PHILIPPINES

LOCAL LAP-BAND SUPPORT

(yay!)

Hey there!

I am Oscar Lopez and I have been reading posts in different forums here in lapbandtalk.com. I was looking for a local support forum for Filipinos who have been banded and those who intend to undergo the surgery, but to my dismay, I failed to see any. It's disappointing considering that we have the best health care professionals around and we have the best hospitals in Asia.

Well, here it is! Share your thoughts and tell us your story. For a starter, maybe you can post the following details (since these are the FAQs):

For Banded:

1. When did you undergo surgery?

2. Who was your doctor and where was it performed?

3. How much did it cost you and were you covered by insurance or you paid for it with your own money? If insurance, what was your insurance company and what process have you undergone to be able to claim the benefit.

4. Give your medical background before and after surgery.

5. Post any comments, suggestions or anything that you think is relevant to consider to help our fellow Filipinos.

For People Wanting to Get Banded:

1. What is your medical profile now?

2. Have you consulted with a bariatric surgeon to check if you're a candidate for lap-band?

3. What is your main motivation for considering lap-band?

4. Do you have any apprehensions about lap-band? Post your concerns or queries here.

I hope this forum can be a catalyst for open discussion among Pinoys! If you know of anyone who has undergone the operation, you might want them to share here. Invite, invite, invite! Tulungan na lang to! Ingat!

** If there are any Filipino surgeons around, you might want to ellucidate us on the ins and outs of lap-band surgery, the cost involved and the preparations for the surgery.

:wink: :wink: :w00t: :w00t:

Welcome Lizzie77! It's always good to see a fellow pinoy bandster here.

Regarding what to expect on your first month, I think donnapie explained it well on her last post. Just remember that you will be experiencing lots of changes, and you will definitely need to do some adjustment in your lifestyle. But remember that Change is Good, and it will always be for the better. You are on the right track, and we are so excited for you!!!

Do you mind if we ask where you are going to do your operation? And who is your lapband surgeon?

Hello All!

So it's been six weeks after my surgery and to date i lost about 40 lbs... However, i noticed that since i'm on regular food now, my intake has become bigger and my weight loss slower...

I'm a little worried although i know i shouldn't be since my doctor says that this is just normal... Compared to when i just finished the surgery it takes longer for me to get full and my doctor said it's time for some adjustments...

We have not set a date yet but since my first filling is coming up, i just want to ask what to expect? Any side effects? Will i be suffering from nausea, chest, back and arm pain again after it's done? What about the dryness of the throat and the seemingly eternal lump? I just want to ask so i can condition myself and prepare mentally when i have it....

Also, i want to ask how much a normal filling cost? I would really appreciate a figure so i can set aside a fund already this coming payday for it... Thanks everyone and looking forward to your reply...

Finally!!!! hello guys, i've been looking for a forum like this for almost 5 months already...nice to see fellow bandster here!!!

For Banded:

1. When did you undergo surgery?

july 28, 2010

2. Who was your doctor and where was it performed?

Dr. Miguel Mendoza at Asian Hospital, Alabang

3. How much did it cost you and were you covered by insurance or you paid for it with your own money? If insurance, what was your insurance company and what process have you undergone to be able to claim the benefit.

paid with my own pocket, insurance won't even pay for pre test and check ups...i have HMI for insurance.

4. Give your medical background before and after surgery.

I weighed 303lbs. before surgery, I'm now down to 253lbs ( 50 pounds so far )... as of november 24, 2010.

5. Post any comments, suggestions or anything that you think is relevant to consider to help our fellow Filipinos.

i wish to learn from you guys and meet new friends...and eventually learn from my journey as well!!! =)

hi guys. i'm carl and i'm glad i saw this group. reading your testimonies helped me a lot.

For Banded:

1. When did you undergo surgery? 10 January 2011

2. Who was your doctor and where was it performed? Dr. Ferdinand Samonte, DLS

3. How much did it cost you and were you covered by insurance or you paid for it with your own money? If insurance, what was your insurance company and what process have you undergone to be able to claim the benefit. I don't know, my mom paid for it.

4. Give your medical background before and after surgery. It was my first experience to go under the knife because I am diabetic. I, so far, lost 10 kg from 110 to 100.

hope i can take part in helping this support group, too. am really excited to lose weight.

hi guys. i'm carl and i'm glad i saw this group. reading your testimonies helped me a lot.

For Banded:

1. When did you undergo surgery? 10 January 2011

2. Who was your doctor and where was it performed? Dr. Ferdinand Samonte, DLS

3. How much did it cost you and were you covered by insurance or you paid for it with your own money? If insurance, what was your insurance company and what process have you undergone to be able to claim the benefit. I don't know, my mom paid for it.

4. Give your medical background before and after surgery. It was my first experience to go under the knife because I am diabetic. I, so far, lost 10 kg from 110 to 100.

hope i can take part in helping this support group, too. am really excited to lose weight.

hi carl im magic puff planing to be banded end of may or first wk of june also with Dr.Ferdinand Samonte at DLS im just curious how are you doing now its almost 4mo from your banding date if you dont mind .

