I know this topic has come up a lot over the years but I am looking to get a fresh perspective on whether or not Banders out there have considered getting a medical id. I know when we have the band placed we usually get an id card whether it be Realize or Allergan. I never got a card and when I asked about it I was told they don't have them anymore.

I am thinking of getting one but not sure if it is really necessary.

I didn't get an ID card when I got my allergan band. Then again i only got my surgery 3 months ago. I also have been wondering whether to get a medical ID bracelet. I'm thinking it might be a good idea.

Amazon.com has a few lapband ID cards or braclet or medal. Youtube has a video on Lapband Medical ID card.

I will make my own ID card with vital info and then laminate it and carry next to my Driver's License.

I know this topic has come up a lot over the years but I am looking to get a fresh perspective on whether or not Banders out there have considered getting a medical id. I know when we have the band placed we usually get an id card whether it be Realize or Allergan. I never got a card and when I asked about it I was told they don't have them anymore.

I am thinking of getting one but not sure if it is really necessary.

im like you. Ive thought about it quite a few times. i didnt get any card or any other I.D either. I think a medical ID on a nice chain would be the way to go. Im thinking of getting one made up for my son ... he takes very powerful anti phsycotic drugs.i may well get one for him and one for myself made up.

I used to not think a medical ID bracelet was necessary for the Lap Band. I went in for emergency surgery this past Sunday and now I know otherwise. I am definitely getting one immediately.

When you have a band, it is so crucial the doctors working on you are aware of it. Thankfully I was conscious and could make the fact I had a Lap Band known, but if I couldn't and the surgeons didn't know, I'm certain I'd have been in real trouble.

For instance, I had abdominal surgery. Of course there's a risk of the tubing or band itself being cut. But when you go in for emergency surgery, they have to empty the contents of your stomach before surgery so you don't risk asphyxiating while under anesthesia. They do this by putting a tube up your nose and down your throat. If they didn't know I had the band and had taken the Fluid out of it before, the risk was very real my stomach could've been literally punctured trying to get the tube down. In fact, normally they don't tube your stomach until you're asleep, but because I have the band I had to be awake for it. I had to swallow as they did it to make sure it went through the band and not hit it. (yeah that was not pleasant at all, ugh!)

So the moral to the story- I found out first hand this weekend how crucial it is for doctors to know about our bands. I will definitely be getting an ID bracelet.

I can tell you from first hand experience that in an emergency situation, the responders will not be looking for anything in your wallet except your driver license or other official ID.

Last year, when I was nearly killed in a serious car accident, and was knocked unconscious, neither the police or the EMT's who responded to the accident scene bothered to look at my cell phone for the ICE ( In Case of Emergency) numbers I had in my contacts list.

It took the Level 1 Trauma center over 5 hours to get in contact with my husband to inform him that I had been in the accident.

To me, the ID bracelet or medallion that you wear will be the only means to alert medics to your band and any special needs which may be affected by the band.

BTW, I will be undergoing abdominal surgery next week, though thankfully not in an emergency situation. Both the bariatric surgeon and the general surgeon who will be performing my procedure advised me that there is no need to remove the Fluid from my band.

I can tell you from first hand experience that in an emergency situation, the responders will not be looking for anything in your wallet except your driver license or other official ID.

Last year, when I was nearly killed in a serious car accident, and was knocked unconscious, neither the police or the EMT's who responded to the accident scene bothered to look at my cell phone for the ICE ( In Case of Emergency) numbers I had in my contacts list.

It took the Level 1 Trauma center over 5 hours to get in contact with my husband to inform him that I had been in the accident.

To me, the ID bracelet or medallion that you wear will be the only means to alert medics to your band and any special needs which may be affected by the band.

BTW, I will be undergoing abdominal surgery next week, though thankfully not in an emergency situation. Both the bariatric surgeon and the general surgeon who will be performing my procedure advised me that there is no need to remove the Fluid from my band.

Thats why in my post I stated that the id card would be next to my drivers license. You see both at once.

I never thought of this idea. I was given the card, and also going to keep with my Drivers licence, but thinking a bracket is a good idea now as well THANK YOU!

I really don't think it is necessary. If they are doing emergency life saving surgery then they will be doing whatever they need to do to save your life. If they think they have time and if it is appropriate they may do xrays or other tests first - the band would show on those. If they don't have the time to do those then you are probably in such a bad situation that your band is not really important anyway.

It's the Life over Limb principle.

e.g If you are doing CPR and you break some ribs it doesn't matter because you are doing what you are doing to save someones life. I would rather be alive with broken ribs than dead because someone was too scared to do the CPR.

Here we go again, Mis73 makes a very good point to have the bracelet.

Elcee makes a good point for not getting the bracelet.

I have thought about this also, but I have not ordered one yet. Mostly because only 4 people know I have the surgery and I don't want to advertise it with a bracelet.

My husband has strict orders on what hospital to take me too and to show them my card BUT I never considered a car accident and being alone and unconscious.

They do have a medical ID that goes on a chain around your neck, that might also be an option.

Thinking I may get one just to be on the safe side, better to have and not need, then to need and not have.

How about typing up a very small notice - lab band in place- and taping it directly to your licence. That is what I'm going to do. I actually have the date of my last tetanus shot taped on the back because I manage to cut myself deep enough every 5 years or so and I could never remember when I had the shot! When I had to go to DMV they looked at it twice and then said they were going to do the same thing so it must not be an issue with them.

Being that there is no time like the present I just went and did it now. Check that off the list!

Thats why in my post I stated that the id card would be next to my drivers license. You see both at once.

It did not matter in my case...trust me when I tell you that the responders will only grab your ID...they are focused on only finding an ID, and won't be taking the time to sift through anything else to possibly discover an additional card unless they recognize it at a glance.

Primary objective was to get me cut out of my car and transported to the Trauma Center asap because the extent of my injuries were unknown.

Perhaps if you attach your band card to your license they will see it. Otherwise, like me you likely would arrive at the hospital unconscious and with only a driver license for identity. Everything else was left behind in what was left of my car.

I also have to agree with elcee...the first thing the trauma center did when I arrived was to begin to run CT scans to assess the extent of my injuries, and to determine of emergency surgery was necessary. Medical teams prefer to see ahead of time what situation they will encounter if they do have to perform surgery. The band does not interfere with these tests. The band can be seen with these images, and if surgery is necessary they would be aware of it's presence and plan accordingly.

Also, though other's experiences may vary, for my surgery next week, I was advised by both of my surgeons that no special precautions need to be taken for the procedure because of my band.

I tend to agree that practitioner knowledge of the band is not a requirement to follow treatment protocol in an emergency situation.

well mine has MEDICAL ID INFORMATION and in a font size Bigger than Drivers license font. You would have to be bling Not too see it.

I'm sorry in your case, the medical staff wasn't as alert as they should be. I called 2 EMT friends of mine and they are "trained to look at all information in a wallet to find additional clues on the patient. Yes, they told me stablize the patient first, but some person is there that is suppose to look for all information. You are so lucky they didn't have to runa tube down your throat and accidently lacerate your stomach or other organs.

Be positive and keep the faith.

My concern isn't damage to the band it's damage to me. I was told that I ran the very real risk of my stomach being punctured when they were tubing it if they didn't know about the band and take precautions because of it.

I just don't want to go into a hospital for one issue and end up staying for a hole in my stomach because a doctor didn't realize there was a band in his way of tubing me.