Long story, short: I was having a lot of reflux and my doc unfilled me lat week. I spent a week on liquids and had a UGI scheduled for Monday for him to check that the swelling and dilation had gone down. It didn't. He admitted me to the hospital and scheduled for me revision surgery. I went into surgery understanding that he wanted to reposition the band... but came out of surgery hearing that he needed to REMOVE the band due to the inflamation in my stomach.

I have to be bandless for at least 90 days - he said that will allow my stomach to heal and the inflamation and swelling to completely go away. They we can talk about my options for getting it replaced.

In the meantime I have so many questions. He has me on full liquids for 2 days during recovery. What did you first eat? Did it go down OK? Stay down OK? Did you find that your stomach shrank any and that it took less food to feel full than before you were banded?

I know after reading many of the threads in this forum, many do not want their band back - but I DO!!! I was banded for just shy of 2 years and had many more GOOD times than BAD with my band. I've lost 93 lbs. and don't want to gain any. Luckily, my doctor is going to work with me and prescribe an appetite suppressant to help keep me in line during the interim... Right now, I'm just concerned with starting to eat like a "normal person" again. What did you eat? How long were you on liquids before eating? He didn't say anything about a mushy stage - just liquids, then do my own thing. Help???

Hello dear, i also am thinking of removing the band since i haven't really lost the weight and afraid of long term complications..how did you get the insurance to pay for it??

Lilly

I personally had been put in the hospital two weeks prior for chest pains but it was reflux. Saw my surgeon afterwards a few days later and his coordinator put it in for approval and it was approved fairly quickly. I don't know if it was a combo of reflux and the fact that I wasn't losing weight but gaining etc... but it was approved. Good luck to you, Nancy.

I had to have my band removed at the beginning of September. I was scheduled for a port replacement and I was having acid reflux. So before the port replacement my doc did an endoscopy which showed that my band had erroded my stomach. So I was devistated that I had to have my band out (only finding out when I woke up). I am such the carb-oholic and so scared that I would just gain all my weight back. I did gain 12 lbs in 1 month. I am having my band back in on December 8th and am counting the days down. I cannot wait to get the "full-feeling" back. Oh and my insurance is paying for the surgery--thank heavens.

Good luck to you GAbandedgirl, it will be here before you know it. Is there any pain with band erosion? I still have my chest pains even with my band out which is reflux but never had an endoscopy done prior to removal just an upper GI. I see my primary next week so we'll see if he'll just put me on meds for the reflux. Anyway good luck to you band erosion sounds like a scary thing! Nancy:smile:

My goodness, you have been through a lot with your band too! At least you have achieved a weight loss of 80 pounds already! That is a FANTASTIC start, considering all you have had to endure. I know that if you can do that well with all the problems you had with the band, then you are obviously strong enough and graced enough to do really well without it! If you are a Christian, then you know that Jesus told us NOT TO WORRY about what we are TO EAT or what we are TO WEAR. Sufficient for the day are its own troubles ... in other words, you can truly only live your life one day at a time. You need to simply trust in the Lord and pray because your Heavenly Father knows what you need even before you ask Him! Pray for me too. We can pray for each other.

I know what you are saying about feeling like everyone is watching you. I fortunately chose NOT to tell MOST of my friends and family when I did get the Band. I did choose to tell my Bible Study group and a few close friends and family, who I trusted would support me and not judge me. It is very important to surround yourself with people who are positive and supportive of all your efforts, AND who can also hold you accountable in a loving way. I personally, have also been blessed in the past to find that kind of support in an Overeaters Anonymous H.O.W. group, and also at Weight Watchers, and also with a wonderful Christian Counselor (who has since retired). I highly recommend Christian Counselors with M.S.W.'s or Ph.D.'s, who also have a C.A.C. (training in addictions, and codependency). Maybe others on this thread will be able to support us in our journey towards health and wholeness as well.

May God bless you with health, happiness and holiness!

Best regards,

BandedWrong

So I was devistated that I had to have my band out (only finding out when I woke up). I am such the carb-oholic and so scared that I would just gain all my weight back.

this was my exact situation!!!!!!! i can SO empathise with you! i was just crushed when i found out IN RECOVERY that my band was removed. i cried, but it hurt to cry - they gave me pain meds and i went out. i woke up and cried some more. my husband was beside himself with how to deal with me - i was grieving... like someone had died - but my "someone" was "something". it's nice to talk to people who UNDERSTAND!!!!!!

i had a follow-up with my surgeon last thursday and he said that after 3 months, he will reband me. i am SO excited. he said at the 2 month point they'll submit it to insurance to see if it gets covered and if they deny it, he said the office will appeal it since it was not my choice to have it out!

Oh and my insurance is paying for the surgery--thank heavens.

do you mind my asking what insurance you have?

For me my insurance paid for the surgery except for co-pays and insurance paid for the removal except for a smaller co-pay because I was out-patient and the bill was about 1/3 smaller than the lap band surgery.

