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I too had the Slimband and almost died. i was convinced by a sales consultant Belina Patini and some sweet talking English guy. Belina claimed to have had the Slimband as well. Which i found hard to believe, because at the time, i looked better than she did. I understand the Owner of Slimband, Michael Scott Smith. Closed shop and fled to California, following multiple threats from clients and business partners. and even the government.

So glad you found a Dr that will remove the Slimband . Sorry you will have another cost to endure though . Hopefully one of the others will be covered by OHIP. Good luck . Let us know how it goes

Does anybody know if a class action law suit was ever filed against Slimband or the Doctor. I had my surgery done in November 2013 lost some weight by straving myself and waiting for my fills to finally hit my " Sweet Spot " that never happened. I quit straving myself and the weight I lost came back, band is useless, I never felt full. I just found this site out of looking in despair and many years of depression. So fed up of this useless thing inside of me and the problems it has created. If anybody knows anything any input would be appreciate. Thanks

I would contact your General Doctor and asked to be referred to a internal surgeon and have it removed. I had to have mine removed and it has caused me massive damage to my esophagus and upper stomach. I had issues with cancer in my esophagus three years ago and the surgeon felt definetly it had to due to the lapband and the negligence of the Dr. Lau's insertion of it. Please go and talk to your local MD asap so that you are treated for the pain and regurtiation immediately! Its very serious. There was a W5 series where two lapband patients suffered from this and both died because they left it too long. I have spoken to the woman that won the Small Claims against Slimband but because they filed bankruptcy she hasn't been able to collect. I am thinking about filing against Dr. LAu personally but she also told be about a law firm in Vancouver that is doing a class action suit that are suing the company that makes the slim band. She has told me she will provide me with the law firm. As soon as I have info I will post info.

Hi Thanks for responding. I've looked at the slimband site but can't seem to find the forum section. i can only see the blog sections. I thought i read last year that the band might soon be covered by our health card but can't find anymore info on it. so i'm guessing that it's still not covered - is that right? what about these ads at the side that say $4200 for the band $5200 for the sleeve. Is the clinic down town the only place who do it or is it just the best place? i'm wondering why the difference between the $4200 and $16000 how much could i expect to loose once I get the band in?

I went to the slimband member's section the other day and after twenty minutes of looking at all the groups, I gave up because I couldn't find that post you had made Heather! And I don't get notifications about additions to that subject (if there are any). Next time you are there, if you could copy the address that may help. I find that site so annoying. It isn't at all like this forum or others I've been on. Oh well. Mary

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

So to make a very long story short, I paid 16,000 dollars to the SLIMMBAND CLINIC IN TORONTO, TO INSERT BY LAPOROROCOPY AND GENERAL ANESTHETIC A DEVICE WHICH WAS TO CONTROL MY APPETITE AND HELP ME TO LOSE AND MAINTAIN MY WEIGHT, FOR MY HEALTH. I was blind sighted, I should have done my homework, this very clinic and doctor had jumped ship on hundreds of other innocent unsuspecting, patients. I went through the courts and won the case against the clinic, big deal they shut their doors one week prior to my court date. My only hope is to tell anyone who even thinks about this way of life in the Toronto area be certain it is not the same owner, nor the same doctor that took my money and left me with a nonfunctioning piece of silicone band in my abdomen. Three surgeries later and many heart aches and physical discomfort I had the monster removed.DO NOT BE FOOLED THEY HIRE SKINNY PEOPLE WHO TELL YOU THEY HAD THE SAME SURGERY. I HAVE ASLO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH PATIENTS THAT ENDED UP WITH SEVERE INFECTIONS AND MANY COMPLICATIONS.

