rockbandster

Does that include your presurgical diet?

It's your weight loss journey. Your doctor is doing the exact opposite of what the latest research states determines sustained and faster weight loss which less aggressive fills.

The Lapband is clinically superior according to several large clinical trials. 62% vs 43% The technology used in the Realize band is 12 years old vs 2007 for the lapband AP. If you truly do your research and dont listen to bullshit, it's a no brainer. Many people well and many people do crappy on both. If I were you I'd play the odds. This implant is going in you until you die, I'd go with the one that has a morecproven track record globally, not what your individual doc says. If you talk to 10 different docs your going to get 10 different opinions.

there is no way any surgeon could make that statement. The Realize band has only been out in the United States since January and that is not enough time to say they "perform equally" in real life. I would ask where he is basing that statement from. If you compare the clinical trails it clearly shows superior short term weight loss with the lapband. The trials are real world, they don't hold a bunch obese people in a lab for 3 years when doing gastric banding trials. They're real patients like you and me.

The Realize band holds 9cc's MAX- do not overfill it or it can break. It takes longer for the Realize Band to work vs the new LapBand..hang in there!

The Realize Band is NOT designed to be implanted with fluid in it and he is not following the instructions in the DFU. Due to the uneven shape and lack of even fluid distribution in the Realize Band it would be very dangerous to fill that band at the time implant until the stomach swelling goes down. Ethicon CLEARLY states in the instructions not to do that. The Allergan AP Band is the only band on the market designed for fluid to be left at the time of implant. I STRONGLY suggest if you go with the Realize Band you tell your surgeon to please put it in empty. Your better off losing weight slowly than having an obstruction or dysphasia right after surgery. In addtion if he has to remove some fat from your stomach during the procedure and fills that band near where the creases are. that puts pressure in the stomach, you can increase your chances of erosion and never be able to have a band again. Its not worth it. Im not trying to diss your surgeon and he can do what he wants but that if the people that make the band say don't do it, it's for a reason. There is not a chance in hell I would go for that.

no offense towards Realizebanders but that's probably a smart move, based on all the info. Also, the reason the old Lap bands can't be used that way is because of the fluid distribution inside the band. Your surgeon is hopefully up to speed on that.

The Realize/Swedishband is very soft which is why it takes a lot of fluid to cause restriction in a lot of patients- hang in there, eventually it will take

Your 4cc band is way more advanced technology wise vs the Realize band-it has a different pressure system which is why it holds 4ccs

Its smaller but keep in mind it is much wider than the lap band low profile port and your scar where the port is will be about double the size. You get to the website once you get the band and get a code. What you should know most important is the average excess weight loss with the Realize band is about 30% in year 12 months, The new Lapbands are 62% in 12 months. The average weight loss with the Realize band in 43% in 3 years, The older lapbands is 62% in 3 years. The Realize Band is the Swedish Band designed in 1996 in a new box and renamed Realize Band.The LapBand AP is the Third Generation LapBand released in August of 2007. The Realize Band MUST be implanted empty so there will be little to no restriction until 6-8 weeks later when you will have some very mild restriction after the first fill, the band is very soft and needs a lot of Fluid to restrict. The LapBand AP is implanted with the first fill, you will have restriction immediately.

That's true-my do says the softer part is the problem-too soft is less restriction The Lapband is also available with a low profile port. Please keep in mind the scar left where the port is left on the Realize Band is about double of the lapband low profile port - its shorter but much, much wider.

No disrespect towards your surgeon be is not using the reccomended priming technique as per the Allergan who makes the band. He has a license to practice medicine as he sees fit but in the study I provided that is how it was done and that is how Allergan instructs the physicians to prep the band before it is implanted for maximum weight loss. I called the company and they sent me some information on it. I met with the nurse prior to my surgery, it is required from my doctor and she he explained why this priming technique is being used and gave me the Obrian guys name to google to do more research. I have the AP and I can assure you it works, I have had restriction since day 1. There was 2.7cc in the band on my first fill then they added a cc. My next fill is Late sept but I really don't even think I need one.I have lost 40.2lbs since the liquid diet week before surgery and the surgery date of June 30th. Trust me it works- The old Lapbands and the Realize bands are implanted empty- The Lapband AP is not. Im 100% positive because I have it myself!

