I see a lot of the people here are saying they've used lap band to reach their goals, but then plan to have gastric sleeve surgery for maintenance. My question is -- what are the advantages of doing lap band first? What are the advantages of gastric sleeve first, without having lap band? Thanks so much!

There is no advantage and it's unlikely insurance would pay for the sleeve even if it paid for the band to begin with. Insurance will not pay for a revision unless the first surgery fails somehow (like the band slips or erodes). Plus it makes no sense to have two surgeries instead of one surgery (i.e., just getting the sleeve first). Having the second surgery is more dangerous than just doing a sleeve at the start because of scar tissue and it's more expensive too.

Then again, I haven't seen anyone saying they plan to get a sleeve at goal, either. :tongue2: I've seen people saying that if their band ever gave them problems that they'd revise to a sleeve, or that they wish their insurance would pay for a sleeve but it won't so they'll get a band instead and, if it goes bad, maybe *then* insurance will pay for a sleeve, but not that they'll get a band and then get a second surgery once they get to goal and have been successful. That doesn't make any sense.

Actually, MacMadame, there are a lot of folks on this site who have standard signatures that say stuff like "Band will get me to goal, sleeve will keep me there." I've seen at least a dozen, which prompted me to ask about it.

There is one person who has that signature. WASaBubbleButt. She's cool.

But she had her band removed because she was having esophageal spasms and had been on liquids for 4 months because regular food wouldn't go down.

What she means is that if she had just had the band taken out and not had the sleeve, she would have gained all her weight back.

Edited January 6, 200917 yr by MacMadame

Actually, MacMadame, there are a lot of folks on this site who have standard signatures that say stuff like "Band will get me to goal, sleeve will keep me there." I've seen at least a dozen, which prompted me to ask about it.

I think you might have been seeing my sig repeatedly.

One does not know if they will tolerate a band until they actually have one. Also, the band does not work for a good number of people and they typically revise to a sleeve or bypass in those cases.

The idea is to pick a surgery type and stick with it, only when it does not work for whatever reason would you revise to a different procedure type.

I am a nurse and have a "nursefriend" that works in OR. When I started talking to her about the band, she told me to look into the sleeve. I did and was totally what I DIDNT want. I want something that is adjustable and removable. I didnt want any part taken out, bypassed etc....Some people might not want that but in my case that is what I was looking for. When I applied to my insurances, they approved me for the band but not the sleeve which was fine. I am now on day 2 of my 10 day pre op liquid diet and having surgery next week the 15th...:wub:

I am a nurse and have a "nursefriend" that works in OR. When I started talking to her about the band, she told me to look into the sleeve. I did and was totally what I DIDNT want. I want something that is adjustable and removable. I didnt want any part taken out, bypassed etc....Some people might not want that but in my case that is what I was looking for. When I applied to my insurances, they approved me for the band but not the sleeve which was fine. I am now on day 2 of my 10 day pre op liquid diet and having surgery next week the 15th...:thumbup:

I want permanent and forever, I never want to regain all that weight again.