me7thar

Melissa and Foodie, just came back today from Saudi and will do my band with Dr. Baladas maybe this coming Monday. Any particular details that i must consider? who should i meet before the surgery? and any general advices? Many thanks mates. Cheers.

Hi, I am planning to get banded, but not sure where to do it. I am originally from Saudi Arabia and work in Singapore. In Singapore, they have the best bodies I have ever seen. Everyone is so healthy and fit. But I was able to find a good general surgeon who does the lap band. Health care is top quality in Singapore as well. I e-mailed the surgeon asking him how many lap band surgeries did he do so far, but have not got an answer. Was that a rude question to ask? Here is the link to that doctor's profile. .::susan lim surgery::. (am not sure if it is against the forum laws to post links to doctors, but I really need someone helping me knowing if this is a very qualified doctor) On the other hand, I heard about a reputable doctor in Saudi Arabia who has done this procedure hundreds or thousands of times. Obesity rate in Saudi is also much much higher than here in Singapore. I would appreciate it if you could give me your thoughts to help me making a decision. Wishing everyone a slim happy life. Cheers.

I found a doctor who has done the lap band 250 times as it says in his website. This is the link to his page lapband.com.sg After googling him, i did not find that much. While Dr Kum Cheng Kiong turned into many papers and conferences that he participated in, but nothing yet about his experience in lap banding. Even his personal profile in his clinic does not say anything about lap banding. Which one would you recommend to go for, given this info. Cheers.

Pam, thanks for the reply. Thats a valid point. Finding an experienced surgeon in Singapore is indeed my best option. Brandy, long post but very encouraging. Thanks for being so supportive. Perkysg, I have asked a Singaporean friend if asking this question is accepted in the culture. She said as you said that I have every right to ask it. I will be calling the clinic and talk to the surgeon. And I am a Saudi working in Singapore talking to American friends :tt1:. Shortgal, can you please help me understanding what "aftercare" is. Beside fillings and unfillings, what should I be looking for? any regular checks, X-rays, or something specific that I should look for? Cheers.

Hi Melissa, I work in Singapore as well, and have been planning to be banded. Where did you do your lap band, and would you recommend your surgeon for me? I was referred to Dr Kum Cheng Kiong to do my lap band. Do you know him and would you recommend him for me? Thanks for your help. Cheers.

Kathy. I have read a lot about what should I do and the lifestyle changes that I should expect. However, I know nothing about what kind of after surgery care that I should get. I only know that I have to do some fill adjustments every couple of months. Anything special that I should ask the doctor? Shortgal, Yes I can. Thats a great suggestion. However, I am not sure how the doctor will react to this. There are HUGE cultural differences that I am still unaware of even after 2 years in Singapore. Maybe I will ask a local friend if this is acceptable. Brandy, Thanks for the support. I am totally aware that he is a very good surgeon. Actually Susan Lim (the clinic owner) is one of the world leading surgeons in her field. She is the second doctor in the world to do liver transplanting surgery. She is also a very good friend of me and my family. And she referred me to this doctor. But at the end, he works at her clinic. As i said, I am concerned to do it in Singapore because of the very low obesity rate, which implies that surgeons here are not among the most experienced surgeons. I have also read some posts from Kabeerah, who lives in Saudi. She did not mention the name of the doctor there, but I think we are talking about the same doctor. After reading Kabeerah posts, I disregarded the idea of doing it in Saudi. A new idea came to my mind is to travel either to Australia (7 hours from here), or to the US to do my lap band. Since most of you have done the surgery, do you think it would be necessary to fly overseas in order to have the procedure performed by a very experienced doctor? Or is it a very basic procedure that does not really need that hassle, and would be much better to do it with a less experienced doctor and be closer to home? Again thanks for stopping by and giving your thoughts. Cheers.