crikkit

I'm back from my banding with the J&J band. The doctor showed me the band in the box right before surgery. It doesn't mention the Realize tag on the box ... I guess those won't actually be produced until they are produced for the U.S. market in a couple of months. He gave me the box with all of the details and surgical instructions and everything after the surgery. To me it looks very similar to the Inamed AP band: a smooth inner balloon surface. It also comes with a low-profile port. The box is marked Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a Johnson & Johnson Company. SAGB QuickClose Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band including Velocity Injection Port and Applier. I was suprised to see the applier for the port ... I thought it was just put in by hand and stitched.

infamy ... I was banded on Monday and felt pretty darn good that day and Tuesday. On Wednesday I wasn't too sore but just felt much more tired than the previous two days. I think that might have been b/c of the change from the i/v pain med to the oral pain med perhaps. I'm feeling much better today and hopefully each day will get a little easier. So, don't be surprised if you feel a little bit worse a couple of days out. Just get plenty of rest between some short walks!

midwife72 ... hope your surgery went well and that you are feeling good today. I just got back from Mexico this afternoon. The surgery was much easier than I thought. We flew into Monterrey on Sunday. A driver picked my husband and I up at the airport and took us to the hotel. He picked us up Monday morning at the hotel at about 8 and took me to the hospital. I was taken in right way for pre-op tests, met the anesthesiologist and my surgeon (Dr. Zapata) and was in surgery by about 10:30. I was discharged from the hospital Tuesday morning and felt well enough to go shopping at a mall in Monterrey. We flew back home this morning and I'm feeling pretty good. A little sore of course and some tenderness at the port incision. I was worried about a lot of gas pain but haven't really had issues with that. Maybe all of my walking has helped! I got to see my Johnson and Johnson band before I went into surgery. It reminds me a lot of the Inamed AP band ... a smooth continuous inflatable part, and a low-profile port. The rest of Dr. Zapata's band patients were rescheduled until they can get the Inamed bands cleared through customs, but they went ahead and put the J&J band on me because I have local doctor who will do the fills on this band and it's a short flight back to Monterrey if I ever needed to get fills there. So all-in-all a great experience. Dr. Zapata was very kind and reassuring, so I wasn't even nervous going into my first surgery. The hospital was definitely nicer and cleaner than any American hospital I have been in. Now I'm ready to see some positive changes!

WASaBB ... where have you been able to find info about J&J doing some tweaks to the band? I'm getting banded in Monterry on Monday and my surgeon is using the J&J band because there is a problem getting Inamed bands in Mexico right now. I haven't been able to find any info other than the Realize press releases ... not a photo of the band or anything!

I still haven't been able to find much about the J&J band on this site or elsewhere, other than the press release about FDA approval. It has been approved in the U.S. but apparently won't be used until December here. I did find a couple of threads about other people who have been in the same situation recently with a shortage of the lap bands in Mexico, and they had the option to reschedule to go with the Inamed/Allergan band or go ahead with the J&J band. I found one post where someone mentioned that this band is more like the AP lap band, with the balloon going all the way around without the gap at the fastener, but I haven't been able to find any photos of the Johnson and Johnson band. It's called the Realize band. My surgeon's office didn't mention anything about the surgery being less expensive, but this just happend on Friday afternoon and it was hectic just making sure they could get a Johnson & Johnson band there for my surgery on Monday. I called the office of my local doctor who is going to do fills, and they said they do have a few patients who have this band and will have no problem with my fills. So, I'll be flying to Monterrey tomorrow and having my surgery on Monday. I'll give a full report when I get back!

I am scheduled for surgery on Monday. My patient coordinator JUST let me know that they do not have any allergan bands and that the shipment is caught up in customs and that all doctors in Mexico are having this problem and that they can't get a band from another doctor in Mexico because nobody wants to give theirs up while waiting for this shipment to clear customs. Is anybody else hearing this? They are wanting me to reschedule but I have already taken off work and made my flight arrangements. The only option I am being offered is that they could possibly use a newly approved Johnson and Johnson band but they are checking into that.

Ok, this is an imporant issue for me! Is it ok to wear makeup during surgery?

Thanks for the responses. I'm guess I don't actually care about wearing makeup during the actual surgery. I'm getting banded in Mexico on a Monday, and I will meet the doctor and have all of my pre-op testing done that morning, and I'd rather have my makeup on for that. I don't mind washing off the makeup when I'm getting ready for the surgery if I need to.

I am planning to have my lap band surgery in Mexico in October. My fee includes pre-op tests that are done the same day as surgery. I mentioned to the patient coordinator that I was a bit concerned about paying the fee and travelling to Mexico and finding out from the pre-op tests that they can't do the surgery for some reason. She said that's very rare and that since I have no heart problems and no medical issues (that I know of) that it should be fine. Should I consider having tests done here before I leave just in case? What sorts of tests should I ask for?

I'm also self pay and considering Mexico. My husband is worried that if there are complications (infection or whatever) that my insurance will not cover that treatment since it was caused by a procedure that wasn't covered in the first place. Does anyone know about that? My main concern is that some complication will cause the costs to skyrocket, whether I get this done in Mexico or the U.S.