Hi,

Does anyone know any fill doctors in New Zealand? I a scheduled for a lap band surgery in Mexico 3 weeks from now, but only now am starting to realize how important the fills are, and how regular they need to be done.

I have found only 3 doctors in New Zealand who do lapband surgeries, but these all live in the North Island, about 700 miles from where I live!

Any help or advice would be appreciated. I am thinking if I can't solve this I will have to cancel my surgery.

Paul

Gday, Why are you going to Mexico if you live in New Zealand? Would it be better if you have to travel to come to Australia to be banded? There are many Docs here that fill. Susannah

Susannah,

Thanks. Several reasons. First, my wife is from the US so we will be going there anyway. Secondly, it is MUCH cheaper than in Australia. Main problem is not the surgery but the fills afterwards. Can't afford to fly to Australia every time for a fill!

Cheers,

Paul

Hey Paul, Gotcha!:Banane30: I wish you lots of luck on your trip to Mexico to be banded. Is the cost of banding too high in the land of the long white cloud also?:eek: If you have private health insurance you only have to pay $3,500 dollars out of pocket here in Australia, and that covers lifetime fills and maintenance ie revision surgery etc. Susannah

Hey Paul, I have been giving this some thought. I think you really need to have the fill doc situation organized before you commit to surgery in Mexico. I read all the time here about doctors refusing to fill patients that were banded by another surgeon. That happens both in the US and Australia. Sure it may be cheaper in the short term to be banded in Mexico, but if you can't get fills and aftercare it is going to be so hard. Fills and aftercare are vital to the longterm success of weight loss with the band.

I think it would be important to think this through carefully before you set off to Mexico.

Susannah

i got banded in jan--and i can SEE and FEEL that regular fills and followup are critical to this process. do NOT go to Mexico from new zealand for surgery until you have resolved the "where am i gonna get fills" question. so far i have had one fill--that was 6 wks after surgery--and it's NOT ENOUGH RESTRICTION. i am getting 2nd fill tomorrow. one of my other acquaintances on this board said she didn't lose weight until the 3rd fill--so i can see this is a process that requires regular, frequent after-surgery care. are you going to fly to mexico 3, 4, 5 times for a fill?? no! you've got to locate someone locally to do this!

best wishes,

girlin

nyc