A recent article listing one doctors view of the difference between the realize band v. the lap-band.

“I don’t know which band is going to be better,” he said. “I think it’s like a pickup truck. What’s better, a Ford or a Chevy? Both of them have little differences. Both of them carry you from A to B, and you can carry a ton of stuff in the back.”

• The new band is wider, which could keep it from slipping out of place. Slippage occurs in only about 2 percent of his cases, said Schmitt.
  
• The most common complication with a stomach band involves the port that is just under the skin’s surface and attached to the abdominal wall. Doctors use a needle to pump a saline solution into this port, which adjusts the stomach band.
  
• Schmitt said sometimes the port comes loose, flips around and can’t be accessed. The Realize Band has a different way of attaching the port. It’s quicker to put in, and may secure enough to prevent complications, Schmitt said.
  
• The Realize Band also exerts a slightly lower pressure on the stomach, which may reduce a rare complication called erosion. This occurs when the band erodes into the stomach.
  
• I’ve done over 250 of these cases, and we haven’t had any erosions yet,” Schmitt said. The main thing the Realize Band brings is competition to the market for these popular medical devices.
  
• The Lap-Band costs $3,100, and the Realize Band will cost about the same, Schmitt said. Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Alabama or Medicare usually pays for the operation. If a patient is paying cash, it costs $15,500, Schmitt said.
  

Thanks for sharing this. I have been very curious about the true differences.

When I went for my nutrition class, the nutritionist told us the "new"

band was out and that's what the doc was using.

Could it be the Realize band?

I will call and ask today.

Glad I found this article.

Francine

It could be the new version of the Lap Band--the AP. That's the newest one on the market, I believe.

This is the same practice and hospital that is placing my band. I was in my nutrition class last week and they told us that Dr. Schmitt would be giving his patients the choice of the 2 bands. I am using his partner Dr. Miles and he has not yet had the training for the new band, so this is not an option for me. But I am kinda relieved that I wont have to choose...

=)

i got the realize band.... april 15...

For those of you who got the realize band, do you have access to the special "website" area of the realize site for realize members only? if so, what do you think of it?