I am waiting for my insurance approval, and have been reading up on the two available bands... I am leaning towards the realize band over the lap band, it seems as though there will be less fills, and it can have less problems in the long run, I.E they state on the website less blockages or food getting stuck, and less chance for slippage.

Can anyone who has an opinion on this please chime in, I want to hear all opinions, good bad, and indifferent.

Thanks

I didn't make the decision. My surgeon chose my band. I am almost 2 months out so I don't have a lot of history either. However, so far, I love my band and I only had one fill about a week and a half ago. I have the Realize band and am very happy with it. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. Good luck on your journey.

I have the lapband and love it. My dr gave me the choice and I wanted it because less chance of erosion by my drs paper work. He give me a paper which listed the differance in the two. My mother in law went to the same dr she told him to put whichever he wanted in. I have lost 56 pounds and she has lost 21 pounds. She has had to have more Fluid in her band because the realize band takes more fills she has 6 1/2 cc in hers and I have 4cc in mine. I would not trade mine for anything loving it. We have talked to people in the drs office when we go for fills most that have realize band take forever to hit restriction. Someone said some drs prefer the realize because its new and they get more money for it. Not sure if that is true just what I heard. The choice is yours just do your research and make the right choice for yourself.I think the complication rate is about the same. I picked the lap band because it has been around for awhile and improved over the years that just made me fill safer.Good luck with which ever you one you pick.

I am waiting for my insurance approval, and have been reading up on the two available bands... I am leaning towards the realize band over the LAP-BAND®, it seems as though there will be less fills, and it can have less problems in the long run, I.E they state on the website less blockages or food getting stuck, and less chance for slippage.

Can anyone who has an opinion on this please chime in, I want to hear all opinions, good bad, and indifferent.

Thanks

I have the Lap-Band. I picked it because I felt that the port was smaller.. which is weird because I have a friend who picked the other band because she felt that the port on it was smaller! I've only been banded for 7 days now, so I don't really have anything else that will help you..

Hi and congratulations on your decision to be banded. I have the Realize band. My surgeon believes it has lower rates of complications. My band is an 11cc band and my doctor has been as aggressive as I've wished with fills. I am in my fifth month of being banded and have lost 64 pounds. I am very happy with the band. I think in the long run either band is effective, but the port of the Realize band is "lower profile", meaning not as thick.

I was banded last Wed. and went with the realize. Its port was half the height of the lap band, but my Dr. gave me the choice and said both are great...

I was banded on May 3, 2010 and I didn't have a choice. My surgeon gave me the Allergen LAP-BAND®. (10cc). I'm not having any troubles. I trust my surgeon and if that's what he chose for me, that's ok with me. He's wonderful.

Dr. Marc Neff, Cherry Hill NJ.

Good luck! We're here for you.

I have a 14cc Allergan Lap Band and had no choice in the matter as to brand name or size. It's what my surgeon uses for all patients.

Realize Band here. Banded Feb 2010. I tried to persuade my doctor to give her opinion on which was best. She presented the facts on each and left it up to me. I chose Realize because of the "low profile" port and the The "Realize my solution" website.

I was banded on May 3, 2010 and I didn't have a choice. My surgeon gave me the Allergen LAP-BAND®®. (10cc). I'm not having any troubles. I trust my surgeon and if that's what he chose for me, that's ok with me. He's wonderful.

Dr. Marc Neff, Cherry Hill NJ.

Good luck! We're here for you.

Wow, I didn't even know there was another local doctor to me! I'm over in Maple Shade and went to Goldstein in Voorhees (love him nevertheless, but very cool there is another local doc out there that does bands because I heard Kipnis relocated close to NYC!)

Warrior--I too didn't have a choice, as my doc only does the Allergan LapBand. He uses 10 and 14 ccs (got the smaller one, which I'm sure he chose for a reason LOL) I'm kind of glad I got the smaller one because I just had my 4th fill 2 weeks ago making it over half full and I've just now hit my sweet spot LOL!

Good luck to you!

Wow, I didn't even know there was another local doctor to me! I'm over in Maple Shade and went to Goldstein in Voorhees (love him nevertheless, but very cool there is another local doc out there that does bands because I heard Kipnis relocated close to NYC!)

Warrior--I too didn't have a choice, as my doc only does the Allergan LAP-BAND®. He uses 10 and 14 ccs (got the smaller one, which I'm sure he chose for a reason LOL) I'm kind of glad I got the smaller one because I just had my 4th fill 2 weeks ago making it over half full and I've just now hit my sweet spot LOL!

Good luck to you!

Can you tell me what "sweet spot" means.

Thanks!!!

Realize. It has a lower profile port, a lower incidence of prolapse and honestly my practice is moving away from Lapband. Realize is a lot more forgiving,

Can you tell me what "sweet spot" means.

Thanks!!!

Oh believe me you will know it when you get there

It is also known as the "green zone"--where you are truly full on a 6 ounce portion of food, you stay full for a minimum of 4 hours and you're not ready to eat your own pets or children during that time.....it's a beautiful thing! I'm sitting here at 3:30 making myself heat up my lunch (after having Breakfast at 10:30) because I need to get my Protein in! All the times I was starving in between meals makes this point in my band journey totally worth it !

Realize. It has a lower profile port, a lower incidence of prolapse and honestly my practice is moving away from LAP-BAND®. Realize is a lot more forgiving,

I have the Realize band as well. My Dr. told me that there were fewer complications with it long term.