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Please read this post carefully. Some of you have been following the TLBC/Slimband/Dr. Yau thread on BP over the past week and I wanted to give everyone an update. As one of 3 organizers of the 2014takeaction@gmail.com email account, I can assure you that we have had an overwhelming amount of people contacting us to offer their support and interest in joining with us. These people include those banded by TLBC, some by Slimband and even former TLBC/Slimband staff members. So we’ve got a solid group and there’s a high potential for growth once we spread the word and more people go online. All of us are either interested in pursuing legal action or are looking for more information. On concerns relate to how Slimband has treated/mistreated us as TLBCer’s/Slimbanders. At this time, myself and two other woman are looking around for a lawyer who will represent us. Two of us are in Toronto and this is likely where we will be looking. But before we contact or meet with a lawyer we wanted to do a bit of leg work first. That’s where all of you come in. If you are interested I would a statement which would speak to your specific TLBC/Slimband story/experience. Please include whatever information you think is important. Please also include what concerns you have with how things are being handled. These statements will help us show/tell the lawyer what are concerns are and that there are a lot of us who want to take action. The only people who will see these statements are myself, the other 2 organizers and the lawyer. Please do not share you statements on this forum/thread. Instead, email them to me at 2014takeaction@gmail.com I have been forewarned (by a former TLBC/Slimband staff member) that Slimband will most definitely be out there posing as a TLBC bandster. This is to be expected and it’s fine as we are not doing anything illegal. But I do want to limit the amount of information we give them so that's why you should communicate via the email above. When you are able to submit your statement via this email address, please include as much information about yourself as possible. Date of surgery. Surgeon. Home city and/or province. I have some phone numbers and I will personally be calling you to chat and connect with you so if you want to share your phone number I will call you. You could include where you went to school and/or what you do for a living. If you have a LinkedIn Profile that would be a good way to connect as well. I don’t want anyone to be offended by this semi-intrusive procedure of obtaining personal information but it’s important for us, as we go forward, to only communicate with those who are serious about wanting to take action. So if you are onboard, please submit your statements/stories ASAP. Preferrably by Monday March 3rd 2014 as we will be meeting with a lawyer in the next few weeks. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at 2014takeaction@gmail.com I hope to hear from you all soon. Thank you. PS – Keep spreading the word.

Please read this post carefully. Some of you have been following the TLBC/Slimband/Dr. Yau thread on BP over the past week and I wanted to give everyone an update. As one of 3 organizers of the 2014takeaction@gmail.com email account, I can assure you that we have had an overwhelming amount of people contacting us to offer their support and interest in joining with us. These people include those banded by TLBC, some by Slimband and even former TLBC/Slimband staff members. So we’ve got a solid group and there’s a high potential for growth once we spread the word and more people go online. All of us are either interested in pursuing legal action or are looking for more information. On concerns relate to how Slimband has treated/mistreated us as TLBCer’s/Slimbanders. At this time, myself and two other woman are looking around for a lawyer who will represent us. Two of us are in Toronto and this is likely where we will be looking. But before we contact or meet with a lawyer we wanted to do a bit of leg work first. That’s where all of you come in. If you are interested I would a statement which would speak to your specific TLBC/Slimband story/experience. Please include whatever information you think is important. Please also include what concerns you have with how things are being handled. These statements will help us show/tell the lawyer what are concerns are and that there are a lot of us who want to take action. The only people who will see these statements are myself, the other 2 organizers and the lawyer. Please do not share you statements on this forum/thread. Instead, email them to me at 2014takeaction@gmail.com I have been forewarned (by a former TLBC/Slimband staff member) that Slimband will most definitely be out there posing as a TLBC bandster. This is to be expected and it’s fine as we are not doing anything illegal. But I do want to limit the amount of information we give them so that's why you should communicate via the email above. When you are able to submit your statement via this email address, please include as much information about yourself as possible. Date of surgery. Surgeon. Home city and/or province. I have some phone numbers and I will personally be calling you to chat and connect with you so if you want to share your phone number I will call you. You could include where you went to school and/or what you do for a living. If you have a LinkedIn Profile that would be a good way to connect as well. I don’t want anyone to be offended by this semi-intrusive procedure of obtaining personal information but it’s important for us, as we go forward, to only communicate with those who are serious about wanting to take action. So if you are onboard, please submit your statements/stories ASAP. Preferrably by Monday March 3rd 2014 as we will be meeting with a lawyer in the next few weeks. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at 2014takeaction@gmail.com I hope to hear from you all soon. Thank you. PS – Keep spreading the word.

I was banded in 2015 and went online to search Slimband because I didn't have their phone number and a site came up saying they have closed their doors. I did some research and found out that the owner of slimband also had a previous clinic that closed and was then changed to slimband. Wondering if he is going to do the same thing and re-open under another name? I have emailed someone that is posted as a support email have gotten a response but I am now worried as far as medical help if there are complications down the road are we left with nothing? I am pretty sure my port has flipped but was told not to worry .........if anyone has had any communication please share. I did ask about fills and am waiting a response but I am not hopefull we will be getting fills anymore now that the clinic has closed. I believe the support person who is emailing me is just someone that has been previously banded but not a RN. Will update when I hear back .

