AngelaAnn Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Hello All! I'm sure I'm not the first on here, but I am looking into a Plication revision. I currently have an unfilled band due to a dynamic slip. I had my surgery at the OCC in August 2008 and the first 10 months were great. Lost 47 pounds and got down to 199 from 247. Well, my band got too tight in April 2009 and since then I have had numerous fills and unfills and have been unable to get back to "the sweet spot". I am currently back up to 228. I have scheduled my sleeve or plication surgery for March 24, 2011--but I would like to hear from anyone who has had the revision surgery from band? Weight loss? Difficulties? Love it? Hate it? Any information is much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynna Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 I feel your frustration! My lap band has slipped and is at my esphagus(sp?). I found a doc here that will see patients who went out of the country for surgery and he said it needs to come out. I am waiting on insurance to see if they will pay for it if not i don't know what i am going to do. My band was put in by Dr. Ortiz in April '08. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrrnCan Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Did you guys call the OCC coordinators or the OCC itself to try to find a solution? One of the nurses there had the exact same thing and might be able to offer some advice. She is really helpful and nice and I just know that she would love to help both of you! Good luck and let me know how that works for you! K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 I feel your frustration! My lap band has slipped and is at my esphagus(sp?). I found a doc here that will see patients who went out of the country for surgery and he said it needs to come out. I am waiting on insurance to see if they will pay for it if not i don't know what i am going to do. My band was put in by Dr. Ortiz in April '08. Hi Lynna, Yeah, I live in San Diego so I've always gone to the OCC for fills and unfills since I got the band. It was like once it got too tight, that was it. Weight has been slowly creeping back ever since I had to get an unfill the first time. I slept sitting up for a whole month because of acid before I finally went down in April 2009 for the first unfill. The band has never been right since. When I went back last week, Dr. So filled it real tight under flouroscopy and showed me how my pouch slips up over the band when it's tight. So far, I'm in no real danger, but I had a complete unfill just the same. I guess the brand of band we have is prone to slips--the newer model has a lower slip rate. I'm self pay so, I'm scrambling around to get the money together. I know the OCC charges around $4000 just to remove the band--Dr. So mentioned that I might have good success with the plication. I like the idea of not having anything inside me anymore and he also mentioned that there's a more "natural" feeling of fullness with the plication. The only way I knew how to stop eating with the band was when something got stuck--then that generally lead to a PB'ing episode and inflammation in the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Did you guys call the OCC coordinators or the OCC itself to try to find a solution? One of the nurses there had the exact same thing and might be able to offer some advice. She is really helpful and nice and I just know that she would love to help both of you! Good luck and let me know how that works for you! K. Yes, I went to the OCC last week and that's when they unfilled my band. I was just trying to find other bandsters that have had a sleeve or plication revision to see their experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynna Posted February 22, 2011 Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 I guess $4,000 is better than what I would have to pay here. I am still trying to get my insurances answer on whether they will pay for it or not. It seems that the Dr's office here is in no hurry to help me. I know they see these things all the time, but it is really hard when you are the one only getting liquids down. I called the OCC last night as I left the ER and they said the doc would call back last night, but alas no call so I guess I will try again today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvmartin Posted February 22, 2011 Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 Hi I had a sleeve revision, I had the same problem you do. I got my band in oct 08 got it repositioned in june 09 and had my gastric sleeve march 2010. I have lost about 110 lbs and I love my sleeve I wish I would of started with that. The hunger is nothing compared to before the only thing is that now I have to eat at certain times. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted February 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 I guess $4,000 is better than what I would have to pay here. I am still trying to get my insurances answer on whether they will pay for it or not. It seems that the Dr's office here is in no hurry to help me. I know they see these things all the time, but it is really hard when you are the one only getting liquids down. I called the OCC last night as I left the ER and they said the doc would call back last night, but alas no call so I guess I will try again today. Yup, as much as I have respect for what the doctors do down there--Mexico isn't exactly ever in a hurry to call you back or do things "on time." In my experiences, email is the best way to get an answer within a day, phone on the other hand...you may have to call for a few days before you finally get someone. When I went down for my 5 minute unfill appt., I had to wait almost two hours past my appt. time before they finally took me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted February 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 Hi I had a sleeve revision, I had the same problem you do. I got my band in oct 08 got it repositioned in june 09 and had my gastric sleeve march 2010. I have lost about 110 lbs and I love my sleeve I wish I would of started with that. The hunger is nothing compared to before the only thing is that now I have to eat at certain times. