SEAGLD

Hi,

I do have such a telematric adjustable band - the easyband. Got it in 2005 in a clinical trial in Germany. Here is a picture of the band and the control unit:

The adjustment is really easy - and if I would have such a control unit at home i could do it myself :tongue2: !

At the moment the band is not available. Not in Germany and as well not in Austria and Switzerland.

Greetz, Sabine

Hey,

I'm from Germany, and many things are different to the USA, but I had to stay with liquid 4 weeks post op. And that for a reason. They found out that the weight loss in the first month post op is initial for the whole weight loss process. So the more u lose in the first weeks, the better u lose weight later on.

U can still eat steaks and other stuff later. I really enjoy having a steak sometimes. Ok, I can only eat a quarter, but that's great (it's what I wanted itsn't it?)!

Greetz, Sabine

I don't know if you have heard that in germany they are having trials with remote controlled lab bands, but they do.

No, sorry, they don't. I'm the one you talked about, and it's not a lap band. It's called FloWatch and is not filled with liquid at all. It's with a small motor.

And on the germany forum sombody that is in that test group stated that a member of the company that makes the band stated to her they are going to start trials here in the US this year. :secret:

Yes, that's true. I don't know when and where, but the employee of EndoArt (that's the company who mades the remote controle adjustable gastric bandings) told me they would start one - and I'll get more information when they know more.

If this shoud be true you could try to get into the trial and that would involve no cost on your side beside maybe travel expences as I don't know where and what hospitals they would pick to do the trial.

That's true again. U just have the diving costs - and the time. Everything else is paid from the producer. For the German trial u just needed to have a BMI from 40-50 and no heart or digestion illness.

Greetz, Sabine

Hey Sherry,

I would like to see so much of the world too, but only for holiday. Moving so often is hard I think. I thought a lapband is a lapband and it's all the same whereever u are. It must be very hard not to have a doctor near by who can fill u and help u out.

The remote control band is brand -new. U don't get it here either. It's just about 30 people who have it - and all of them are in the clinical trial. I love m band. It's o comfortable. But if I would have to move half way round the world I would have to fly to Germany for adjustment and check-ups for the next 4 years and maybe a bit longer because u don't know now how fast the hospitals will have such a control unit.

Yeah, fries with salat cream - I love them - but I'm hard to myself and don't eat fries at all :think . I have been to the US only once - visited a girlfirend of mine when she made an aupair year in Washington D.C. I really loved the people. They have all been so nice to me. It was a great holiday.

I'll write more later....

Greetz, Sabine

Hello again,

I'm back from hospital and have to lot to do to answer all your questions.

...you don't have a balloon in your band that is filled with saline, or air, the band is solid, and lossens or tightens mechanically, right?

I don't have a baloon. That's rigth. It's metal with a motor and around it's kind of silicon or plastic. And to give the motor power u have the aerial. From the control unit over the external aerial you give induce current to the internal aerial.

When they adjust the band, is there a measurement for it? Like in millimeters or something? Or is it just 'tighter' or 'looser'?

There are measurments. I already wrote it some posts down, but qill do it another time. If the band is wide open its diameter is 29mm. The minimum is 18mm. and u can adjust it in 0,1mm parts. (The band diameter is 29mm or less, but u have to add the thickness of the stomach septum (normally 5mm - and because the human stomach is a kind of baloon you have to take it twice) so the stomach inside diameter at the stoma is maximum 19mm and minimum 8mm).

I already had been adjusted down from 29mm (wide open - unblocked) to 24,5mm on the first blocking-date and to 23mm on the second. Last week I was ill, and we needed to unblock the band because no drinks went through. So, now i got blocked down to 23mm again yesterday. I did not feel the blocking at all (some say they feel a little prickel - but never more).

First of all, how long will the study last?

The study in Germany disigned for five years. We have to go to the hospitals after 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 month after surgey date for check-ups.

So right now you have to go to the hospital for adjustments, but in the future - are they wanting the banded person to adjust their OWN fills (with that machine) ???

