Just for your info, I inquired about the Swedish version at the FDA and here is the response:

This is in response to your email below to the food and Drug

Administration

(FDA) requesting information on the "Swedish Lap Band."

If a device is under the FDA's review, it would be considered

confidential

and we are prohibited, by law, from releasing information on it. Only

once

a device has final FDA approval can we release information to the

public.

The manufacturer, however, is at liberty to release information on a

pending

device, should they choose to, therefore you may want to contact them

directly for information.

Currently, there is not a device with the model name "Swedish Lap Band"

approved by the FDA, however, in June 2001 the FDA approved the Lap

Band

Adjustable Gastric Banding System manufactured by Bioenterics

Corporation.

For all information on the approval of this device, please visit our

web

site at:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2001/ANS01087.html

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p000008.html

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/p000008.html

I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

Bonnie J. Alderton

Consumer Staff

Division of Small Manufacturers,

International and Consumer Assistance

Center for Devices and Radiological Health

bonnie.alderton@fda.hhs.gov

Hey Deb, are you an American living in Suadi Arabia, perhaps with the military? If you will be coming back to the States after your surgery there, it's good to look into the Swedish Band, although folks here in the US have them (I know Megan does, off the top of my head). But the fills and follow along are definately considerations in your aftercare. I have no idea or opinion about whether or not the Swedish Band is better/more advantageous than the Inamed by Bioenterics, but if US docs for aftercare are limited in your area of the States, it's definatley worth researching if this is the right band for you.

This is great info...also do a search on "Swedish Band" because I think it's actually made by a French company? If I remember correctly. I'll search and bump the thread to the New Post list if I can find it. Good Digging!

Okay, I copied and pasted this from Leo on a closed thread:

actually the midband is from a french company( http://www.midband.fr/mid_anglais/present.htm) , the johnson and johnson is the swedish band (http://www.ethiconendo.com/morbid.jsp)

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