Realize vs. Inamed

[Mellis 0]

Realize also offers the my sucess program for free, which is an as will help added bonus, this will help you track your sucess

BUT--only IF you live in the US and had the band put in by a US doctor. Never mind the fact that docs from other countries have been putting them in longer than any US doc--and of course Realize uses the patients of docs from other countries for their success stories-and uses docs from other countries to teach US docs how to do it! I think J & J should re-evaluate their position and realize that ALL their patients are equal!!

[Mellis 0]

My band was put in 12/28--and "approved"?--My doc is a J & J proctor!!

I have recieved 1 fill so far--and I went back to Monterrey for my dr who uses flouroscopy for all fills, so I could get an adequate fill to start, rather than "sneak up on it".

No, I don't think I should have to pay for the support. My research shows that J & J charges ALL docs the SAME price. so you are saying that because Mexico dr.'s and hospitals don't gouge their customers like US hospitals do, J & J is supporting that.

And if you will look earlier in the responses, you will see that it is not only Mexico--but also Canada(and I'm sure other countries also) that is being discriminated against by J & J.

And as I have said before, it does seem strange--the patients on your site giving testimonials ARE people who had their bands done in Mexico over a period of several years-so you could have people at all different stages.

One of the excuses I was given by the realize support line was that you don't have the "reporting abilities" that you do with US docs. That is fine with me! If Docs in the US were as responsive and supportive to their patients as my dr in Mexico is--you wouldn't have to report! And yes, I do have some experience with what I say--I am an RN and have seen the US medical community in action for years!! And NO, I am not promoting socialized medicine--just a medical community(including the products manufacturers) be more responsive to their consumers

[Mellis 0]

I KNOW I have a realize band--and I am very happy with my band and my surgeon. My problem is with the short-sighted and prejudicial attitude of J & J and their discrimination against ALL people not done in the US--not only Mexico-but Canada-Australia-and European countries--and anywhere else that uses J & J products. It has absolutely NOTHING to so with the price I paid or didn't pay--J & J got the same amount!

[footballmom104 0]

My surgeon is in the process of changing over to Realize - he likes the 360-degree coverage and the website support -

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Honesty you get w are that you pay for, and when you get the big discouny by going to Mexico you do not then get the my success. But youur case and your cas e is an acception your surgeons office needs to call Realize and explain. I think they will grant you access, because you were done so close to start date. That is what I was told. I am well aware of the proctor's.

Whoa there...

I've been reading your past posts and most of them are pushing one specific doctor, Dr. J. Schram. Just "happens" to be a US surgeon. US surgeons are known to be miffed at the business they are losing to Mexico and it just happens to be that a person who helped to write the Realize web site is a US surgeon who charges $150 for fills on US patients banded by another US doc and he charges $1100 for patients banded in Mexico. You don't think there is a bit of politics here? (Dr. Brad Wilcox) I received a PM from a person wanting to know if I knew that, I did not. I PMed Dr. Wilcox and I still have the previous PMs where he explains this.

Discounted price is not the only reason people go to Mexico. We get much more for our money. WAY more. Two nights in a private hospital, all the labs and diagnostics, a great deal more experience with many bands, I could go on and on about that one.

There are doctors out there that are taking advantage of fat people just like the starch blocker tablet manufacturers, the companies that are selling one weight loss gimmick after another. Many doctors are no different.

And this line of garbage about doctors taking on more liability for doing fills on patients they didn't band... that's a load of steaming horse pooh. I have talked to Bart Bandy, the previous owner of Inamed and current Sr. VP of Allergan and I know the story and the politics behind that one. I am MORE than happy to share everything I know about that one. I have also talked to various state medical boards and medical malpractice insurance co's (including my husband's medical malpractice company) and they flat out deny that there is any truth to this claim at all regarding taking on more liability for filling someone banded outside the US or ANY surgeon for that matter. They essentially say this claim is a load.

It comes down to money. It is totally fair for a bariatric surgeon to want the surgery business, that is where the money comes from. Let's be honest here. I don't even have a problem with US docs not taking on patients that were banded anywhere else, that's fair too. But is it really asking too much for them to be honest that this is a money issue? They want the surgery and if they don't get the surgery they don't want to mess with fills. I don't blame them for not wanting to do fills, I blame them for not being honest as to WHY they won't do fills. Fills are time consuming, take up precious and expensive office time. That is a reasonable reason for not doing them. But to claim a liability issue is nothing short of dishonest.