These bands are designed completely differently. Please keep in mind the Realize Band IS the Swedish Band with 1996 design, there are no significant changes to the band design. It came out prior to the first generation lapbands in 2001 in Europe. The Realize band has to be put in empty which means you have zero restriction until your first fill 6-8 weeks following surgery. The LapBand AP is designed to be implanted with the first fill of either 3cc or 4cc, standard or large. It gives you mild restriction and begins working immediately, thus the higher percentage weight loss makes logical sense. The data you are looking at is with the older generation LapBands, not the Third Generation Lapband AP. What I provided the only study on the AP Bands. The Realize band has not been out for a year so it would be impossible for your doctor to have a comparison on the average excess weight without having them tracked for a year each. Does he have data on these patients and has he averaged them out since January on a spreadsheet to compare?

really? Direct from Ethicons website: In the multi-center U.S. clinical trial of 276 patients with the REALIZE Band, patients who completed the three-year U.S. clinical trial (n=228) lost an average of 42.8 percent of their excess body weight. (36 months) Laparoscopic Swedish(Realize) adjustable gastric banding: a five-year prospective study. Steffen R, Biertho L, Ricklin T, Piec G, Horber FF. OBEX-Institute, Hirslanden Clinic, Department of Surgery, Zurich and Berne, Switzerland. Rudolf.steffen@bluewin.ch BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is a popular bariatric operation in Europe. However, the long-term complication rate and weight loss are still unclear. METHODS: 824 patients underwent a laparoscopic Swedish Adjustable Gastric Banding (SAGB) in a 5-year period. Preoperative data, postoperative weight loss and long-term complications were prospectively obtained for analysis. RESULTS: Mean age of the 824 patients was 43 +/- 1 years, with mean preoperative BMI 43 +/- 1 kg/m(2). No intra- or postoperative death occurred in the first 30 postoperative days. Intraoperative conversion rate was 5.2%. Peri-operative complication rate was 1.2%. 97% of the patients were available for follow-up (maximum 5 years). Long-term complications occurred in 191 patients (23.2%). 135 complications (16.4%) were related to the band, and 56 (6.8%) to the access-port or to the tube. Mean excess weight loss was 30, 41, 49, 55 and 57 % after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively. 82.9% of the patients obtained >50% EWL after initial treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that laparoscopic SAGB can achieve an effective weight loss, with an acceptable mortality and morbidity rate. LAP BAND AP The LAP-BAND AP™ System: The Platform Advances June 2007 by Paul E. O’Brien, MD Figure 4 Enhanced weight loss The Lap Band® APS patients have lost 62 percent of their excess weight at 12 months, and the slope of the line is still steadily upward. The APL patients have 43 percent EWL. The 10cm band patients have 51 percent EWL and the VG band patients have 40 percent EWL at 12 months. If described in absolute terms, the APS patients have lost 27kg and 10.2 BMI units, bringing the mean BMI for the APS patients from 41.6 to 30.4 at 12 months and still progressing. There was an infection at the access port site in a 58-year-old male patient. The access port was removed. He presented at 11 months with erosion of the band into the stomach and had explantation laparoscopically. There have been no other adverse events. Discussion The Lap Band® has been a major addition to our armamentarium in the treatment of obesity and its comorbidities. It has been extraordinarily safe; effective in achieving substantial and durable weight loss, improved health, and quality of life; and gentle in achieving these effects.[12] For a successful outcome, Lap Band® requires exact and stable positioning and an optimal aftercare program. The deficiencies in the structure of the original band were partly removed by the VG band after 2003 and now appear to be completely removed with the AP series. There should no longer be excess tightness in the early postoperative period. The induction of satiety is retained and possibly augmented by its larger footprint around the upper stomach. Ease of opening and a smooth shape allows for removal and replacement if repositioning is subsequently required.

if you do some research on the Swedish/Realize Band you will see the average weight loss is only about 30% the first year with the Realize Band. The LapBand AP is about double that. They seem to catch up to each other somewhere around year 2 or 3. Don't bother asking your doctor to validate this because unless he practiced outside the US he has no way of knowing this since the Realize band has not even been out in the US for a year. You must do your own research. Do a google search for the Swedish band and check out some study abstracts and you will see for yourself. The reason for this is very simple: The Realize band is implanted empty and the LapBand AP is implanted with the first fill of 3 to 4cc's so you get immediate restriction verses little to no restriction with The Realize Band. However if you can hang in their they should catch up once you get some restriction with The Realize band.