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!! Thank you so much! I've read a few stories on here from others that have had the revision and weren't too happy with it. It's great to hear a positive story that weight can still be lost (and in your case huge amounts of it) with the revision. Do you portion out your food or is there a "way" to know when to stop with the sleeve? By the way, congratulations on your success!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzettem Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 I'm new here and am reading posts to see what I can do. I don't have a band but a revision RNY bypass. I am curious about the sleeve since I have regained my weight. Didn't know of the sleeve (don't think it was available in 2002 when I had my surgery) and am curious about it. The band I have some knowledge of but didn't know the issue of slipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted March 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 I'm new here and am reading posts to see what I can do. I don't have a band but a revision RNY bypass. I am curious about the sleeve since I have regained my weight. Didn't know of the sleeve (don't think it was available in 2002 when I had my surgery) and am curious about it. The band I have some knowledge of but didn't know the issue of slipping. Hi Suzette, I don't think that you can go from bypass to sleeve, because they've already cut most of your stomach? I just had the sleeve done from lapband, where they cut 80% of the stomach out and then staple it into a "banana" shape. There is no rerouting of the intestines. I do think however that you can revise to the lapband, they just place it over your pouch, I believe. The newer models of lapband have a higher success rate for not slipping. The OCC has not had one slip since they've been using this model of band. I had an older band that they don't use anymore. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAMMIE Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU WENT WITH THE SLEEVE ANGELA, KEEP US POSTED ON YOUR PROGRESS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted April 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU WENT WITH THE SLEEVE ANGELA, KEEP US POSTED ON YOUR PROGRESS Hi Pammie, I remember you from when I got my band in '08--hope everything is going well for you. I am only nine days out from the gastric sleeve, and I'll tell you this...it ain't as easy a recovery as the band was for me. I think it's because you have "instant" restriction, along with swelling. I really have to concentrate on getting liquids down. It's getting easier, though. Lost 12 pounds in a week, so I guess I can't complain too much. Thanks for checking in on me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlleelise Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 I was banded in 2003 and although I still have it in place, have had nothing but trouble with the ports for the first few years. My stomach looks like a war zone, I have so many scars! Now my band is only half full (2.0 cc) with hardly any restriction. Problem is that as soon as I get filled more than that, I have reflux etc. SO - like many of you here, I am hoping to get a revision surgery to either the gastric sleeve 0r the gastric plication. What seems to work best after banding: a plication of the stomach, or the actual gastric sleeve (removal of most of the stomach)? Any info would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaAnn Posted April 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 I was banded in 2003 and although I still have it in place, have had nothing but trouble with the ports for the first few years. My stomach looks like a war zone, I have so many scars! Now my band is only half full (2.0 cc) with hardly any restriction. Problem is that as soon as I get filled more than that, I have reflux etc. SO - like many of you here, I am hoping to get a revision surgery to either the gastric sleeve 0r the gastric plication. What seems to work best after banding: a plication of the stomach, or the actual gastric sleeve (removal of most of the stomach)? Any info would be appreciated! Hi, I went with the sleeve because I already had the lapband and the sleeve has been a long performed WLS. I think that if I hadn't already had the band, I may have gone with the plication. I am only 12 days out on the revision, but Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez removed my band and did the sleeve all in one surgery. The recovery has been tough, but I'm starting to feel better now. Going back to the OCC next week for a post-op visit. If you have any specific questions, you can message me and I will try to answer them, but I am new to the sleeve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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