It is insanity to believe that bariatrics is the ONLY procedure out there where the surgeons takes on all liability for the initial surgery (supposedly) if he does a fill on a patient he did not band. A little common sense would go a long way here. If I have heart surgery, a total knee replacement, my appendix removed, a heart valve replacement... any surgery out of the country I can find local follow up care in the US with no problem. It is ONLY Bariatrics where desperate people who will just about do or pay anything to be a normal size person... they are the only folks that are US citizens and they cannot obtain medical care in the US especially for cash pay. They are the folks paying $1100 for $5.00 worth of supplies and $50.00 worth of overhead for a lousy fill. The truth here is that some doctors are a little on the greedy side and they don't like that they are losing business to the more experienced surgeons outside the US.

The upside to this is that there are many good doctors that recognize the politics going on here and THEY have the ethics not to take advantage of desperate people.

Some people wonder why I am so pro-sleeve over banding. This is just another example of why that is. I get my care from my original surgeon, he's driving distance from me even though he is in Mexico. So I am not needing a fill person locally, I have one. But for the people that don't have local fill support a sleeve is a fantastic option for them. The long term complications are much less than for banding and overall, in the end it is usually a cheaper option. The problem is that many in the US have very little experience with this procedure which is fine, Mexico is still an option and a good one.

I know this topic inside and out, I know the history, the politics, the game playing, the feuding between Mexican and US surgeons, I know why Mexican surgeons are charged so much less for a band vs. US surgeons and US surgeons are not getting a bad deal when you know the WHOLE story vs. the bits and pieces US surgeons put out there. I am more than happy to go into a detailed and in depth discussion on this topic with any person, MD or patient, any 'ol time (in a new thread, of course). Actually, I think it would make for a great topic but the problem is, thus far no US surgeon has wanted to discuss this issue on the boards (using their REAL name for an ID) because the politics would come out.

I do have one question for you. Why do you have soooo many threads pushing Dr. Jon Schram and then in other threads you ask people to go into detail about why they chose Dr. Schram? If you do a search of your posts I believe you will see what I mean.

Wouldn't it be nice if the doctors here used their real names? It would give them a bit more credibility.

Cheers.

[lsuza 0]

Based on what are patients losing weight faster?- Please provide some data on that

[lsuza 0]

Realize is the best band out there? really 14 year old technology, one size only and it IS NOT the widest band out there, the LapBand APL is -

Oh yeah please keep in mind the port applicator increases re-operation rates by 15% because it doesn't work well and your scar will be twice as large because their port is much wider

[MamaJava 1]

Realize is the best band out there? really 14 year old technology, one size only and it IS NOT the widest band out there, the LapBand APL is -

Oh yeah please keep in mind the port applicator increases re-operation rates by 15% because it doesn't work well and your scar will be twice as large because their port is much wider

Again, redstarr you have no CLUE what you are talking about. My port site incision is small. It's only about 1/2 inch longer than my other incisions, which are all only about 1/4 inch in length. You need to just pocket the money you're getting from another lap band company to run around bashing the Realize band and go on some vacation to a far off land where you can soak up some sun and CHILL OUT. You're really running around all these Realize band threads like some crazy nut case. Why do you care so much about the band differences? All the bands are fine. That's why most doctors still use at least 1 or 2 different kinds of bands. Holy crap you're a loony toon.

[shortgal 5]

I agree with Wasabubblebutt about the fills. I think it is totally outrageous that I could have a heart condtion and had triple bypass surgery and if I moved to a new location, I could find a new cardiologist to treat me, but if I have a lap band and move a Dr doesn;t want to touch me. Seems to me the heart patient would potentially be much more risky to treat than a post op banded patient.

Forget about the Mexico thing for one minute, suppose I had a US surgeon do my lapband and I moved to a new state, who would do my follow up and fills then?

I can understand a Dr wants to be paid for doing the fills, but it shouldn;t cost anymore than any other office visit to a specialist. A fill is not rocket science and as WASA pointed out is cheap and quick to give. A special needle and saline!

