Hi everybody,

i'm a young woman from Germany who just found your dicussion forum.

I'm very interesed where the differences between Germany and America are.

Greetings, Sabine

Hello Sabine! Welcome to LBT! Are you banded? I see you have lost...I think...21.7kg? Well done! One of the biggest differences you will find is that us Americans weigh in pounds, but most of our European and Austrailian bandsters use kg too. Were you banded in Germany? What kind of band do you have? How long have you been banded?

I think many here are as interested in Germany as you are in America!! It's wonderful to have you!

Welcome Sabine. Willkommen!

You've asked a very big question! Differences in what?

Are you banded?

Yes, i am!

I see you have lost...I think...21.7kg? Well done! One of the biggest differences you will find is that us Americans weigh in pounds, but most of our European and Austrailian bandsters use kg too.

Yes, I see, i just changed it for better understanding.

i Have lost 47,8 lb since by banding surgey.

Were you banded in Germany?

Yes, i was banded in Germany in Frankfurt Sachsenhausen from Prof. Weiner.

What kind of band do you have?

I have a really new band. It's not a Lap-Band and not a Sweden-Band. It's a remote-controllable gastric banding. It's very new and I'm party of a clinical study. That's why i did not had to pay anything and don't have to pay for anything in the future 5 five years.

How long have you been banded?

My surgey was on August 16th 2005.

I think many here are as interested in Germany as you are in America!! It's wonderful to have you!

I'm really interesed in differences and similarities of everything (insurance, hospitls, band-types etc.)

Greetz, Sabine

OMGosh, a remote control adjustable band?!!!!!!! You have GOT to be kidding?! How exciting is that??? WOW!

Okay, here's the basic US info in regards to banding. If you have private insurance and WLS is a covered benefit, a local bariatric surgeon can do your banding. If you don't have insurance, or if your insurance does not provide such benefits, you have to pay cash for your band (like me) and if it's too expensive, you can go to Mexico (like me) and have it done for a bit less cash. Some Americans will travel to Europe or other places to get banded.

The only US FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved band is the Inamed. So even if Americans get banded in another country, many times they will be sure to get an Inamed band so that local aftercare can be found. Many many bariatric surgeons will not provide fills or other band care for bands that are not FDA approved. However, we do have a few folks here with the Swedish Band, or the French Mid-Band, although I am still unsure about the differences. For the most part, the folks on this board have one of the Inamed bands.

As for hospitals, it seems banding is taking a turn and being done more and more in outpatient surgery centers. In the past, they have been done in hospitals with 1-2 overnight stays.

hmmmm, does that begin to answer your questions?

Wow, a remote control band...that is soooooooooo cool!

Hey again,

yes, I really have a remote control adjustable band. With the band i got an aerial which is placed on my breastbone. Over this aerial the band is a ajusted with induced current. So u are not pricked at all. And the best it - u don't feel the adjustment at all. I really like my band.

In Germany we normally have two band-types - Sweden and Lap. The remote control adjustable band is not implented yet - except for about 30 people in the study. When the study is finished they wanna replace the 'old' gastric bandings - and i think they will.

Here is a picture of the gastric banding and also from the control unit u need to adjust the band:

What does a gastric banding surgey cost in america?

Greetz, Sabine

PS: Ask me everything u are interested in - I'm willing to tell.

Wow, how cool is that! I want a remote adjustable band! :eek: :grouphug: :pray2:

Welcome to LBT! Glad to have you aboard. I'm sure you caught the interest of several bandsters with the remote band!

Okay, I had this huge reply earlier today and lost it...man, I hate it when that happens! All the spontaneity is gone.

Anyhow, that is sooo cool. I was wonder about some type of reservoir for the saline that isn't in the band yet...is that it on the side of the band there? The clear part? How much does the band hold?

Okay, US costs for banding are in the range of 15,000-30,000 US dollars. Give or take a few. It really depends on the doc, the pre-op tests required, the health of the patient, insurance, etc. I had my band placed in MX for $8950 US cash. That included everything but airfare and travel expenses.

I am going to start another thread to point folks to your introduction. This remote control banding thing is soooo cool!

No way! That is so freekin cool!!! I want one! LOL

Put me on the waiting list! How cool is this?? Although Dawg did have some humor to toss into the pot. Surprise, surprise. *snickers*

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=166009#post166009

That is totally cool!! Keep us updated on your progress Sabine! You are doing great!! & Welcome!! Nice to meet you!

How exciting to hear about your band and thank you for taking the time to tell us all about it. So, do you go to the doctor for the adjustment? And does he have you swallow barium so he can see how much is flowing through and how fast it goes through? I want to know all the details.

What do you think about your rate of weight loss? Do you think you are having good advice on what to eat and how to eat? How "tight" are you? Do doctors there try for "the sweet spot" where you simply can't eat more than a small amount at a time?

Thank you for sharing.

G'day Sabine, I want one of those remote control ones,got to get another fill tomorrow,now i'm jealous.....

Hi all,

sorry i did not wrote so far, but i don't have internet at home at the moment because i moved.

So, I think you got something wrong. Inside of my band there is not liquid. It's all mechanical. I have a little motor in my band to make it wide or tigth. To control that i have an aerial inside of my (on my breastbone) and the control machine has an aerial too. I have to go to the hospital i had my surgey (because it's only a study - and only the two hospitals who are part of the study have a control unit so far - more will get one when the band is there for every aspirant).

So, my band is not blocked in ml or cc - it's blocked in mm. Totally wide open my band has a diameter of 29mm. The minimum is 18mm. You can adjust the band in 0,1mm parts. Therefore you have the control unit to conrtol the process. After it you have to make a mouthful roentgen to control if liwuid goes through.

So, and that's what I'm going to do now, because i got unblocked last week because of an abdominal influenca, and i wanna get blocked again. So, I'll write more this evening or tommrow morning.

Have a nice day....

Greetz, Sabine

I think I understand...you don't have a balloon in your band that is filled with saline, or air, the band is solid, and lossens or tightens mechanically, right?

Your weight loss is wonderful...look at you! Well done! Let us know how your next adjustment goes...tell us how blocked you are, and at what number. This is very interesting!

Veegates, Seeglinde! Vas ist Loos mit seer?

Do you know the name of the company that manufactures your band? I want to look them up and see if I can invest some money in them before it catches on like wildfire! Do they have a web site?!

Danke Shein,

Brad

(sorry for my bad spelling in Deutsche)