Dr. Frenzel has extensive experience performing Band-to-Sleeve, Band to Bypass, Sleeve to Bypass and Bypass Revisions.
Are You a Gastric Band Patient that Struggles With:
- Failure to lose weight after a gastric band or gastric sleeve or gastric bypass?
- Recurrent reflux/heartburn, despite medical management?
- Chronic nausea or vomiting with solids or liquids?
- Need for multiple fills and un-fills without weight loss?
- Chronic pain around the port site?
- Heart palpitations/anxiety related to the gastric band?
If the Answer is Yes, You May Be a Candidate for Revision Surgery.
The Gastric Band is an excellent surgical procedure to help patients lose weight in a very controlled fashion. Dr. Frenzel’s patients have had tremendous success with the Lap Band as a tool for weight loss, and to date he has never had to remove a band that he put into one of his own patients. However, Dr. Frenzel is a true believer that there is not one operation that is right for everyone. Just as the Gastric Bypass is not right for everyone, the Gastric Band is not the right operation for all patients. It is about education and exploring all the bariatric surgical options before deciding which procedure is right for you.
In Dr. Frenzel’s experience, it seems that there is a small subset of patients that seem to struggle with the laparoscopic gastric band. Most of the time, it is not the patient’s fault. Many times, these patients not only struggle from failure to successfully lose weight, but also can have physical symptoms. These symptoms typically include chronic nausea and occasional vomiting with solid foods and sometimes even difficulty with liquids. These patients typically have struggled with this for months and, more often, for years. They routinely have gone through multiple fills and un-fills with the
inability to find the “green zone” or right fill volume for proper restriction. Some patients can even struggle with chronic pain around the port site. These patients many times are told by their physician or surgeon to just work through it and it will get better. This population of patients have real problems with their band and port and need a real solution–one that can not only help alleviate their physical suffering, but also help them with their obesity issues. It may be time to consider other options.
The problem is that if the band is just taken out this leaves the patient with another problem, the possibility of significant weight gain. Many of these patients have failed at weight loss and are still severely or morbidly obese. Some patients even weigh more before they got the Gastric Band. We know from experience that if the band is just taken out there is a high risk of significant weight regain. Dr. Frenzel is a firm believer in not only addressing the REAL physical issues with the band and port, but also in focusing on the main reason a patient turned to bariatric surgery in the first place, which is their obesity. He believes that to just take out the band is doing the patient an injustice. He will work with the patients to find long-term successful solution to their problem.
What is a Band-to-Sleeve and Band to Bypass Conversion?
The Gastric Band-to-Sleeve or Bypass Conversion is a revisional bariatric operation where the gastric band and port are removed and the Gastric Sleeve or Gastric Bypass operation is performed. (If you have questions, see the Gastric Sleeve or Gastric Bypass pages to learn more.) These operations can be difficult because of the scar tissue and adhesions that can form from the original operation. The conversion usually takes about two to three hours and patients generally stay in the hospital for one to two days following the surgery. After discharge from the hospital, patients are on a liquid diet for two weeks after the surgery. In Dr. Frenzel’s experience, patients do well after this operation, not only with alleviation of their physical symptoms, but also with weight loss.
Will Insurance Cover this Procedure?
It depends on your insurance company and your particular policy. Dr. Frenzel’s office will do everything they can to get the costs covered and they will fight for your approval. Many times, the insurance will cover the removal of the band and port, but will refuse the gastric sleeve portion of the operation. If this is the case, there is a fee for the sleeve gastrectomy portion. It is possible to get the entire procedure covered, but it is also possible to be denied completely. If this happens, there are out-of-pocket cash prices for the Band-to-Sleeve Conversion. Let us help you see what your benefits are.
Is the Band-to-Sleeve or Band-to Bypass Conversion Right For Me?
Dr. Frenzel has extensive experience in his practice with the Band-to-Gastric Sleeve and Band-to-Bypass Conversions. If it is the right operation for you, he will help you proceed to get back on track. Contact us at (817) 342-0232 for more information.
*Results may vary
*Results may vary