i am very confidant in going to Tijunia mexico for my surgury. I have had wonderful help from medical tourism. they provided me with a fasillitator the very same day. She answeres my emails almost immediently and has phoned me 3 times. I also have her 1-800 number, and her cell number. The company sent me a ipodcast ( i think thats what it's called) discribing what there services are, this was very informative. as well i have seen a video made of the hospital angeles in Tijunia, It's huge with every kind of medecine practiced there.

I am satisfird with this dissission except for one question! If I need to be dealt with emergency wise, Say, Slippage, or something needing surgury again. Will there be a Canadian Doctor willing to remove the band or fix it?

I guess my question is directed to anyone who has gone out of canada to get banded, What were you told about this?

thanks for any info.

Tammy:confused:

wherever you live, you must ask your GP. Every province is different and not every doctor will take on another surgeons patients especially corrective surgery. Emergency is another matter, but once you go to an ER, some medical professionals want to either defill completely or remove the band completely. You must check with your locals and who better to ask is your GP or the person doing fills. You could ask the Mexican surgeon who he has to represent his clinic in your area. Just some ideas.

I asked my GP before I went down to Mexico. I asked her these questions and she told me that I CANNOT be denied any medical attention period...IF ANYTHING goes funk then I was to see her ASAP! Once you are back in the province you are their responsibility if anything goes wrong KWIM. Fills and such are obviously a different story.

re slippage, only an experienced and surgeon can correct that. Again, I urge you to talk to your GP and make enquiries as to a qualified surgeon in your area taking on your case. Better to be sure now than sorry later.

sphyxmomma. You indicated after the band the medical profession is responsible for us and have to treat us. Please go to the canadianlapbanders.com site and read the posting of someone who went to the Ont hospital and sat there for 5 hours. They would do nothing. Then had to go home and try to contact her surgeon for help. Also, a GP is not obligated to help you if you are not their patient. In fact, GPs "fire patients", which shocked me when I saw it on TV a few weeks ago. I am all for people going to Mexico and getting the band. In my view anyway they can get the band the better. But they had better go with all the information they can gather.

Doddie, I did read that thread, I am stating the conversation me and my GP had. Although she did not agree that I needed the surgery she also stated that she would stand my by decision and if anything went wrong I was to see her ASAP and would give me the proper care. No one can be denied medical attention in Canada. If it was a medical emergency she would have been admitted ASAP...do you agree??? Whether it be a pacemaker or a Lapband...someone knows how to fix it. Luckily the surgeons that do Lapband here in Alberta are all under the province, there are no private clinics here...yet!!......so that may be the difference!

And honestly I don't see it being any different form going to Mexico or going to Toronto (as long as you do your homework)....the end story is you are getting the band and whether you are in Alberta or PEI you still may face challenges because it's a relatively new procedure in Canada.. That lady had her band put in locally (I think) and shit still happened kwim.

It sucks when crummy stuff happens but I guess that comes with anything and we should be prepared for it!

sphyxmomma. You indicated after the band the medical profession is responsible for us and have to treat us. Please go to the canadianlapbanders.com site and read the posting of someone who went to the Ont hospital and sat there for 5 hours. They would do nothing. Then had to go home and try to contact her surgeon for help. Also, a GP is not obligated to help you if you are not their patient. In fact, GPs "fire patients", which shocked me when I saw it on TV a few weeks ago. I am all for people going to Mexico and getting the band. In my view anyway they can get the band the better. But they had better go with all the information they can gather.

Oh, I agree with you 100 Per cent. You have hit all my points on the head. That individual had a local surgeon after the ER hesitated in helping. Long distant patients don't have that luxory. I experienced the fear of not having a local surgeon to call as you can see by my Ticker. But TLBC referred me to Dr. Woodhead and now I have help if I should ever need it. Any long distance to travel for a potential bandster should be researched and backup planned and ensured. I am not trying to disuade anyone from going to Mexico or any long distant clinic.But I am hoping to point people into looking carefully at their aftercare before surgery, based on my experiences. Why should they experience what I did if I can help then not to. I wish you well in your journey and I hope you continue to be proud of your clinic and promote it with the caveat that you tell them to ensure backup.

