Any suggestions on how to pick the best surgeon and what questions would you ask? what if the surgeon doenst use xray for the fills just feels for the right place to do the fill ? would this sit ok with you? please experienced bandsters please help with your knowledge and what are good suggestions to get by for the first month of no eating.

Cheers

Ruth

Ruth, my fill provider dose'nt use xray and she hit's the spot very well and painlesly, What surgon are you thiking of using? a mate of mine has been working on a ward in sydney that does lap bands. I Did not go a month without eating as my surgon wanted me to be eating within a week but i do have a midband and they are different. I hope this has helped a bit,

regards

I am sure it has been explained before but what is the difference between the bands?

Ruthy I think you choose a surgeon that has the most experience,followed by the convenience for you and if you like them......that is what I do whenever I have to have surgery anyway and always works for me!

I'm not an experienced bandster. But I did choose an experienced laproscopic surgeon. My dr. has put in over 700 lapbands. He's also local, for fills and any problems. He does blind fills (no fluroscope), has no problems.

You might check the internet for listings in Australia. Most experienced drs. have a website. That gives you a lot of info. about them and about the band. Best of luck!

Ruthy: You could also contact Inamed directly www.inamed.com and see what they have to say. They manufacture the LAP BAND.

You have some VERY experienced surgeons in Australia...and in NZ. Did you know there are also (because we don't want you to leave here) Yahoo groups for the "down under" banded?

Anyway, MY first criteria is/was "the more bands the better." I went FAR away to find a surgeon who had done over 1400. Next was the kind of facility. But not everybody agrees.