Band the sleeve

Question
Hello, I have a DR that is telling me he will do a sleeve and put a band around it. Have you ever heard of this?
He said he does it this way to work around the insurance, since they do not cover the sleeve.


Answer
Angie,
I had heard of it, though to be honest I had not understood that it was a way to work around insurance blocks.

Medically speaking, putting a Band around a Sleeve does not seem particularly dangerous, although there is some concern about the plastic "belt" rubbing up against the fresh sleeve staple line.  I don't believe that the Band on a Sleeve adds much benefit in terms of weight loss or appetite control, though it does not sound as if that is actually the goal.

On the insurance/administrative side, I have not had experience with that workaround so I would have to defer to the surgeon with whom you are working.

Best of luck!
Dr JP

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