your removal and please, please keep us updated on your results!! i've struggled with my band almost from day 1 and i've honestly described it to my friends and family that i feel like i've had surgically induced bulimia. i've lost the weight and i absolutely love that fact but i cant stand the fact that i cant hold anything down. i've given serious thought to having it removed but i'm so scared of gaining the weight back.

anyone else who has had a band removal and is maybe a few months out or further please post a status update and let us know how things are going! i'd really like to know what the potential is for sucess after the band.

Hi Lauren, thanks for the well wishes. My surgery went great today. Only took about 20 minutes. I'm sore but that is to be expected.

I had the same problems you were having. I could get frozen yogurt to go down and at times not even Water. This was right after a fill and nothing was stuck but I'd think ice cream and water would have no problem even if the band was a little tight. What did they do, close it completely? LOL.

My issue is I weigh 5 lbs. more today than when I had my band inserted. However, most of that is my own fault and my addiction to ice cream :cool:

This is a big decision so I suggest you think hard about getting it removed. After having the band 23 months I'm sure I'll gain weight soon and quick for making up for lost time of the foods I love, LOL. However, the ONE thing that proved to work for me was eating right, counting calories, and working out. I plan to give that a go again.

Good luck and let me know what you decide.

WOW!!! You have lost a LOT of weight!! GOOD FOR YOU!!! That is so awesome!! I want to lose between 80 and 130 lbs. and I'll be happy. Though I'm finding myself happier every day even with the weight. All it took was getting the negative people who focused on my weight and "flaws" (in their mind), like my own mother, out of my life. Just a side note: My mom didn't call me yesterday to wish me luck nor has she called me today to check on me. She wouldn't even go with me for my surgery.

Sorry, I'm a bit bitter about that. Well, I'm sore and think I'll go lay down.

KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK!!!

my best friend saw a bariatric surgeon today and he told her that so many of his patients have been unhappy with the lapband and he wont even do it anymore. he strongly suggested to her to have the sleeve done when she told him about everything that i had been through. he said he's converted a lot of the band patients to the sleeve with great success and the patients are 110% happier with it. too bad the doctor is tricare (military doctor) lol.

TIFFANY , i am going through the same thing , my surgery is scheduled for 2maro AM to have my lap band removed , i have been banded for 11 months , i had my Lap band put in November 18, 2009 thinking this is going to be an amazing journey and could not wait to walk into a store and fit into a normal pair of jeans , Here i am 10 months later having my band removed , its been a nightmare from DAY 1, I have never had a Fill to where i feel restriction , I had over 11 fills and never felt restriction , i had scops done to make sure the band was placed right and that was normal , i had Upper GI's done and that was normal , All the Doctors in the Group were amazed on why there was no restriction or why i havent not lost 1 pound , a few weeks ago i ended up in the ER because i felt like i had something stuck in the back of my throat , i thought maybe it was a piece of skin to an apple and it would not go away , the feeling was there for 3 days before i went . it ended up being Acid from my stomach being trapped above the band coming up Destroying my Voice BOX , the ENT DR said he has never seen a VOice box look so bad and i should have the BAND removed , My Band DR was not happy with doing this surgery , they do not believe in removing the band but they had alot of meetings and decided its probly the best thing to do ... The Dr always blamed me for what i ate on why i did not loose any weight , but i kept my food journal and followed the directions to a T !!! ... Everyday i live with having a stomach ach , they mostly come at night before i go to bed , i never had stomach aches before surgery , Im not happy the band is coming out but i dont want to live with all the problems and who knows what else the band can destroy in 10 years from now so i think its best to have this out , no since of keeping this Object inside of me when my body is not agreeing with it , So i am having this band out with many questions of why if failed UNANSWERED , and its very depressing , is anyone else having the same issues ?????

Hi, I am very Glad to hear you are having (or Had) that band removed, I too am having it removed shortly, I am haveing a consultation with the surgern on oct.18,,wish me luck. This has been a living hell for the last 5 yrs. I've had mine in. Enough is Enough. I think this is just a big scam , the doctors make out like bandits milking the insurance companies. Up date us on how you feel after removal, ok.

your right it is a scam , good luck with everything and i will keep everyone updated after surgery and let you guys know if im feeling better , Enough is a Enough , if your going to do the surgery i would go with the Full Gastric bypass ..... Did you loose any weight during your 5 years ?

Cassandrac89, sorry to hear about all of your troubles. Did they check to see if you had a leak in your port? That happened to me just a few months after my original surgery. The doctor had to go back in and replace my port (all of which was at no charge to me).

There were MANY, MANY times I felt restriction and was in that perfect zone. You have to learn to not focus on your stomach feeling full, it's in the upper part of your chest that feels it with the band. It worked so well that I wouldn't think about food for hours and hours. That's how it is supposed to work. What happened to me was a bit strange and I didn't figure it out until after the band was removed.