Ghost surgeons are real. Some surgeons allow other surgeons to sit in on their surgery as advisors or even to do difficult technical procedures. The primary surgeon is held accountable for any mishaps. Yau could be working for any of the particpants such as Slimband, the primary surgeon or even the hospital as a contract surgeon case by case. Anyway, that's how it works here in the States? May be different up North?

Hi, I'm from Ontario, and we are not covered under our provincial medicare (OHIP) so I have to pay out of pocket. Did you check out slimband? I think they have offices in Montreal. I know they have in Ottawa. And they don't have a long waiting period. Just a thought. Good Luck!

Who is seeking legal action against Slimband or tlbc or dr. Yau?

As a former patient of Dr. Yau's, I am in in the same place as you are. We should try to gather as many former patients as possible & all merge on The Slimbands office. Get the media there. If they won't deal with us individually, maybe a large group would have more impact. The bad publicity may deter some people from considering going to them. What do you think? Is anyone wanting to join me. I don't know what else to do. Send me your feedback.

Hi all! I'm 31, a marketing consultant and I live in Ottawa, Canada. I've been overweight my entire life and have considered having WLS a few times. I never really took it seriously until my uncle had it done in January 2010. Although he went to Mexico for his (he's doing great!), I opted to have mine done here in Canada at the Slimband clinic in Toronto. Dr Yau performed my surgery on Friday, April 16th and I've been on the liquid diet since. Just took off my bandages today and everything looks and feels pretty good today. I lost 6lbs during the pre-op diet (one week) and I've already lost another 4 since the surgery. I've got another 120 to go but looking forward to the journey ahead!

Hi Vickey, I would absolutely do it again, my husband has said he would have paid double. I am now recovering from a lower body lift. If you have a lot of weight to loose there will likely be excess skin. I went to Slimband, they were very good to me then. I barely call them now, my last fill was in March/April. In the beginning as I did, you will need a lot of support and Slimband had a very good support system back then I can only imagine it has been fine tuned in the five years since I've been banded. I am sure the same can be said for the SWLC, those I know who have been banded there are very happy too. My recommendation is go with either Slimband or SWLC, both have lots of patients in the north and can help you meet other bandsters. Nadine

Hey Professor, You just made my day. I regret using Slimband, they've just left me high and dry and I can't afford them any longer, so I will take your advice and see that doctor in Mississauga. I really appreciate your feedback and sympathy! If they see my comments about them on this site, they can sic their legal team on me. What have I got to lose? I'm not saying anything that isn't true Have a fabulous weekend. I'll keep you posted with my progress.

I'm going to be banded at Slimband on Thursday. right now i'm not nervous but come wednesday i bet i'll be up all night. i have to spend the night since i've got a CPAC machine so i won't be in until the afternoon - plenty of time to get very nervous

Okay, so I spoke with Niki and all my questions have been put to rest. I've been told that 'Tara' the girl I spoke to at the first stage of the process no longer works at Slimband. Thank goodness! It certainly doesn't help their image any to have people like that on the other end! But it also confirms my suspicions that the Slimband team keeps their eyes on the prize and watch these forums for any problems with current and potential clients. So keep that in mind when you're posting! I've also been made aware of a few internal changes happing with Slimband in terms of their information packages and the schedule for receiving this information. Apparently, I will receive one binder by FedEx before surgery and one binder with post-op info after surgery. That's great news!! Finally, Niki also said she would do her best to make sure Dr Yau is there for me on Friday. That being said, I'm not sure how that can be guaranteed but I'm taking her word for it and I'm confident in her so I think it will be fine. One thing I'd also like to add is that Niki is a fountain of information. And like most consultant she prefers to express herself over the phone. And she's great at it! As soon as I spoke to her I had all the answers I needed and I felt pretty relieved. She comes across as a VERY warm person and even did so under the pressure of my big mouth so kudos to her for that. I guess this is a lesson for me in patience. I'm super excited about my surgery on Friday and can't wait to meet the team. Wangpangtang, I would recommend you do go with Slimband but only if it works for you. Do your own research (as it appears you are right now) and I'm sure you'll find the best solution for you. That being said, you're almost always going to find someone who isn't happy with the clinic you're considering. Don't let that stop you from considering them because perhaps that person just didn't have a Niki. And perhaps that person doesn't post the good stuff as well as the bad, like me. Most people don't. Good luck with your journey! And I hope things work out. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more updates on my progress.

I had my band done through slimband, and it has been a pretty good experience. I'm from alberta, so i get my fills done in calgary- slimband calls and does some follow-up and then i call the fill clinic and set up a time that works for me. Dr.Cyriac did my surgery and he did a pretty good job.

