Hi everyone,
I'm 42 and from the Scotland in the United Kingdom. The Gastric Sleeve is so new here but it is showing a lot of interest as an alternative to other weight loss surgeries. I was banded 4 years ago as the only option offered to me because of my low BMI (37) was the band or the RNY gastric Bypass. I didn't fancy the RNY and still don't, but am very interested in the Gastric Sleeve. I lost 5 stones with the Band but have since regained it due to having the band deflated because of severe tightening. Scotland only has one fill provider and he has a 3-6 month waiting list, which as you can imagine, is utterly useless. I went to his emergency clinic for a defill that day but he couldn't defill it and i had to fly over to Belgium where i was originally banded in order to get defilled. I have no wish to ever have my band inflated again as it is too unpredictable when there is such a severe lack of aftercare available to deal with problems in this country. In Belgium the port is placed deeper in the body onto a muscle whereas in Britain/UK it is placed just under the skin. Bariatric doctors here are only taught how to access the surface ports, leaving us bandsters with deeper ports struggling for fills and unfills. I only went to Belgium in the first place because it was a third of the price compared to the UK.
However, when i was banded 4 years ago, the Gastric Sleeve was not even known about and was not mentioned in any of the research articles i saw on the internet. I wish it had been as i feel it would have been more suitable for me as the serious lack of aftercare with the band here has been the main failing with my surgery.
I'm thinking of going to have the Gastric Sleeve done in the Czech Republic with a company called "Cosmetic Bliss". I've heard only good things about them and their prices are less than half the price in this country. They mainly cater for British people and seem to be getting an excellent reputation. Has anyone heard anything about them, good or bad?
