JustinsMama

Great, keep us posted! I'll hopefully have been able to scrape up Dr. Enochs' transfer/program fee ($400 ) by the next week or two.

Not actually true. It came out under the Realize name recently but from what I've heard it is the Swedish design that's been around for quite awhile in Europe and Johnson and Johnson bought the rights to the design and are now calling it the Realize band. I had surgery with Dr. (Kenneth) Mitchell in Pinehurst and I have the Realize band. He is very caring and compassionate, great bedside manner and all that good stuff. His P.A., Brett is a great guy too. I am however thinking about transferring to Dr. Enochs in Cary who is also a great surgeon with a great bedside manner also. My main reason is the drive from Clayton to Pinehurst is going to get tough when I go back to work in October. The second reason is Dr. Mitchell's office seems a bit too conservative in doing fills. Don't get me wrong, I love their practice and highly recommend them but I had surgery on May 12th and since then have only had two fills and lost about 15 pounds post surgery. So combine those two situations and hopefully, I can get into Dr. Enochs' program for follow up care. I also wanted to add that I believe Dr. Mitchell has the most years of bariatric experience in this area, but Dr. Enochs has more experience with the lapband (which may be why Dr. Mitchell's program is so conservative with the fills). Good luck in your decision!

Not sure if you get on the Obesityhelp site, but there is a separate Realize band forum on there (also lapband).

Do you have the Realize band? If so, I had the same kind of sutures coming out on both ends of my port incision. Don't trim it yourself, just keep it down with a band-aid if your steri-strips have fallen off and let the doctor remove it at your two week follow up. Apparently it has something to do with helping anchoring in the port after it's sewn up.

mstrina you are too funny!

I've watched a sleeve video and they only pulled it out the largest laproscopic incision. Why would they pull it up through the mouth? They don't even insert any instruments down through the mouth to begin with.

Wow! Who knew there were so many wannabe hippies on LBT.

Wow, he filled you at basically 3 weeks out? Good for you. Between my doc's office only doing fills after the 6th week and me going on vacation right about that 6th week, I have to wait until I get back meaning I probably won't get my first fill until around July 4th (boo-hiss!). Glad to hear you're doing okay!

Quite possibly. I was able to choose the band I wanted and I thought when I was told this it was after I told them I was choosing the Realize band. I'm sure they see lots of patients and it's hard to remember everything. My last consult with the doctor before surgery and the nurse weighing me/checking me in said you're getting the bypass right? I was like noooooo the lapband (and please make sure that is noted in the OR!).

Katie, Ok - I was just repeating what the P.A. at my surgeon's office told me (said it had to do with the size a person was on the inside (I guess he meant stomach area). Good luck to you!

I was told that the there are two Realize bands - a 10 cc and an 11 cc I was told the 11 cc was for really large people (like say 400 pound men, etc.).

I was banded 5/12 with the Realize band. I just had my two week post-op visit today. I'm not feeling a whole lot of restriction but I am eating less than pre-surgery at any rate. We are going to Disney World June 22nd and I asked about getting a fill before I go, but was told they would wait and would do it right after I get back since that is basically right at the 6 week mark and if they fill me and then I end up needing an unfill but stuck in Florida with no where to get one that might not be good. So, I'll go enjoy my vacation (but not too much if you know what I mean) and hopefully the real weight loss will start after the end of June. Wishing everyone a good outcome!

I'll be honest, if (a) insurance covered it; or ( I had the money to pay cash for self-pay I would have probably gone with the sleeve. However since my insurance covered most of the lapband procedure and there was no way I could afford to self-pay in the next few years, I jumped at the chance for the lapband. I hope to utilize it for all its worth. If for some reason several years down the road, I end up having problems with the lapband and insurance then covers or I have enough disposable income, I would probably look into the sleeve again.