Hello All,

I am new to this banding community. I wish to say that this site has been most helpful to me in terms of feeling good about my decision to proceed with banding.

I will have my telephone consultation with both clinics (Yau and Cobourn/Mumford) next week and will have to make a final decision on which one to go with. I reside in Edmonton, Alberta.

I am hoping that those of you who have considered and completed the procedure with either Dr. Yau or Dr. Cobourn/Mumford can share with me how you come to your final decision on which physician to go with. I know that both clinics and physicians have excellent reputation and going with either would probably be fine but this knowledge does not help me to narrow down my decision.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.:help:

Sorry Cat my msg was not targeted to you specifically its just that over the months there have been at least a couple threads started about the 2 different clinics by various posters wanting to know why people choose the Dr's that they did and what is good or bad about them. Inevitably these discussions lead to biased opinions and sometimes false information which can cloud peoples opinions. (How helpful can that be?) The two clinics are very similar and I think that it really comes down to a personal choice based on personal feelings and comfort.

IMHO I think that to know which clinic to pick from I would research them both (like you did) set up a consult with a Q&A with them (which you did) and then read the posts on here about the appointments, fills, issues and things like that. To hear what people say on a regular basis about their clinics is a much better indicator as it is a more candid look at how people really feel and how the clinics work. A thread like this one here can be deceiving. That is what I was trying to get at.

I see your point Dame J and indeed good intentions can at times unintentionally go astray or generate non-desirable side effects. I hope that all that read this thread will take both the feedbacks and their own diligent research to make a final decision.

LeslieLee.....you are getting way too anxious!! You have absolutely no reason to switch at all; you are in excellent hands. You have to look at the big picture.

Gaffer: info on the inamed band is not "started" by me...if you do a search on all the threads (not just canuck) you will see the same comments. I am not "against" the inamed band in any way, shape, or form and if that is the one Dr Yau had chosen for me...no problem. This is a very minor thing.

Dame J....wow....not once on this thread did I see one single person "pit one clinic against the other"...in fact, just the opposite. People either expressed why they chose the clinic they did...and, in fact, most people (including myself) stated the obvious...that the two clinics Cat inquired about were/are both top notch and she would be in good hands with either one. Did you read the posts?

And, by the way, Cat did do her research beforehand on both clinics and in fact was going to have a consult with both......

Wow lots happened while I was at work!

First off please rest assured that I am not about to lose all that money, lol ... as I said (((So I will be out a fare bit if I were to change my mind at this point.))) Key words ...if I were to change my mind.

I will do more research which I think is what I was trying to do when I asked where I could read the statistics that Yoda mentioned.

One thing that I have learned over the years is that sometimes what is typed is not what was actually thought or meant. Each person puts there own twist/emotions/ feelings on what they read.

Thank you to all who expressed their thoughts and concerns and encouragement again.

I know that I am going to have my band and I am going to do all I can to keep it right where it should be! I will also talk to the good Dr. and see what he has to say. Honestly it takes a bit more to really shake me to the point I would toss in the hat. I was just concerned that I had missed something important. lol you will know if something is up I tend to use a lot of !!!!!! ????? !!?!?!?!?! and OMG's

And at this point I will stop before any thing else gets misunderstood.

Hi: I live in North Vanc. BC and I would highly recommend Dr. Yau. There is the downside that TLBC does not have arrangements with fill nurses in Western Canada. My doctor has said he will do my fills and I can go to Washington State but it is frustrating that TLBC does not support patients out here and we have to go to Toronto at great expense if my doc. is away on vacation or whatever. Also, lately, I have been having difficulty in getting answers to my e mails. I ask a question and I get electronic messages having no bearing on what I asked. I will be going to TO on April 23 and will ask what has been happening with the support to out of province patients. Doddie

It's funny To see everyone write 2 clinics in toronto, both clinics...etc. But there are 3!!!! The TCC (toronto cosmetic clinic) offers the lap-band for 1000$ less than the other 2. It was the first place i booked a consult, but ended up cancelling it because 1. Their website had weak information, no pre-op diet, no post op care... etc. 2. No one, NOT ONE PERSON, on this board has been done by them, and very few even know them. 3. I like the fact that TLBC SPECIALIZES in lap band, like yoda's thread (i think) was saying, tcc does cosmetic vagina operations...come on.

