BEWARE -out of province experience

BEWARE-out of province experience I am writing this just so that others can consider my experience before booking out-of-province (I can only speak for CANADA) lapband surgery. I am sure there are lots of positive happy stories out there. This is just my experience and if it helps one person, all the better. I had lapband surgery out-of-province in May/08 and am now regretting parts of that decision. I fully understand that I made the decision to go away for this. I researched my options to the best of my ability. There was a 5 year waiting list to have it done where I live and I chose to pay to have it done privately. Let me state that the surgeon was excellent, teh pre-op customer service was good. I had no complications and other than needing a fill I am doing great. My issue is with follow-up care and communiction with the clinic, which is CRUCIAL to the success of the band. Otherwise, it is just a (very expensive) piece of plastic you have inside you. If you are planning to have your surgery in another province, make sure you have really nailed down your follow up care BEFORE you go. I thought I had done this and (based on what the clinic where I had the surgery told me) was quite convinced the fills were extremely simple and that any family doctor would do it. My family doctor said she would agree to look at the info (which she only received after my operation) and has since judged that she is not qualified and does not feel comfortable doing the fills. Furthermore, she has spoken to several colleagues who have told her not to consider doing this: risks, not properly trained, insurance issues, complications etc. I have since spoken to two specialists who insist that the follow up care the clinic is talking about is not adequate. This is not the first time they have seen people come home and be left in the lurch. That is why surgeons here REFUSE to treat patients who have gone out of province for the Lapband. Bottom line: if you are going out of province, you are paying a fee that supposeldy covers you for a lifetime of follow up care. That is great if you can go whenever you need to. But realistically, unless you can afford $700 plane tickets and hotel rooms every couple of weeks, you are on your own when you get home. I wish I had known that. This is only my personal experience. I consider myself a reasonably smart person. I did my research, I begged and borrowed the money for this . And now I am using precious time and resources and feeling exceedingly stressed for something that should have been relatively simple. cm

Sorry this has been a bad experience for you. I'm not sure where you live, but have you tried the nurse in NS that does fills?

do you now how to reach the NS nurse who does fills? I am getting desparate. thanks christine

I think that there is mention of her on the NS message board and I first heard of her on the Yahoo group "Maritime Bariatric Group. I think she is from Turo, but I could be wrong.