Dear All,

I am seriously thinking of having the band removed due to severe stomach pain, acid reflux, and constant vomitting..I live in chicago, and have Blue cross blue shield as insurance provider..Do you think the removal is covered??

Lilly

I was told because I was put in the hospital because of the chest pains that was why I was approved so quickly for removal. I was going to have it removed further down the road but this sped up the procedure. I would speak to your surgeon about it. I met with mine prior and he said when I was ready to go through his surgery coordinator. They handle all the insurance at their office but he knew if it wasn't covered I wasn't interested.

I think it's best to start a trail with your surgeon since you're having problems. I had mine removed after having it for 14 months. Good luck to you Nancy.

i have no idea how that works when you "request" to have it removed. i certainly did not!!!!!!! it all came as a surprise to me - the doc didn't know he had to remove it until he looked inside my stomach! so definetely call your doc and explain your symptoms. i wouldn't go in "asking" for removal... wait and see what he suggests, bc it will probably be different if it "medically necessary" vs "patient requested" -- you know?

i'm currently fighting to get rebanded and praying i get approved. i miss my band SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!

LIFE goes on without the Band as I found out.. and GOOD OLD GOOD DIET AND JOGGING 4.5 MILES A DAY HELPED ME OUT... 2X SLIPS BAND REMOVED, AND I AM HAPPIER NOW.. GOOD LUCK TO YOU AFTER SURG:thumbup:

how much does it cost to have it removed if you are self pay? any ideas?

how much does it cost to have it removed if you are self pay? any ideas?

It depends on several factors. Do you want a revision to something such as a sleeve at the same time? Are you going to your original surgeon?

I'd go to MX. It should run about $3500 to 5K I would imagine. But the more important question is one of revision. Very few of us can maintain without some sort of surgical intervention. I know I wouldn't have maintained on my own.

Bands are verrrry hard and loaded with complications such as slips, infection, erosion, etc. I can't say I would ever get one again.

Hi all. I was banded in January 2008. I was filled three times and lost some weight. I always had problems with my port, it never stopped hurting and in September the area around it got red. My doctor was a louse and could not get him to see me so in November I got another doctor to see me. An endoscopy confirmed severe band erosion and I went into surgery for removal on Nov 12th. When the doc went in it was a disaster. He had to cut me open, the band was too close to the esophagus, was halway into my stomach, I had a hole in my stomach and the band had started to adhere to my liver. Anyway he got it out and repaired my stomach. I spent a week in hospital. I was on liquids for a week and am now eating but small portions. I actually cannot eat that much at a time. Im still off of work and still have pain and am recuperating. I'm sad my band experience was terrible but am so happy I am ok.

how much does it cost to have it removed if you are self pay? any ideas?

I had mine removed by the same surgeon who put it in and it cost $10,000 which was a combo of the surgeon's fee and the hospital charges. I have insurance so I don't know if it would be cheaper without, good luck Nancy.

To "Banded Wrong"

....All I can say sista, is I am in the exact same boat as you!! I was Banded in July of 2008 in TJ. That was my first mistake. (Should of had it done in Canada because there is no support for you when you have it done outside of the country!) So the first 6 weeks post op were ok. I was progressing as I should be. Then all of the sudden in middle of October I had such bad "reflux", which to me made no sense what so ever because I was already on a anti-reflux med. So I bared through it for a while. Then all I could eat was vanilla pudding, yogurt, ensure and Water. Everything else burned like fire in my chest. Went to the hospital, got a GI series and xrays done (compared them to the ones I had from mexico) and they said it was in the same place as I was when I left Mexico so it didn't slip. Well, I was loosing my mind. I thought I was going mental. It wasn't until one day at work I spoke to a surgeon I work with and he said that it was placed above the stomach in the esophagus and was extremely resticted. He did a gastroscopy and could hardly get it through to my stomach. At this point, all I wanted was it to be taken out. I was refered to another surgeon who had more experience with bands to have it removed. He said it was positioned in the wrong spot as he had thought all along!! Post-op was good!! Way, Way less pain. Was up walking around shorly after surgury and home the next day. He kept me overnight and the next A.M I had another GI series done. He also did a gastroscopy when I was under in the OR. (If anyone is going to have this removed demand a scope while u are under so they can verify that there is no other erosion!!) My stomach does feel smaller, but also have the reflux again, and am on a med already. I am taking maxeran to help my stomach empty faster because it seem that whatever I eat sits in there forever!! I am so angry, and I feel real cheated. My advise is reasearch, research, research.....I thought I did, but it was obviously not enough.

I lost about 60 lbs, and a whole lot of inches. I am not to worried about gaining it back. I am gonna hit the gym and start running, which is something I have always wanted to do! Plus, I can eat veggies, fruit, chicken and fish again!! YEAH!! I swear, i will never say I hate veggies again after going 8 months without them!!