Thank you Doddie....wishing you the best aswell!!!

Oh, I agree with you 100 Per cent. You have hit all my points on the head. That individual had a local surgeon after the ER hesitated in helping. Long distant patients don't have that luxory. I experienced the fear of not having a local surgeon to call as you can see by my Ticker. But TLBC referred me to Dr. Woodhead and now I have help if I should ever need it. Any long distance to travel for a potential bandster should be researched and backup planned and ensured. I am not trying to disuade anyone from going to Mexico or any long distant clinic.But I am hoping to point people into looking carefully at their aftercare before surgery, based on my experiences. Why should they experience what I did if I can help then not to. I wish you well in your journey and I hope you continue to be proud of your clinic and promote it with the caveat that you tell them to ensure backup.

All I can say is please line up your fill Doctor before doing anything, but I tend to agree with Doddie on this.

Make sure you have a fill doc lined up and you know the cost! I can't find a fill doc in Ont. I was told that Dr Cristou in Montreal would do them for $100 consult and then another$100 for the fill but after 6 wks of correspondence, sending op reports & x-rays by mail, they finally called me with an appt and all of a sudden the price went up to $650. Do your homework!!! I'm going back to Mexico for a fill...it's cheaper to fly down

The only thing any Canadian Doctor(non-banding doctor) will do whether banded in Canada or not is remove the band. They will not reposition a slip and you even have to fight like hell to get a defill at the ER no matter how much pain you are in or how little you can drink. They will put you on an IV until you are no longer dehydrated and give you pain meds and tell you to go see your banding surgeon. There will be a private clinic in Alberta in a few months and the head surgeon will be one of the ones that is doing it under the provincial plan right now. He will be working for the private clinic though and no longer the govenment plan so not sure if he would see anyone but his own patients. I always have a plan of action to get back to my original banding surgeon ASAP in case I need anything that anyone local cannot or will not do for me. Just be prepared and that goes for everyone no matter where you live or where you have been banded. Our country has a long way to go to even know what a damn lap-band is let alone how to help us when in trouble with one.

hi canucks;

I'm being banded 23rd july. heard that there is a dr woodhead in ladner or a chinese dr in surrey (can't remember name) that may or may not do fills from other surgeons. There is a dr in victoria as well

who is receptive to filling other surgeons patience

vanmag

Hi Vanman: I guess you missed my new link about Dr.Woodhead. He is no longer doing patients from Mexico or from any other banding clinic. I saw him yesterday and asked him outright and he replied no that his practice was just too busy. He was going to maintain his support to patients he already has, but he will not be taking on any more.

The only fill nurses, with the exception of local GPs who do fills for their patients, are down in Bellingham or having to fly to Calgary.

Doddie63;

Thanks for your answer. Thats to bad about Dr. Woodhead. As far as others in Bellingham, Calgary or Victoria any names are appreciated. Have I missed a thread on this subject.

Thanks Again Vanmag

Doctor, Mitchell

Phone: 403 264-6720

Notes:

Fill Doctor in Calagary

He may have moved as this is old information given to me by TLBC. Also, I believe there are two fill nurses in Bellingham Washington State. If you do a search on the internet you should find them as they advertise. As well maybe somone will read this and forward the information. I will search as well to get the link.

Doddie63;

Thanks for your answer. Thats to bad about Dr. Woodhead. As far as others in Bellingham, Calgary or Victoria any names are appreciated. Have I missed a thread on this subject.

Thanks Again Vanmag

Thanks Doddie63..thank you have been so helpful on everytning.

You are building up a lot of karma points. I foud to nurses who seem

well set uo in Auburn Wash...called northwestfillcenter.co alittle farther but with in reasons.

Vanman