My band was working great and I had lost 35 lbs. in a year. That's not as much as a lot of people lose but I was happy with it. The slower the better. In August of last year I started a new job and graduate school on the same DAY. My boss is a complete jerk and treated me like crap from day 1. Grad school was nothing short of stressful and with that and the stress from work I developed an ulcer. The band was rubbing up against the ulcer all the time. Every 1-2 weeks I was in the doctor's office for a fill or unfill and finally a total unfill. I was always so sick to my stomach, had all kinds of stomach issues and missed a TON of work. Several of my doctors suggested that I have it removed. I had it removed in July, have gained about 15 lbs. since having it out (50 since starting my job a year ago) and I'm no longer calling in sick all the time. My ulcer still hurts but at least it's not rubbing up against the band like it was.

I don't think this is a scam at all!!! I know people who have been VERY successful with the band but it takes somebody who is willing to change their eating habits and that was something else very hard for me to do. I'm just not a Protein person. HOWEVER, when yo eat like you're supposed to the band WORKS!!!! My vice is ice cream and that just goes right through the band and directly to the hips, waist, and buttocks.

Just a little snippet on the gastric bypas. The bypass has a 5% mortality rate!!! 5 people in every 100 DIE because of the complications. I studied this in college and my doctor even admitted those statistics are correct. I also know people who have been very successful with the bypass. One lady I know lost a TON of weight with it but her sister died from complications from it.

I hope this helps.

Good luck in your journey.

Cassandrac89, sorry to hear about all of your troubles. Did they check to see if you had a leak in your port? That happened to me just a few months after my original surgery. The doctor had to go back in and replace my port (all of which was at no charge to me).

There were MANY, MANY times I felt restriction and was in that perfect zone. You have to learn to not focus on your stomach feeling full, it's in the upper part of your chest that feels it with the band. It worked so well that I wouldn't think about food for hours and hours. That's how it is supposed to work. What happened to me was a bit strange and I didn't figure it out until after the band was removed.

My band was working great and I had lost 35 lbs. in a year. That's not as much as a lot of people lose but I was happy with it. The slower the better. In August of last year I started a new job and graduate school on the same DAY. My boss is a complete jerk and treated me like crap from day 1. Grad school was nothing short of stressful and with that and the stress from work I developed an ulcer. The band was rubbing up against the ulcer all the time. Every 1-2 weeks I was in the doctor's office for a fill or unfill and finally a total unfill. I was always so sick to my stomach, had all kinds of stomach issues and missed a TON of work. Several of my doctors suggested that I have it removed. I had it removed in July, have gained about 15 lbs. since having it out (50 since starting my job a year ago) and I'm no longer calling in sick all the time. My ulcer still hurts but at least it's not rubbing up against the band like it was.

I don't think this is a scam at all!!! I know people who have been VERY successful with the band but it takes somebody who is willing to change their eating habits and that was something else very hard for me to do. I'm just not a Protein person. HOWEVER, when yo eat like you're supposed to the band WORKS!!!! My vice is ice cream and that just goes right through the band and directly to the hips, waist, and buttocks.

Just a little snippet on the gastric bypas. The bypass has a 5% mortality rate!!! 5 people in every 100 DIE because of the complications. I studied this in college and my doctor even admitted those statistics are correct. I also know people who have been very successful with the bypass. One lady I know lost a TON of weight with it but her sister died from complications from it.

I hope this helps.

Good luck in your journey.

I am soo sorry to read about your stomach issues!!!!! stress really is no joke!!! thats how I got to 366 lbs!

I have to chime in though, the band is not a scam. its just a tool, and if you dont use it, much like the treadmill with the clothing hanging off it, it wont do much for you...

I was banded July 1, and I have lost about 85 lbs (about 50 pre op) there are times when I may get some food stuck, but it has always been my fault, by eating to fast or not chewing well, etc...

I'm not a perfect bandster, I do like my wine, but I think if we're honest, for the most part, anyway, if we're not losing its our fault....we have to take responsibility for our own actions.....

take care!

I am soo sorry to read about your stomach issues!!!!! stress really is no joke!!! thats how I got to 366 lbs!

I have to chime in though, the band is not a scam. its just a tool, and if you dont use it, much like the treadmill with the clothing hanging off it, it wont do much for you...

I was banded July 1, and I have lost about 85 lbs (about 50 pre op) there are times when I may get some food stuck, but it has always been my fault, by eating to fast or not chewing well, etc...

I'm not a perfect bandster, I do like my wine, but I think if we're honest, for the most part, anyway, if we're not losing its our fault....we have to take responsibility for our own actions.....

take care!

I couldn't agree more!!! Food would get stuck from me eating the wrong thing or eating too fast and all of that was my own fault. It is a TOOL (great point) and it's up to each person to be successful. I was doing really well until the ulcer started making me really sick. I am so stressed at work that I'm hoping Neiman Marcus fires me soon!!! I'm an analyst and treated like a second grader. I have a feeling that once I get a new job, or at least away from this one, I'll be able to lose weight on my own.

Everybody can be as successful as they allow themselves to be. My weight is all mental issues dating back to when my mom sent me to a fat farm when I was 10 and I was a NORMAL sized 10 year old. I was there with people 10+ years older than me who weighed (on average) 250 lbs. MORE than I did. That's when all this started but now it's up to me to turn it around.

Good luck to all of you. Hang in there, YOU CAN DO IT!!!:thumbup: