bigfredvaix

Hi there - I got the Realize band on Nov. 17th. I was told to wait 4 to 6 weeks for the first fill, and the fill clinic that I went to wanted the 6 week wait, as well. The cost in Frederick, Maryland is $200. Dr. Susan Brinkley does the fill. She got her band in Monterrey, Mexico. She found the port, about 1-1/2 inches below the large (2") incision. She did 5 ml for the fist fill. So far, the band is not very effective. It will take a couple more fills before it restricts food volume very much. Certainly not the 1/2 cup that I expected. By the way... the "offer" that Frederik gave me to tell others about is: 4070 euros for surgery, overnight in hospital, 3 nights in Campanile or Crowne Plaza hotels and taxi vouchers. I will e-mail the "offer" letter to anyone interested. Campanile is right next to train station, and all the buses come there, and you can walk to the hospital or take the "Klinic" bus, but the rooms are very small, especially by US standards, and the Aerowisp Internet access is dreadful... it barely works, even at 3 AM. And, it is not included in the price of the hotel room! You have to pay extra for it! But, the hotel has a good restaurant. Fred McDavid fred[at]fastaz.net 353 lbs last Sept, 338 lbs pre-surgery and 305 lbs now. Don't know what a stone is. :cursing:

I had the Realize band by Dr. DeBruyne two weeks ago. He has performed nearly 4,000 Lap-Band procedures over the last 12 years. He has 7 different bands to choose from. Consult with Dr. at his clinic at his home the evening prior to the surgery. OK to have a "last meal" after the consult. No food or drink after midnight.... and no "clean you out" Fleet citric juice either. Check in at hospital at 7 AM. My surgery was just after noon. I got an IV during the overnight stay, so I had to use the "bottle". Nurse wakes you up every 2 hours to check BP and Blood Sugar. Dr. stops by in AM to see how you are doing. His assistant, "Frederik" stops by the hotel in the evening, to see how you are doing. The current pricing is: surgery, hospital stay, hotel & taxis for 4,000 euros, payable in cash to the doctor or "Frederik". Non-stop airfare from Dulles was $645 per person at airfare.com, but I would find a way to up-grade to "Economy-Plus"... more leg room. I used Unjury protein for pre-surgery diet and now to supplement food. Not much effect from band, yet. Have to wait 4 to 6 weeks for first fill. We used GoldPointsPlus points to stay a few days in Antwerp. Hotel in vilvoorde is like a Motel 6, but it is close enough to the hospital that you can walk, or ride the bus. The alternative hotel is the Crowne Plaza near the airport. Internet access at the Campanile Hotel in Vilvoorde is with AeroWisp, and is really sad. Hotel restaurant is good. Hospital is clean, and the staff does pretty good with English. The fluoroscope x-ray after the surgery is really pretty neat. I saved $10,000 over having the surgery done in Richmond, VA at St. Mary's hospital ($13.5k out-patient & $18.5k for overnight) or UVa ($15.4k for out-patient). EKG, bloodwork & Fluoroscope are included at hospital with Dr. DeBruyne. If you want to know more, let me know. Oh yeah, weather was cold with rain and some wet snow in mid-Nov. Fred[at]fastaz.net Max weight = 353, pre-surgery weight = 338 and now 321 after only 2 weeks. BMI was 48