I have the lapband and eat chicken and turkey all the time. If you cant get food down it's your surgeons fault for not adjusting you correctly not yours. The average weight loss in year 1 with the Realize/Swedish band is 32%, the average for the lapband APS is 62%.

a) Im not selling anything, I can care less what you do or what band you have in you -Im passing on info to help others in their choices. I was under the impression this was a forum exchange information. :thumbup: My doctor says they have the 2 year data and there's no statistically signifigant difference in 1 one or 2. In addition the larger band had a lower rate (40 something %) because a) it was only filled to 3cc when it should have been filled to 5cc :thumbup: the really large patients have more weight lose so it's impossible to lose that much weight in year. so your saying this doctor is lying about his results? That's a bold statement to make without backing it up. You should check your facts before posting.

Optifast is the pits , been there myself - Try Lee Labradas Low carb meal replacements- they hold you for hours and are very filling. no problem...We are all in this together. The Lapband is also available with a smaller port, you need to ask for it. He said I was too big for it which sucked but I trust his judgement. When my surgeon trained on the Realize Band, the trainers said you need to stitch it on even though they have that staple gun thing, I asked about that too. He says unless he can clear out all the fat and lay the port flat which is unlikely, that port thing doesn't hold. He said the Lapband had the same thing years ago and they took it off the market because it doesnt work well. He also said the smaller Realize band port is a nightmare for fills because it has no tactile response. He said a lot of times he cant find the port and has to send the patient to xray so they can find it too fill it. The other issue is because the realize band creases and is a triangle, it is very hard to tell how much Fluid is coming in/out. I then inquired about the website thing and he said the Lapband company is coming out with a new website which will equal or surpass the Realize site by the end of year. He said the only reason they have this fancy website is because the Realize band is just the Swedish Band from 1996 in a new box and is old technology so J&J is diverting their attention away from the band. He showed me all 5 lapbands and the Realize and I have to agree after seeing them and holding them you can tell the Realize is not bad, but you can tell its old. You can actually see the glue where the band meets the back of it. The lapband is just more sturdy and looks like its better quality -IMO The last thing he said which I can vouch is true, you can check the other threads is I had a feeling of fullness from day one because the new lap band are designed to the leave the fluid in when placed, the realize band has to be left in empty so many patients according to him dont lose weight cause the band is too soft, deflated and empty for 6 weeks while the lapband is form fitting, circular and about a third filled when its implanted. I can honestly say I have had restriction from day one and after the first fill its even better. Again this all coming from my doctor who is certified on both..im just going by what he said and passing this on as information, make your own choices .He leans toward the lapband and only does the realize on demand. I think because he already has had to remove 2 Realize Bands since december because they fell apart, he is pro lapband. Al lI care about is losing weight which i am, a lot of on the Lapband so Im happy. 36lbs since July-Im not complaining! Either way i hope this thread inspires people to choose the right band for them based on the band and surgeon, not the port or website.

The study which shows the better weight loss was done by Dr. Paul O'Brian in Australia. I found it online after my doctor gave me the name to google. This is the ONLY published study with the Third Generation Lapband. It shows a 62% weight loss in 12 months with the standard AP Lapband which is significantly higher than any published study with The Swedish/Realize Band, according to my doctor. I found one study in my research and it had 31% excess weight loss with the swedish band/realize band so that sold me. I figured it must be better if the weight loss is doublein the first year. My doctor said the issue with the soft realize band is there is less compression on the vegas nerve of the stomach which is responsible for sending signals of hunger back and forth to the brain. I really have no idea what that means but I was banded in the beginning of July with the AP band and im down 36lbs. But look, its too late to say you picked the wrong band-just do your best and use whatever tools are on their fancy website. I see posts all over about it so I assume there is something on their to help. Its too early to switch bands-I was in the waiting room for a fill and someone complaing about poor weight loss with the Realize band and wanted it switched. hang in there! we are all rooting for you!!