Hello everybody,

I am Bom Chan, head of obesity solutions of the BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER (www.totalobesitysolutions.com) here in the Philippines. I made a similar post under "General Discussion" of lapbandtalk last February 28, 2011. You may wish to read about that topic (What everyone needs to know about the term"LAP-BAND") but I will be repeating a few of the things I have previously written.

Let's start from the beginning, the term "bariatrics" is derived from the Greek work "baros" which means "pressure". Bariatric surgery means "weight loss surgery" because obesity or excess weight puts a lot of pressure on an individual; pressure on his back, his knees, his health, and his self-esteem. There are different forms of bariatric surgeries but the gold-standard of bariatric surgery is the LAP-BAND surgery. On the other hand, the BIB System(BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon System) is a non-surgical (endoscopic gastroplasty or placing of an intragastric balloon in the stomach through the mouth) bariatric procedure.

LAP-BAND surgeries in the Philippines are presently being performed by 2 (TWO) bariatric surgeons in 3 (THREE) centers of excellence in Metro Manila, namely Dr. Edward Oliveros of 1.) St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City and 2.) St. Luke's Global City and Dr. Ferdinand Samonte of 3.) Delos Santos (DLS-STI) Medical Center in Quezon City. LAP-BAND surgeries are NOT performed in aesthetic centers in the Philippines as one may think from doing internet searches. LAP-BAND surgeries are also NOT being performed in Metro Luzon by other surgeons in other medical centers not listed above.

The term "LAP-BAND" and "LAGB" are proprietary and these are registered trademarks/intellectual properties of Allergan Incorporated of Santa Monica, California, USA. "LAGB" means "LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding" as opposed to other brands of adjustable gastric banding. "LAGB" does not mean "laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding."

I wish to stress the importance of terminolgies here because it is just too convenient to say "LAGB" is a better option than other invasive forms of bariatric surgeries, use the data of the LAP-BAND to support the claims of safety and effectiveness, and then use another brand of gastric banding because the surgeon "thought" that the term "LAGB" is used to describe a surgical procedure. FYI, the generic term for the surgical procedure is "Gastric Banding" not "LAGB".

When a patient decides to have a Lap-Band surgery, he should ask the surgeon the following things:

1.) Is the surgeon using a LAP-BAND manufactured by Allergan, Incorporated?

2.) Can the patient have a look at the box prior to surgery? The LAP-BAND comes in a box sealed in plastic and comes with the following markings on the box:

a.) ALLERGAN

b.) LAP-BAND AP System

Large

REF.: B-20265

or

LAP-BAND AP System

Small

REF.: B-20260

c.) SN (or the Serial Number)

3.) Can the patient keep the opened box AFTER the surgery. (This is pushing it a little bit, but who knows?)

When a person says that all bands are the same, that sounds to me very much like all watches tell the same time.

The LAP-BAND is the ONLY gastric banding that possesses all of the following:

a.) USFDA approved since 2001

b.) More than 600,000 procedures performed worldwide

c.) Supported by more than 1,600 scientific papers

Thanks for reading.

Warm regards,

Bom Chan

P.S. I wanted to post this topic under Philippine Lap-Band Support Group last night but I clicked on the wrong button that's why this post also appears in the Elsewhere Forum. My apologies.

Hello again,

I was wondering if you folks have visited the LAP-BAND AP SYSTEM paid ad under these pages that go "Visit theLAP-BAND AP System Resource Center"? If you haven't, please do because you would be surprized to find a lot of information on the Lap-Band AP and also LAP-BAND AP vs the competition.

Sometimes, and I suppose most of the time, it's better to know the truth. It's sad that here in the Philippines a lot of products that leave a lot to be desired hide under "Brand X" or in the case of gastric banding it's either "Brand S" or "Brand R" or "Brand M".

The Lap-Band System has gone mainstream in the Philippines. If you follow the website of the LAP-BAND AP Resource Center you would find out that candidate for Lap-Band surgery starts at BMI 30 with comorbidities.

The ballpark figure for a Lap-Band surgery in the Philippines is about PhP400,000.00 more or less depending on the length of surgery because cost of anaesthesia/anaesthesiologist may go up or down.

I have posted topics in the past and a forum member requested a thread lock. If I have inadvertently violated forum rules, I apologize for that. It's just that I believe that the Filipino patient and all patients deserve to know the truth and get all the information that may help them make a good decision.

That is exactly what we are here for.

Thanks and kind regards,

Bom Chan

Head of Obesity Solutions

BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER

LP06 MedicalPlaza Makati,

Amorsolo cor Dela Rosa Sts.,

Legaspi Village, Makati 1229,

PHILIPPINES

cell: 0917-LAP-BAND (527-2263)

email: bom@aemed.biz

website: www.totalobesitysolutions.com

hello guys! i know that it has been 4years since the last post but there is nowhere else to find this info,

do you guys know where i can get the gastric bypass surgery the cheapest? because i really want and need this

but i don't know i i can afford this. i hope someone replies.