I am also someone who has had nothing but issues with this band (Slimband), which I paid over $25,000 for (I was financed thru them) the band which I had placed at a private clinic in Toronto in 2013. I didn’t/do not live in Toronto, so I had to fly up there & back, stay at a hotel. Factoring in the medications I was instructed to take post-op, along with the necessary OTC medications (stool softeners, gravel, etc), I am probably out around $30,000. Most important to me though, is not the money (that pisses me off) but it’s the day-to-day impact this goddamn thing is having. My quality of life has be adversely affected. Most recently, I have a distended upper abdominal area; chronic constipation (I drink over 64 ounces of water daily); nausea, vomiting and have looked into filing a lawsuit without success (firms I contacted weren’t interested). I am unable to be spontaneous in eating, because I never know/can’t predict when I will get what my husband has come to refer to as “backed up”. When I get “backed up”, I typically have been constipated, and then have a painful bowel movement, quickly followed by a swollen & tender upper abdominal area, nausea, dry heaves, then vomiting (bike usually as I’ve not eaten in the 12 hours prior to these attacks). The doctor who preformed my surgery was reprimanded by the College of Physicians & Surgeons in Ontario, & lost his license for 3 whole months (big deal) & has since relocated to practice in another area of Ontario the last I heard. During my surgery, he also did something that I wasn’t aware he would do/would ‘need’ to be done. He did something so I wouldn’t experience any heartburn or GERD...when I woke from surgery to find that out, I started to feel like I had made a mistake. See, I never, NEVER had any issue with acid reflux/heartburn...ever. I also woke from surgery with a pain in my shoulder & bruises on my body that I am unsure how they would have gotten there (upper arm, outer thigh). Other than the 1-week follow-up phone call, the clinic never did follow through on their promise of aftercare service & check-ins. I had called because I was concerned when I had my first ‘attack’ approximately 2 years after the band was installed, only to get a voicemail to leave a message, which never was returned & the symptoms abated. Then to make matters worse, if that is even possible, the clinic closed its doors a few years back, meaning I have been & am unable to have my band adjusted, which were always defills for me. These were another area of problematic treatment. Each time I went (only twice because there was a large period of time that Halifax didn’t have anyone doing this), I had requested a defill because I was vomiting after drinking water. When the ‘nurse’ wasn’t able to access my port...well, she said she wasn’t sure if she accessed it or not, my doubts and regrets were reinforced. I remember telling her the last time I was in, that I wanted it removed. She encouraged me to give it time, especially since we had just ‘defilled’. I remember that last time I went, it hurt when she inserted the strings & it felt as if it ‘hit’ something hard in my body (hard to explain, but a very weird sensation & it felt substantially different than the first time I had a defill). I seen that when she removed the syringe, it looked as if it were filled with blood, watered down blood, but not clear fluid. She reassured me that it was ‘probably just some scar tissue’ that had developed around the port site and that was why it looked like blood was in the syringe. A few weeks after this interaction, when I attempted to book another defill, and to look into removal, I found out the clinic was closed. No advanced notice to its customers - I was still paying them via the financing they provided - paying for a service I was no longer able to receive. So here I am, 6 years later. I have lost weight, not as much as they said I would, but I attribute that to the fact that I can’t eat so many things, and when I do eat (rarely ever hungry), I am terrified of having an attack. It has negatively affected my work life, my personal life and, since I am waiting on a long list for bariatric surgery to remove this goddamn thing, my life for the foreseeable future. I really wish there were a class action lawsuit happening. My sister had the same procedure, and has had a similar journey, minus the ‘attacks’. I had done research prior to having Slimband installed and didn’t find much long term information. After having the procedure, and joining their on-line community, I realized that any negative comments/stories were removed/deleted/erased, as the clinic had control over the site. If anyone hears about a class action lawsuit, please contact me because I would be interested. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. My e-mail is kemaclean@ yahoo.ca As a almost 54 year old woman, I can honestly say there are very, very few things in my life that I regret - and my life has not been an easy one - Slimband is the only regret I have...and it is a huge one.

I am definitely interested in a lawsuit against Slimband. I have lost thousands of dollars in pay due to having to take unpaid sick leave (in fact, I am lucky to even still be employed). Also, I'm told that almost everyone will need to eventually have to have it removed (mine hasn't been yet). My personal e-mail is jenannecoulter@yahoo.ca if you would like to connect with me. Jennifer, Ottawa

Heyyy guys! My surgery went so well. The band is out!! I am now back home recovery and let hope it heal faster. The nurse told me to be top finding class action for slimband. Apparently lot slimband patient had came to Dr. Deniss Hong for removal. He really such a nice gentleman. However, Please let me know how can i help for to find a lawyer in GTA. I can research and find out. Melissa, i am so down a nice lunch after covid end! Let roast all day about slimband lol.

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

Cool bones.... Slimband is going to a distance bootcamp they posted it on the myslimband site... so that takes care of me having to organize one I like it when great minds look alike! 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.

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.

OK this is just my idea nothing to do with Slimband so do not hold them accountable... but I posted on the myslimband site and since it is locked down to slimband/TLBC patients it would be nice to host it on there because it will be our own small group that is manageable. Here were my thoughts so far... and I already posted this on myslimband.com I was thinking more along the lines of a thread that is ours, where we make our commitments for group and additional commitments as we go.. I was thinking something along the lines of choosing a theme for the month or a theme for the week. We could start with a focus on eating, working out anything we want as a group we would choose the theme of the week or month... So we would make the commitment to the group for the duration of the group, then another to the theme of the week or month. In addition there are dozens of free podcasts that we could suggest to each other a webcast or podcast or article to read that ties into our theme as an individual weigh in for the comments on the webcast, article or podcast. In addition we can add a weigh in for those who are in the weight loss phase and want that accountability added. We can also set up a chat room if that would help people there are several free rooms or if we are on msn or yahoo you can do a linked IM chat on there too. Thoughts comments etc? Heather :confused:

Hanabe ,this might make your life easier slimband set up a fills email where you can email your preference for a time for a fill. I know for a tech geek like me it makes it so much easier... i will always send an email over picking up the phone since I loath the phone. the email address was fills@slimband.com, and hopefully for those who mentioned they didn't want to suffer through phone tag this will help out. Heather

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

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 everyone, I'm pretty new to this site. Just got my surgery date from August 12 and looking for a buddy. how does this all work? is it an online thing or do people buddy up with others in their city so they can meet in person? I live in Toronto and don't expect too many Canadians on an American site but it would be great to buddy up with someone else in Toronto. I'm 42, married, mother of a very energetic 4 1/2 year old girl, looking to lose about 150lbs with help from the Slimband.

Welcome Kurby. Is the Slimband the same as a Lapband? Do they call it something different in Canada? For me it was the best decision I ever made, just wish I could've done it when I was as young as you. I've wasted many years being miserable about my weight. Janet, the vacation sounds wonderful. I've never done an all inclusive before, I am partial to cruises, but then again how can I be partial if I have no experience with the other so might just have to do one sometime. I hear they are wonderful. I wish I was part of your family! Joyce, what is a yoga retreat? Eva, sorry you have to do your sister's errands. Treat yourself to something special while you are out. Julie, welcome back, I missed ya, you left as I came back. Hope your pain is getting better. My mom has been having horrible pain issues they think due to a bulged disk or something and is starting epidural shots on Tues.

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

I need a defill my slimband nurse doesn't come till Wednesday, and I went to emergency this afternoon and they had know idea!!! I even bought the defill procedure paper !! So upset I'm feeling awful ..