U have to go to hospitals for adjustment, and momentarily there are just two hospitals in Germany who have the control unit. That's why I have to go about 400km at the moment to adjust my band. When the band is prooved and implantated normally more hospitals will have the control unit, and then the way will not be so far I think. But i don't think that you'll be allowed to do it your own, because u have to make the liquid roentgen test after the adjustment.

Do you know the name of the company that manufactures your band?

Yes, I do. The companys name is EndoArt. They are from switzerland.

After you get an adjustment, does you doctor require you to stay on liquids for a day or two, or can you continue eating as normal?

Directly after the adjustment u are not allowed to eat normally. First u have to make a liquid pass test. Is that test ok u are allowed to eat as normal. U just have to be more careful, but I think that's not different to other gastric bandings.

And i have a great news for u all. Yesterday, when I was at the hospital for check-up there was a guy from the manufacturing team. And he told me - after I mentioned all your responses - that there will be a clinical trial in america starting this fall. I don't know yet where exactly, but I will tell u as soon as I know.

Normally gastric banding surgeys in Germany cost from 5000€ - 7500€ (if u are a self-pay patient) (all inklusiv (1-3 days in the hospital normally, if longer the prices goes up a bid) except for blocking which normally is paid by the insurance) depending on where it is make - but the hospitals where it costs only 5000€ are not less good.

A RNY u can get from 5000€ to 15000€ and a prices for BPD I don't have in mind I would need to ask.

Greetz, Sabine

Hi all,

sorry i did not wrote so far, but i don't have internet at home at the moment because i moved.

So, I think you got something wrong. Inside of my band there is not liquid. It's all mechanical. I have a little motor in my band to make it wide or tigth. To control that i have an aerial inside of my (on my breastbone) and the control machine has an aerial too. I have to go to the hospital i had my surgey (because it's only a study - and only the two hospitals who are part of the study have a control unit so far - more will get one when the band is there for every aspirant).

So, my band is not blocked in ml or cc - it's blocked in mm. Totally wide open my band has a diameter of 29mm. The minimum is 18mm. You can adjust the band in 0,1mm parts. Therefore you have the control unit to conrtol the process. After it you have to make a mouthful roentgen to control if liwuid goes through.

So, and that's what I'm going to do now, because i got unblocked last week because of an abdominal influenca, and i wanna get blocked again. So, I'll write more this evening or tommrow morning.

Have a nice day....

Greetz, Sabine

Hey again,

yes, I really have a remote control adjustable band. With the band i got an aerial which is placed on my breastbone. Over this aerial the band is a ajusted with induced current. So u are not pricked at all. And the best it - u don't feel the adjustment at all. I really like my band.

In Germany we normally have two band-types - Sweden and Lap. The remote control adjustable band is not implented yet - except for about 30 people in the study. When the study is finished they wanna replace the 'old' gastric bandings - and i think they will.

Here is a picture of the gastric banding and also from the control unit u need to adjust the band:

What does a gastric banding surgey cost in america?

Greetz, Sabine

PS: Ask me everything u are interested in - I'm willing to tell.

Are you banded?

Yes, i am!

I see you have lost...I think...21.7kg? Well done! One of the biggest differences you will find is that us Americans weigh in pounds, but most of our European and Austrailian bandsters use kg too.

Yes, I see, i just changed it for better understanding.

i Have lost 47,8 lb since by banding surgey.

Were you banded in Germany?

Yes, i was banded in Germany in Frankfurt Sachsenhausen from Prof. Weiner.

What kind of band do you have?

I have a really new band. It's not a Lap-Band and not a Sweden-Band. It's a remote-controllable gastric banding. It's very new and I'm party of a clinical study. That's why i did not had to pay anything and don't have to pay for anything in the future 5 five years.

How long have you been banded?

My surgey was on August 16th 2005.

I think many here are as interested in Germany as you are in America!! It's wonderful to have you!

I'm really interesed in differences and similarities of everything (insurance, hospitls, band-types etc.)

Greetz, Sabine

Hi everybody,

i'm a young woman from Germany who just found your dicussion forum.

I'm very interesed where the differences between Germany and America are.

Greetings, Sabine