[Rowan Bailey]

I had my intake with the financial person and the nurse at the center where I am considering whether to have the lapband done at the same time I am having my gall bladder removed.

Originally I was told that for the lapband they would keep me for two days in the hopsital. However when I spoke with the financial person yesterday she told me that my insurance does not require any pre approval for the surgery as long as I did it on an out patient basis.

So, first I don't even want to go home after having the gall bladder out (they wanted to send me home same afternoon) I am fighting with them because I have a history of brachycardia (low blood pressure) after anesthesia. They told me two days in the hospital and then, all of a sudden it seemed that I could go home the same day having both lapband and gall bladder procedures, when it required no pre authorization from insurance...hmmmmmm.

Now, I stress that this was NOT the doctor, and when I spoke with the nurse, she said that she didn't recommend getting both done at the same time, because if I developed an infection from the GB surgery, it would infect the lap band and I would have to have it removed, on top of being hospitalized on IV antibiotics.

After hearing that I have decided to not do both at the same time, let my body heal from the GB and then revisit the lapband procedure. But I am curious to find out if anyone went home the same day having lapband and how they did? And, if not, if anyone that had the surgery felt that they could have gone home the same day....

RB

[Chickadee]

Hi RB,

I have read where a lot of people go home the same day they were banded with no problems. For me, it was an overnight stay. My surgeon keeps people overnight to make sure they don't have any unforeseen troubles and to do a barium swallow test in the morning. Trust me, finally having a sip of water after being without for an entire day was pure heaven. The barium swallow was pure ****!

Sounds to me like you need to stay in the hospital given your history. Is getting insurance authorization going to be a big deal? I'd explore this further with your doc. Hopefully they can submit your case to the insurance company and get approval for the care you need. I had to wait for frickin' ever for approval, but at least I got it and it was worth it.

Chickadee

Good luck!

[hubs]

In many places, its routine to remove gall bladder when WLS is done for a variety of reasons. So conversely, having your WLS at the same time as gall bladder would seem quite consistent without putting you at further risk. I would suggest the nurse is not well aquainted with WLS procedures.

[healthy2b]

One of my best friends and her husband both had lap band surgery and came home the same afternoon. IT didn't seem to be a big deal to them but then they didn't have the blood pressure problem that you have. By the way....my friend had already had her gall bladder removed years ago but he didn't have his removed with the lap band surgery and ended up having emergency surgery a couple of months after lap band to have his removed. The doc said it was very common to have to have it removed after any king of weight loss surgery, so it is a good thing to go ahead and have it removed with your lap band surgery.

[kykaree]

I can only speak for the UK and gallbladders rather than the lap band, but here about 4% of gall bladder surgeries(laprascopic cholycysectomy) are done as day case. I work in healthy insurance and we preauthorise a one night or two night stay as a matter of course.

I had my gall bladder done by open procedure and was in hospital 5 days

[kfs151]

My Dr. usually keeps patients overnight and does the barium swallow the next day and you can go home once you've started liquids (assuming no problems). I was up and walking a few hours after they got me to my room. Although I had the barium swallow the next morning it was late afternoon before they finally got the results and allowed me to start drinking liquids. They offered to send me home at 6pm that night but my husband had already gone home and had the kids, etc. so I told them I'd wait until the next morning to leave.

Better safe than sorry with the history of low blood pressure. Even if you only do the gall bladder surgery, they may still need to keep you in for monitoring - the issue is the anaesthesia, not the type of surgery...

Good Luck,

[JanieMarie]

Dear RB:

If you have any concerns or anxiety about your upcoming surgery, have a face to face talk with you physician first. The nurse is very knowledgeable about the process, but your physician needs to know about your concerns and fears. After all, he's the one performing your surgery. And, you have the right to be concerned about your health and express those concerns. Your physician should answer all your questions to your satisfaction so that you are comfortable and relatively anxiety free when you go into your surgery. The more positive your attitude, the better your recovery.

When my son had the surgery, he was in hospital for a day and a half--definitely not outpatient. But, it's the physician's call (not your insurance company) how long is best for you and your personal situation. If the insurance company indicates something different, consult your physician's office for help resolving it before you go into surgery.

If you need further information, feel free to contact the manufacturer, too. (You can find the number at www.inamed.com). I've worked in the Quality department for the company that makes the Lap Band for 8 years, and patients call us frequently for information. We can tell you what the recommendations are according the the DFU (directions for use), but the ultimate resource is your physician. Get as much information as you can so you can feel confident about your surgery.

Best of luck. All my coworkers who have had the procedure (there are 6 in my site) have had remarkable success and are very happy with the process and procedure. I wish you great success, too. Be sure to follow your physician's advice and stick to whatever program he recommends. It's a life change, so be prepared to change the way you think about your intake habits. If you keep mindful of your actions, you'll be really successful.

Best regards,

Jane

[invisigoth]

The barium swallow was pure ****!

No kidding! I had to take one 2 days after my surgery because they thought I had a leak, which I did. Then I had to do it again 3 weeks later. That stuff is really, really nasty!

My doctor recommended that his patients have their gallbladers removed at the same time as the RNY surgery, because a lot of people experience problems later. (Particularly if they get lax and start eating a more fatty diet.) Because this was an elective part of the surgery, my insurance would not cover it. I decided not to do it and take my chances. I hope I don't regret it later, because in the end, it cost more with all of the amounts of co-pays if they have to go back in.

Do lap-banders have the same problems with their gallbladers after WLS?

[kfs151]

Quote: "Do lap-banders have the same problems with their gallbladers after WLS?"

Generally, no. Because we lose the weight more slowly, our gall bladder is usually able to keep up without getting gall stones.