I just now learned about the Realize Band. My surgeon will not be doing this until July however, I am scheduled to have my lap band on June 11th - 5th day of pre-op diet.

Any thoughts on the differences?

I really like the idea of the RealizeMysuccess website - anyone know if Allergan is going to follow suit?

Thanks,

Mo

I'm getting the Realize Band on Monday. The main reason I wanted that particular band is because the port is much flatter. :laugh:

My doctor really likes the website after care part.

I think I did get an email about an allergan web site. I deleted it though. I don't want it or need it. You could search on the net.

I think both bands are equally effective.

I don't know about the different types of bands but I have the Realize band and it has been great so far. I was uncomfortable the day of surgery and the day after but by the third day everything was great. Two of us were my Dr's first patients to receive the realize. The port is more toward the front of my body and I never had any problem sleeping.( I had read that with the port on the side sleeping was uncomfortable). I was banded 4/28/08 and I have lost 20.8 lbs. and I feel wonderful. My first fill is next week and I am so excited. Good Luck with whicever one you choose.

Hello everyone! I just got banded on 09/23/2008. I feel better now than the first couple of days. Anyone know when you can start sleeping on your stomach?

Congratulations, and welcome to LBT, Nu life!!

As far as sleeping on your stomach, I think everyone is different as far as when it's comfortable due to their incisions, the port, and bloating. I'm pretty sure I was sleeping on my stomach at about a week. I could sleep on my left side the second night, although I could feel the port. After a couple of weeks, I couldn't even feel any pressure from the port site.

Kiz,

Thanks for the information.

Here's my question.... in comparing Lap Band vs Realize band.... do most surgeons do both procedures? Because if they don't, don't you think they are going to push the surgery they perform over the other? I would trust a surgeon much more who explained the facts of both from a non-biased point of view to someone who only performs one of the two. How can you TRULY trust what he/she is saying?

mine uses the Lap Band AP because that's what he's done for years and trusts/knows how it works...that's enough for me! LOL...I was tummy sleeping a week out and side sleeping day 2...

The only choice I had was the Realize band, that is of course unless I wanted to self-pay, which was not an option. I'm only banded since June 1 and haven't had a fill yet. So I have to hope my surgeons know what they're doing. They switched because of the low-pressure blah, blah, blah. In reality (and I've had another bariatric doctor tell me the same thing) the hospital probably got a better financial deal to switch to Realize, but the chief of surgery has a good reputation and again, it comes down to trust. In the end, hopefully they all do the same thing and that's all I care about.

Stomach sleeping was never an issue for me because I sleep with a CPAP machine but I received an elastic abdominal binder at the hospital which helped with side sleeping for the first few days and have been side sleeping ever since.

Good luck

Trisha

I had my realize band put in last August. I weighed 226 the day of surgery. over the next 4 1/2 months, i lost down to 195. january i maintained, then i started gaining and am back up to 220 and very discouraged. also during this spring,i had trouble with kidney stones and my gallbladder had to come out. I don't feel any restricions. I think I have 3.5cc.I have no restricion and am no losing weight. any feedback/advise would be great. Dr. prickett in Columbia did my surgery but i onl saw him for the first fill. someone else in his office did the other two. I am becoming discouraged. Any suggestions??

Hi ready_to_start, I was banded 6/3/09 and had to choose between the lap band and the realize band. My doctor does surgery out of two hospitals but only one of them does the realize but both do the lap band. I chose the realize band after a lot of research. Here are the reasons why I chose what I did.

1.) Realize has a larger port pad and is smaller in height from the lap band.

2.) It had harder material around the port so if the nurse/dr misses the port during a fill, they will know it. The needle will not go in.

3.) With the lap band, the material around the port is made of a soft material and if that get pricked with the needle during a fill, it will seem as though the fluid is going in ok but, it will leave a pin hole in the tube causing a leak which in turn means more surgery to replace the port and tubing that connects to the rest of the band. I don't like haveing more surgery than needed. That's why I went realize and not lap band. Remember, you have to live everyday with your choice. Is that not waiting an additional two weeks to get what you feel is right for you? Think about it. Keep me posted.

I had my realize band put in last August. I weighed 226 the day of surgery. over the next 4 1/2 months, i lost down to 195. january i maintained, then i started gaining and am back up to 220 and very discouraged. also during this spring,i had trouble with kidney stones and my gallbladder had to come out. I don't feel any restricions. I think I have 3.5cc.I have no restricion and am no losing weight. any feedback/advise would be great. Dr. prickett in Columbia did my surgery but i onl saw him for the first fill. someone else in his office did the other two. I am becoming discouraged. Any suggestions??

Butterfly - you probably need a fill. My first fill was in January, 3cc - then 2nd was 2cc, third was 1cc, and .5cc last month. That leaves me with 6.5cc in my band, and I have very good restriction with that. I have heard from others who have needed 8cc or more before reaching a good level of restriction. Everyone is different and has different needs for the band to work properly. Give your doctor's office a call and schedule an appointment - try making it with the doctor to discuss your situation and set up a fill schedule if that is what he determines you need.

Meanwhile - try going with a high protein, low carb diet. Protein helps to keep you full longer, add in low carb vegies and fruits, and stay away from "white" carbs such as potatoes, rice, pasta, and white breads. Watch your portions and try to keep your intake to 1 to 1 1/2 cup per meal. With good restriction you should be able to stay around 3/4 to 1 cup, but you are not there right now. Try to eat like you are there or as close as possible. The band is providing some restriction, even if the saline level is not right yet, so eat very slowly and be aware of your full feeling so you can stop eating at that point. The South Beach Diet is a good one to work with because it is high protein and low carb.

It's most important to talk to your doctor and request a fill schedule so you can make the best use of your band. It is a tool, and it won't work well unless it is maintained.

GOOD LUCK!

It is interesting to me that some people get to pick. My Dr. uses both Lap and Realize bands.. they bring them all into the operating room and than pick the one that's the best shape and size for your stomach once they are in there and get to see it.

Seemed like the best way to decide to me!

I think there are some minor differences in the two brands, but I liked the Realize band because it was a little bigger as far as the cc's go, and I liked the website support...I just got banded on Monday and I am doing pretty good so far... :wink2:

Well, since I have the Realize band and my daughter has the Lap-Band, I can say, in the end, I don't know that there's any difference. Mine is 1 cc bigger than hers. So that just makes a difference in the amount of fill it takes to get to restriction, and even that is dependent on the individual. I will say the only difference esthetically is that I can see where my port is. It kind of sticks out at that spot, but that may also be due to my surgeon had only done five bands at that time and my daughter's surgeon had done 4k. If I was 25 and still wearing two-piece bathing suits, it might be a concern but at 58, it's not a problem. I can't see hers at all. I can even barely feel it.

Trisha