Many Dr.'s are absolutely taking advantage of the overweight person for their own greed.

Hopefully as more people are banded, this will change and we'll be able to go anywhere in the US to get the care we deserve.

[Mellis 0]

Anyone notice that all the posts from "realize support" are gone? Kinda makes it look like I'm argueing with myself!!!

My "personal" opinion about why docs won't do followup on other peoples patients is because as a species--generally surgeons don't like to do follow-up on their OWN patients--much less someone else's! They are the docs who don't want to do patient care--just slice and dice!! (US docs that is--I know my doc is great!!)

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Anyone notice that all the posts from "realize support" are gone? Kinda makes it look like I'm argueing with myself!!!

My "personal" opinion about why docs won't do followup on other peoples patients is because as a species--generally surgeons don't like to do follow-up on their OWN patients--much less someone else's! They are the docs who don't want to do patient care--just slice and dice!! (US docs that is--I know my doc is great!!)

Realize Support changed their ID to Realize Journey. Then Realize Journey started deleting posts when he got in over his head.

Next ID that runs around pushing everyone to go to Dr. J. Schram... we'll know who it is. Again. Hey, it's free advertising, right? heh...

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Again, redstarr you have no CLUE what you are talking about. My port site incision is small. It's only about 1/2 inch longer than my other incisions, which are all only about 1/4 inch in length. You need to just pocket the money you're getting from another lap band company to run around bashing the Realize band and go on some vacation to a far off land where you can soak up some sun and CHILL OUT. You're really running around all these Realize band threads like some crazy nut case. Why do you care so much about the band differences? All the bands are fine. That's why most doctors still use at least 1 or 2 different kinds of bands. Holy crap you're a loony toon.

Just because you don't agree with someone does not make them a "loony toon". The person you are calling names doesn't have to work for Inamed to not care for Realize. Is everyone who prefers Realize working for J&J?

[Ellisa 6]

I stay out of the name calling and try to answer politely, though Redstarr/Isuza was rude. Calling my surgeon a moron and me a fool was a bit over the top. Then posting a You-Tube video claiming it was the Realize band when clearly the video showed a very crudely made thing that didn't remotely resemble the actual band. If you only looked at the port alone it was a dead giveaway. Also, the poster claimed to be a med student on the Realize thread...and quoted WikiPedia as support for a minor detail, a date I think. The only college class I was allowed to use WikePedia as a reference was creative/rhetorical writing. Profs say it contains too many inaccuracies and unverified information. (I'm old, but I still take classes.) Are these varied posters one and the same? Who knows. Are they working for a specific company/surgeon? Who knows. But I doubt it, they aren't doing their business any good. By the end, I began to wonder if they weren't really trying to get a huge support for J & J because... what better way to get people rallying for their band? Once I decided, with my surgeon, which band, I really hadn't thought about it. But thanks to this poster(s), I can now say ah... these are the reasons I selected it! But the truth is, I have one, my DH has the other. I know this is an over simplification, but some like Band aide, some like Curad. I'm glad there's competition, it makes manufacturers of products/drugs continue to look at their product and improve, try to catch up or move ahead. The down side is patent rights. Keeps us from getting the best from all. My DH has the Allergan LapBand from two years ago, before the cushion went all the way around. He's not overly worried about that (uncushioned) area becoming eroded. Lots of folks have that band without problems. I liked that mine (Realize) was cushioned all the way around. Allergan corrected that for current bandsters. I'm sure they will also improve ways of anchoring their ports and making them flatter. And J & J will probably put 20 little pillows in theirs someday and make the ports smaller and on and on. Some things will make a real difference, others will be just for the sake of change.

[Ellisa 6]

Off topic question here... when I type my posts, I put in paragraphs. I can see them as I type. But when they post it all comes out as one... anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I agree about band co's needing competition. Inamed had their way for far too many years and J&J is taking a good share of the market and this is a good thing.

I think bands are like mustard. One likes one brand, another likes another brand. I'm totally happy with my Inamed band and wouldn't want to trade it for J&J, but others prefer J&J.

The more brands available to choose from the better for the consumer.

Maybe the next band on the market will have the best of both companies.

Not sure about your question on paragraphs.