Why is there NOT "Sleeve" commericals like the "Bands"

Brenda0600 · January 28, 2010

Newbie Here so please take my obversations as more of a query.. I really love my new sleeve family and I am scheduled for surgery in March. After months, month and months of research (with the help of this forum), I am just curious as to why there are not commericals or informationals about the Sleeve to help more people.:confused1:

This journey appears to be a "God send" for alot of us and I am just sooo thankful I found out about the sleeve by through word of mouth. Anyone curious as to why the Sleeve has not recieved more public advertising.. similiar to the Realize Band?

No pun intended to my Band family, just curious and trying to understand why more people are really not aware of Sleeve.. :blushing:

Tiffykins · January 28, 2010

There is no company (Allergan or Realize) to manufacture a product for the sleeve. There aren't commercials for the RNY or DS procedure either.

The makers of the bands have to advertise to get people into the surgeons. With the VSG, DS, RNY, it's just a surgical procedure, no product going home with you.

There aren't as many VSG surgeons as there are band surgeons therefore there isn't a lot of information out there for patients to even hear more about the other procedures offered. Plus, the sleeve is such a low-maintenance procedure (no fills, unfills, follow up appointments, long term complications). Unlike the band that is a big money maker for some surgeons.

That's my only 2 guesses.

There are a lot of public blogs out there found through google search, and tons of youtube.com videos available as well. But, no one would know to look for those really unless they had already "heard" about the VSG.

I wish they could figure out a way to more information out to the public about all of their surgical choices.

Christabel · January 28, 2010

I know that I was convinced I was going for the band until I got on the Internet and did extensive research. That's when I found out there was such a thing as VSG. I think as more people take time to delve into the problems that could and do occur with whatever they choose as a solution, VSG will become more widely known. As for right now, surgeons are offering it as a choice, so that's a plus.

WingRider · January 28, 2010

I agree. It seems to me that True Results could advertise the service just like they do Lap Band, and they might once the insurance companies start to cover the VSG more consistently. True Results is the reason I started to look at WLS and then to seriously consider it, I was going band. Thank God my nutritionist there directed me towards lapbandtalk.com where I stumbled across a post about the sleeve. I would have never even know about it if it weren't for her suggestion. I guess in a way True Results did advertise the sleeve to me, it cost them my surgery. The funny thing was when I had my surgeon's consult he was happy to throw True Results under the bus and would deal with me directly to do the sleeve. He told me that the sleeve was going to be better for me in the long run as long as I was comfortable with the higher complication rate during the first 30-45 days due to leaks.

Bill

i1Linda · January 29, 2010

Yep - Allergan & Realize pay for those commercials. I have started to see more generic WLS commercials from doctors. Commercials that state they offer "different procedures for different people". After being home for a few weeks near the first of the year post-knee surgery, I was surprised at how many commercials were aired for WLS.

youknowit · January 29, 2010

Does anyone know who makes the staples they use in the sleeve? I could have sworn I read this somewhere once? Not that these companies would advertise "staples" but I was just wondering why they might not try to "market" the procedure...

mountain_lover · January 29, 2010

Newbie Here so please take my obversations as more of a query.. I really love my new sleeve family and I am scheduled for surgery in March. After months, month and months of research (with the help of this forum), I am just curious as to why there are not commericals or informationals about the Sleeve to help more people.:smile:

This journey appears to be a "God send" for alot of us and I am just sooo thankful I found out about the sleeve by through word of mouth. Anyone curious as to why the Sleeve has not recieved more public advertising.. similiar to the Realize Band?

No pun intended to my Band family, just curious and trying to understand why more people are really not aware of Sleeve.. :thumbup1:

Here is a part of one of my postings on this forum in the insurance threads:

the Duodenal Switch was being performed on patients, but if the patient had a very high BMI and health problems which made it more risky to have the Duodenal Switch, then doctors would perform the Sleeve (Which is the First part of the duodenal surgery and only restrictive), hoping that the patient would lose weight down to a SAFER, LOWER BMI, then the other part of the Duodenal surgery which is Malabsorptive could be performed without all the risks that were present before the Sleeve, so that the patient could lose more weight to reach their goal. ------------>>>>> What many doctors were discovering was that many patients continued to lose the weight and was reaching their goals with only the Sleeve, and the second part of the surgery did not need to be performed. So then many doctors started performing The SLEEVE as a STAND-ALONE RESTRICTIVE PROCEDURE. Now the sleeve is becoming a more sought after surgery by doctors and patients, because it is a less expensive, less evasive, and less risky surgery. Also the doctors know that there are less complications and healing time is faster with the Sleeve vs. the other procedures.--------------->>>>>>>> Medicaid and Medicare are now approving some Sleeve procedures.

I hope this helps to explain the sleeve and how it came to be. Some insurance companies and doctors still consider it to be an experimental surgery. The procedure has been performed on many patients as the first part of the Dueodenal Switch for quite some time. Now it is a procedure that some doctors and some insurance companies are willing to have patients to consider having done instead of having the more evasive surgery. Maybe as time goes by and more understanding of this procedure takes place, then more insurance companies will cover it and more doctors will perform this procedure. Then we will possibly see more advertizing of this procedure.

I live in Somerset Ky and my surgeon is Dr. Husted. He has a commercial on TV during the show "THE BIGGEST LOSER". He lets people know that he does different procedures. Some doctors only perform the Band and some do other ones. Dr. Husted created a new procedure called "THE VERGITO". It is a combination of 3 different procedures, using some of each to do one New Procedure The Vergito from what I understand it to be.

Before I had the sleeve on Dec. 2, Medicaid here in Ky did not cover the sleeve until in November. Also the sleeve was done with 5 incisions laprascopically up until right before I had mine done, then Dr. Husted started doing the sleeve with only one 2 inch incision right above the belly button. I was his 2nd patient which he performed the one incision. The only pain I had was from gas pain after surgery, No pain at the one incision site.

They are constantly learning more and more about bariatric surgery and different procedures. I hope I have helped you to understand a little more about the sleeve.

I wish you all the best and a happy journey.

Brenda0600 · January 30, 2010

:thumbup:This is sooo why I just love you guys as you are just a wealth of information. I believe Tiff and MountainLover are right on target as the financial gain, from major insurance companies or from other healthcare related entitites find that the Sleeve is just pure "one stop shopping". In a society like the US where our weight problems are out of control, being able to have information on our options is truly helpful for us to make the right decisions for ourselves. I thank everyone for their comments, informative research and thoughts with helping me understand this issue.

Love you guys!!!