Hi Everybody, I have been exploring your forum here and now I have doubts about having a lapband put in. I am selfpay, so cost is an important issue. I couldn't consider Mexico for the band because there are no doctors or clinics for 100's of miles who will do fills on "foreign" bands. Since there are no fills or adjustments involved with VSG, Mexico might be an option, though I am not sure about aftercare in my area, for VSG.

I am almost finished with a long list of pre-req testing, and my tentative lapband surgery is Sept 6th.

What is swaying me is I wear dentures. I am afraid of not being able to chew as thoroughly as required for the band.

Plus the cost. My surgical out-of-pocket is 14,500. not including all of the deductibles and % for all of the studies and tests. That includes just 1 follow-up fill.

My next trip to the surgeon was supposed to be just to fork over all of the checks for payment, and now I am waffling. I'm so confused.

I too started by looking into Lapband until I heard about VSG. I was a

selfpay and was looking at the same price you listed for the band. After

reading post on this site I decided on VSG, went to Mexico and have

never looked back. After reading the problems some people were having

with the band and seeing the lack of results two of my friends have had

from their bands helped me decide.

I was sleeved on January 25, 2010 and as of today I have lost 134 pounds.

Keyspriate was sleeved on the same day by the same doctor and she has lost

around 95 pounds. So it does work.

Good luck on your journey.

Gary

Thanks for replying Gary, what an amazing weight loss. Congrats. :blushing:

yep, me too! so glad I switched to the sleeve!

I spent less than half of what yours will cost and am thrilled. I haven't needed any aftercare that my primary dr couldn't do. I was fortunate that she was supportive. She ran a very thorough lab check at around 3 months post op; everything was great except I was a little low in Vitamin D. Granted, I live on the other side of WA where it only rains! LOL

I totally understand if you aren't comfortable going to Mexico, but I would encourage you to reconsider the lapband and research the sleeve. It is amazing!

You can read about my experience in the link below.

Good luck with your decision!

Here is my 2 cents.... I also began thinking I wanted The Band but after talking to some folks and doing more reading up on it I decided it seemed like a hassle that probably wouldn't give me the results I need. If you get The Band then decide later you want to be sleeved you will probably end up shelling out more money in the long run to go thru 2 self pay surgeries. Defiantly talk to your surgeon about your thoughts on the Sleeve vs Band and get his input for what he/she thinks would work best for your body. With my weight my surgeon seemed very happy when I said immediately I wanted VSG not Band- he must have felt relieved to have been spared trying to convince me VSG was better for my needs.

In the end go with your gut *no pun intended*

Good luck with your decision!

Sooz, you and I could be twins. That is almost exactly where I was...w/ one exception. My ins co was willing to pay for the band...but not the sleeve. But for me, $ is not the big issue. Maintenance of a band, complications of a band, the not knowing if 10, 20, 30 yrs from now it will finally wear out and fail on me.....who knows what position I'll be in at that time? Would I be able to afford surgery? Or would I be (if the complication was erosion into the stomach, or a slip that was cutting off my stomach's blood supply....) putting my life at risk??

Sure, those scenarios are probably more dramatic and less likely to happen than just plain dying of disease or whatever, but once I REALLY started thinking about it, I chickened out of the band and decided VSG was for me. And then found out my ins co wouldn't pay. I could have appealed but after my long journey (my lapband surgery was cancelled TWICE by my surgeon....how's that for KISMET?) but I said "F it!" and opted for Mexico. Now I am waiting impatiently for surgery day to arrive!

why don't you just go to lapbandtalk and read the complications section?

Then read the band to sleeve revision forum here. There wouldn't be hundreds of people having their bands removed if living with a foreign object wrapped around your stomach is as great as people thought it would be.

I self paid for the band and I self paid to have it taken out and I am really glad I did.

Having Dr. Aceves do my revision surgery was the smartest thing I have ever done. Living with a sleeve is effortless.