Thanks for the sympathy Spartan. It's very disheartening as I did do a lot of research when I ended up choosing Slimband. It was the aftercare that I was most interested in and I still am. I just hope I'm overreacting a little and things will improve in the next couple of days. Pickles123, I'm hoping for confirmation of my surgeon by Monday. Fingers cross cause my surgery is a week from today (Friday)! Thanks for the support! I'll keep you all posted on the outcome. :biggrin:)

To Regret...I am sorry for your experience with Slimband. I however have had a good experience so far. I had my surgery in June 2010 and it was the few months left of surgery with an empty band. My band was empty after my surgery and I didn't need a fill for 3 months and even then it was only 2cc's and I didn't need another one for 3 more months. Some people are sensitive and I am sure that if I had the surgery in August 2010 or after where they fill your band to the "ideal" sweet spot I wouldn't have been able to eat or drink anything either as I could barely eat or drink with just the band on my stomach. Have you had any success with a refund? Ohaw

Yes, unfortunately I was banded at SlimBand. I wish Smatshape existed back in 2004, they seem to be nice. Slimband post op is non existent!

Lap-Band adjustment Doctor in Toronto FOUND!!! Help Lap Banders, please! My Family Doctor won't give me a referral for a fill nurse she doesn't know. SlimBand won't do it for me because I am a patient of Dr. Yau who resigned from them. Credit Valley in Mississauga does only 'Allergan' bands and I have 'Vanguard'. ANYBODY????????? I am getting obese again. I am willing to go anywhere in Ontario, or Canada or USA. Desperate SlimBand orphan. Orphan no more! Dr. Ali Hazrati , a truly nice Doctor, Bariatric Surgeon does Lap Band adjustment at his clinic on 5734 Yonge Street 416-222-1932 $120 per adjustment I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM!

Slimband in Toronto. I am 7 days post op and doing great

Yes. it is great to have some slimbanders on here!

Hello all...how's everyone doing that has had the slimband procedure done...I've booked myself for June 21/13 and love hearing the great stories of ppl doing really well...everyone needs a little help from time to time and I'm hoping that slimband is my help that I need

Hey there - I was banded at the Toronto Clinic (SlimBand) on May 24th. I have really appreciated the after care and follow up so far - the daily emails have really helped me but I find their website for members not as good as this one. Yes it is mainly Americans but they have had the same proceedure and are a real wealth of knowledge. Good luck to you all!

Heather thanks, I went there and posted on 3 different groups and I got a reply telling me the program was in the planning stages. I am satisfied. I have been on the twitter.com and I can't figure that one out either so I guess it is me that finds Slimband difficult. However, the more I use it the more I am getting to know how to find My Home Page. As Slimband is my clinic, I am hoping I will get more adept at using it. Thanks again.

Has anyone tried the bootcamps (the new ones) I am it would be interesting if we could do an online style bootcamp and report in on the same regularity, weigh in, and do the lectures web style. But I am not sure if they would translate over for the distance for those of us not local. Anyone A) Interested :wink: have any input on whether it would work or fail from a distance standpoint? Let me know and if there are some people interested I will post and ask if we can do an online version of the bootcamp on my slimband but it would be interesting to see who else would be willing to try it. Heather

hi: you have to join slimband's website just as you do most. They have a private members only as well. Go to their home page and follow from there. Dr. Yau works from the TLBC and Slimband is his support organization. He has only the one clinic but supports long distance patients like myself through webcam meetings with various specialists. He has fill nurses (doctors) throughout Canada but you must be a patient of his. Most clinics go that route. You can find fill doctors through the internet that will do fills for a fee but they are hard to find. The other very reputable clinic is SWLC. Dr. Colbourn (sp?) is very well respected. Many do go to Mexico which is cheaper, but as advised you should be prepared for hardship in getting fills. I understand the clinic gives good support so they may have started fills doctors in Canada. You shoud check with them. The sleeve is fairly new and I understand it must be removed after a certain period of time. I admit I am not knowledgable about it. Research is the only way. You will find gastric bands run around $16000 with the reputable well known clinics as they provide free aftercare for a period of time. For instance Slimband is my clinic and they offer 4 years with fills. However, I continue to receive moral support and am enjoying how the clinic has improved services of the years. If possible, go personally to the clinics.

Doddie, I think that people need to get the anger out and vent... don't get me wrong about that... but what I don't get is the need to go on and on and on... let it go and get on with living life and doing it better stronger faster slimmer... when you spend your time focusing on the negative over the positives that you are doing to improve your life... you hold the negative and never get over it, so it tends to feed how you live your life. We have all met the people who on the surface have it all on the outside but on the inside they are bitter and angry... that is what reading posts from people who harp about the issues forever seems like to me. But I think people need to post the good bad and ugly... I think people need to know this is not always the easiest thing in the world to do, to change who you are... how you life and form better habits. I think a lot of people don't do the research and go into banding like it is a magic bullet and will do it all for you... it won't and it isn't... and people need to know that... they need to know this is real work for the rest of your life! People need to know about complications and how they are solved and the challenges. I really don't care though if people hate other people, or love other people.. hate the clinic staff or love the clinic staff... my experiences have been great with Slimband and that is what I judge them on my experiences not yours, not someone elses, just mine... and as long as they continue to be great they work for me. And I think people need to post that just not dwell on it... same with good experiences post but don't dwell... live your best life as Oprah would say. Heather