I wasn't trying to insult you so Im sorry if I did. My surgeon showed me both too and let me decide. I did my own research and the newest gen lapband as they say on their commercials seems to have better weight loss which is more important to me than my surgeon "being connected to me" through a website which I doubt I'll ever use. But thats just me- if you're into that then good for you. One thing I did not like on the Realize website is they are comparing 6 year old worst lap band trials with the old models and their new trials with the Realize band. I felt that was deceptive marketing, they some how choose to leave off the latest lap band trial with 62% weight loss with the new bands in 12 months off their comparison. I didnt "realize" that and asked my surgeon and that is what he told me because I originally was going to get the realize band and my surgeon asked me why. When I said I saw on their site the comparison and the weight loss seemed better he shared the info with me. I don't think thats fair and it made me question them. I glad I have a surgeon who is informed on the truth, you can't trust anyone these days! Hey brother -good luck on your Quest, whichever band you choose I hope you rock the weight loss!

no offense but anyone who chooses which band is going to implanted in them based on a website needs to really think it through more carefully. This band is going to be implanted in you for the rest of your life. Im not saying go with one or the other, but your decision should be made on band, not the website. Websites don't do anything for weight loss and your doctor is not going to sit there all day and email you back and forth. Further when you fill the Realize/Swedish band with Fluid - it is a triangle [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKvmCVDVDY]YouTube - Inflating a gastric band (Swedish)[/ame] The first 30 seconds of the video is a waste but you will see its a triangle. I found this on Bariatric Times Website about the Swedish Band/Lapbands: Laparoscopic Swedish(Realize) adjustable gastric banding: a five-year prospective study. Steffen R, Biertho L, Ricklin T, Piec G, Horber FF. OBEX-Institute, Hirslanden Clinic, Department of Surgery, Zurich and Berne, Switzerland. Rudolf.steffen@bluewin.ch BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is a popular bariatric operation in Europe. However, the long-term complication rate and weight loss are still unclear. METHODS: 824 patients underwent a laparoscopic Swedish Adjustable Gastric Banding (SAGB) in a 5-year period. Preoperative data, postoperative weight loss and long-term complications were prospectively obtained for analysis. RESULTS: Mean age of the 824 patients was 43 +/- 1 years, with mean preoperative BMI 43 +/- 1 kg/m(2). No intra- or postoperative death occurred in the first 30 postoperative days. Intraoperative conversion rate was 5.2%. Peri-operative complication rate was 1.2%. 97% of the patients were available for follow-up (maximum 5 years). Long-term complications occurred in 191 patients (23.2%). 135 complications (16.4%) were related to the band, and 56 (6.8%) to the access-port or to the tube. Mean excess weight loss was 30, 41, 49, 55 and 57 % after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively. 82.9% of the patients obtained >50% EWL after initial treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that laparoscopic SAGB can achieve an effective weight loss, with an acceptable mortality and morbidity rate. LAP BAND AP The LAP-BAND AP™ System: The Platform Advances June 2007 by Paul E. O’Brien, MD Figure 4 Enhanced weight loss The LAP-BAND® APS patients have lost 62 percent of their excess weight at 12 months, and the slope of the line is still steadily upward. The APL patients have 43 percent EWL. The 10cm band patients have 51 percent EWL and the VG band patients have 40 percent EWL at 12 months. If described in absolute terms, the APS patients have lost 27kg and 10.2 BMI units, bringing the mean BMI for the APS patients from 41.6 to 30.4 at 12 months and still progressing. There was an infection at the access port site in a 58-year-old male patient. The access port was removed. He presented at 11 months with erosion of the band into the stomach and had explantation laparoscopically. There have been no other adverse events. Discussion The LAP-BAND® has been a major addition to our armamentarium in the treatment of obesity and its comorbidities. It has been extraordinarily safe; effective in achieving substantial and durable weight loss, improved health, and quality of life; and gentle in achieving these effects.[12] For a successful outcome, LAP-BAND® requires exact and stable positioning and an optimal aftercare program. The deficiencies in the structure of the original band were partly removed by the VG band after 2003 and now appear to be completely removed with the AP series. There should no longer be excess tightness in the early postoperative period. The induction of satiety is retained and possibly augmented by its larger footprint around the upper stomach. Ease of opening and a smooth shape allows for removal and replacement if repositioning is subsequently required. According to these studies which I found online,The Lapband APS has 62% weight loss at 12 months and the Realize Band has 31%.

no offense but that's really bad. If he overfilled the band and it broke you would need another surgery to remove it. He should should know how big the band is if he is implanting it in you.

im not sure if softer matters but my doc says the stomach is circular and feels a circular band will give better restriction since it will naturally conform to the shape of the stomach vs the Realize band which is a triangle

The studies comparing both bands online are the old lap bands, not the new ones. I showed them to my doctor and he assured me the lap band weight loss is much greater and pushed me towards the lapband.

my point was don't choose an implant that is going to be in your body for the rest of your life based on a website.