Is it me or does it seem like Plication with the Band is becoming the norm for new Lapband Surgeries? I know my doctor is now making that his practice and I am reading more and more are as well. How many new banders (I'd say within the last 6 months) have had this done or are having it done? Of those that ARE having it done... did you get your procedure done through a Center of Excellence? I wonder if this is something that is part of the criteria... like, "this is the way we are all going to be doing things from now on."

Oh, one more question... did you have to stay overnight in the hospital with the plication/band combo?

Thanks everyone for your feedback

Seems I've heard more about it lately, but at the time I had my band put in, my doctor wasn't offering it. I'm OK with that though... it feels a bit too new for me.

My doctor does band with or without plication. At first I said no to plication until he explained that there is no extra down time. No extra cost and I could still do it on an outpatient basis. So I have decided to go ahead with the plication. He also said that immediate weight loss with plicatation banded patients has bee comparable to that of bypsass patients.

At the seminar I attended, the Doctors I will be seeing, say that it has to be done at a center for excellence with a hospital stay that's required. At least that's what I got from what they said. It was the very first seminar that they mentioned it, so it was kind of brief since they say they will talk more about it at our consult. I have not scheduled my consult just yet. I have to wait until Sept. (insurance change). And as, the poster before me said, there is no added charge, because there is no cpt code for them to use to charge it, so basically it's a 2 for 1 if you want to look at it that way. I'm thinking about it, but not quite sure. The thing that attracts me to it, (from what they say), is that there is lesser chance of band slippage and won't have to have fills for a while/or as often. That part alone is good, since it seems that the fill process is the most annoying. (as in, not enough, too much...getting sick...stuck too often.....etc....).