So I am new here, and am reading everything!! I know this decision is right for me, so now I just want tons of info....

How is the band chosen that will be placed? I see different sizes and namebrands. Is it the dr. preference, are we the patient suppose to choose? Does it matter on what size we are pre-op which size is put in?

Thanks!

My doctor said "I use the lap band because it's been in the USA longest and it's what I'm familiar with. If that doesn't work for you, let me know". It worked for me.

I had my banding done at a military base in Dayton and the doctor used the Allergan Band, size 10cc. Had it done on Jan. 16th and love the results have lost a little over 30lbs so far. He is taking it slow with the fillings, 1/2cc at a time!

You have the Realize band (made by Johnson & Johnson) which has been on the market for about 3-4 years. And, you have the brand name Lap Band made by Allergan/Inamed which was the first one. The present iteration (10cc/14cc) has been in use for about 7 years. They work the same. Unless people are told by their surgeon what brand they have I'm betting they have no way of figuring it out. Most surgeons have a preference; mine uses the Lap Band band. I've never heard of a patient being asked what they thought would work best for them on anything....I mean, on what would you base your decision about a prosthetic leg? A pacemaker? An ICD (in-chest defibrillator)? Or, a lap band? We're not medically trained. The size band, etc. are decisions I WANT my doctor to make for me. After all, his experience and knowledge about what works best is what I'm paying for.

Some doc's will do either Realize or the Allergan brands, many only use one type. The Allergan has two current sizes, 10cc or 14cc, the realize has one current size. I believe size used is the doc's decision during the operation depending what size is right for you.

The new Realize is very similar to the Allergan and some feel there is no real (functional) difference, some have a slight preference to one over the other.

There are older versions of each, one that only holds 4cc. I believe the new ones seem to have fewer problems statistically. Is worth it to make sure you get one of the newer versions (imo).

I have a 14 cc Allergan. Good luck.

Edited April 19, 200917 yr by inri09

I believe the old 4cc bands dropped from use completely and are not even being manufactured for more than a year now.

My surgeon gave me the option of the LapBand or Realize. He explained the differences and stated his preference was for the Realize band for me but he left the decision up to me and what I felt comfortable with. I chose the Realize band based on his recommendation. The main differences between the two are the port size (Realize ports are smaller/slimmer), the construction of the port (Realize port is hard plastic which my surgeon explained would not allow punctures and leaks if they missed with the needle during a fill) and how the port attaches to your abdominal wall (Realize ports don't need sutures which can break -- they "Clamp" on to your ab muscle). Realize also has the website tracker that the surgeon can utilize to monitor your progress and identify problems quicker. I'm happy with my choice but I don't think you can go wrong either way.