New And Have Tons Of Questions!

elombardi · December 28, 2011

Hey everyone! My name is Ellie and I've decided to get a lapband. I've been thinking about getting this procedure for over a year now. I don't exactly like the idea of surgery so I tried losing weight through various ways, but I was always left hungry. My mother has the lapband and she has so far had success with it. But here are my questions!

I currently live in Ottawa, and I'm not sure where I should look to get my surgery done. My family lives in Toronto, so I have no issues with going to Toronto for fills/defills, but it would be nice to be able to get those done in Ottawa (in case of emergency). Also, Montreal is also a possibility since its much closer to Ottawa than Toronto.

Also, as I'm a student (20 years old) and don't exactly have much/any money to my name, I'm wondering if its worth it to go a place that's 16,000 instead of 18,000? Or is there a vast difference between the two. (I'm under the impression that my insurance covers most of it, though)

Currently, I'm trying to decide if I should go with SlimBand (they have a place in Ottawa that I can go for fills), SWLC, or even somewhere else!

I met with my doctor today and she didn't have any recommendations for me as she hasn't dealt with lapbands with younger patients, so that's why I have some confusion.

Any suggestions? Did anyone have an amazing or craptastic experience with any of these? Also, what steps did you have to go through for your insurance and how long did those steps take for you?

Thanks in advance guys!

jsi69i · December 29, 2011

Good Luck Ellie ... I just had that band 14 days ago and feeling great. I am in the US so I cant give you any insight about Canada facilities! I would just suggested going with whomever you feel more comfortable with its a long journey and not just a one shot deal. If it means a few bucks more out of your pocket now to work with someone you like, its worth it in the long term.

keep us posted!