But yeah, just throwing it out there, there is another option.

Yeah, I hear ya robgoblin...but the reason this thread was about those two clinics only is because that was the original question posed....Cat had a consult at those 2 clinics and so was specifically asking about the two of them.

It is understood that there are more than two in the TO area.

Gaffer: info on the inamed band is not "started" by me...if you do a search on all the threads (not just canuck) you will see the same comments.

I did not mean to say they you "started" anything, it was just that I had not heard of any problems with the inamed bands over any other band until you mentioned it in this thread. I think it is a good point to bring up.

Now I am just more curious about it than anything.

Andrew

Doddie,

Have you generally received good support from TLBC in the past until the recent e-mail incidents you mentioned? Would you say that they respond much faster if you call them?

Regardless of the type of service purchased, I am always leary and concerned about promises made up front that is not delivered after one has purchased the service.

I hope that this is not their usual practice and that the majority of TLBC-banded members have consistently received good post-op support and services from them. As for post-op fills, they told me that they are very actively working on a referral list for out-of-province lapbanders and that the list will be available very soon.

Cat

Hi: I live in North Vanc. BC and I would highly recommend Dr. Yau. There is the downside that TLBC does not have arrangements with fill nurses in Western Canada. My doctor has said he will do my fills and I can go to Washington State but it is frustrating that TLBC does not support patients out here and we have to go to Toronto at great expense if my doc. is away on vacation or whatever. Also, lately, I have been having difficulty in getting answers to my e mails. I ask a question and I get electronic messages having no bearing on what I asked. I will be going to TO on April 23 and will ask what has been happening with the support to out of province patients. Doddie

The third opition is one I would not recommend until a few more bandsters post. I am a coward, and prefer to let others be the leader. Doddie

Personally, I can't say enough about the TLBC post-op care. But...lets face it...as adults we have to be proactive....if you have a problem post-op...you have to be sure you contact them....they won't magically know and contact you!!

I do know that they recently hired a "Chief of Staff" type person....so there may have been a change period going on etc.

....and I'm not an out-of province patient but nor am I living in TO, either!

The third opition is one I would not recommend until a few more bandsters post. I am a coward, and prefer to let others be the leader. Doddie

Oh, completely agree with you on that Doddie!

I'm confident in my choice with the TLBC, and after the experience i hope i will still be happy with them (i have a feeling i will). As for the TCC i agree with doddie, they don't seem to par with the others.

Hi Cat: To answer you questions, I have tried to contact the clinic. I have telephoned and left a message. When I called again, I was told my message had been electronically forwarded but the person never called. I have emailed and received an event calendar back with no complete answer to my question. This morning after 3 attempts, I received an e mail back with my question answered. I put this down to the staff being too busy and we all know what electornic messaging can be like. I am frustrated BUT I would still recommend the TLBC highly again and again.

I love the note above that stated out of province support is being worked on and I look forward to that. In the great picture, my questions on tiny and show my anxiety more than need but it is nice to recieve timely answers. Doddie

Hello to all:

I am going to be banded in the very near future and I have read with interest everyone's opinions regarding the clinics. I did a lot of my research online and weighed the pros and cons between the 3 clinics. I dismissed the TCC (Toronto Cosmetic Centre) right away as their website is poorly designed and is not at all informative. I had my initial consultation with TLBC on Monday, April 30 and one with Dr. Mumford at TWLOS today. I found the initial consultation was better handled at the TWLOS clinic because you do not have an in-between speaking to you. Dr. Mumford was very informative and was able to answer all my questions. Unlike the TLBC where the patient coordinator could not really answer some of the questions about the surgery. Don't get me wrong the coordinator at TLBC was very pleasant but I felt I was listening to a 'sales pitch' more than the ins and outs on the procedure I was considering. I liked the fact TLBC had a choice of bands available because we are not all the same, however, Dr. Mumford pointed out that the other bands do not have an even 'round' fill like the Inamed band and therefore the stomach could be unevenly tightened. I have my surgery tentatively booked with TLBC and I have to confirm next week. The two reasons I'm considering TLBC over TWLOS are the location of the clinic and the fact Dr. Yau has more experience in this field. I do hope that I get to consult with Dr. Yau before the surgery.

Will keep everyone posted.