questions

i am looking into having the lap band done in Mexico,how long of a wait list is there?I live in Lethdridge who does the fills,i saw a docter in Calgary a few years back and can not remember his name,i also think there is one in medicine hat.Are the cost of the fills covered by Alberta health care,if they are not how much are they and how often do you have to get a fill? i read about everyone losing so much weight ,have you heared anything about the lapband not working?What can you eat the first couple of weeks? Does the band ever slip off or does the access port ever leak? ON average how much weight does a person loose at first,does the weight loss slow down after awhile,can you feel the access port,how long does it take when you get your fill,does it hurt when you get a fill?I need some feed back. THANK YOU

Hi Tracie, I had my lapband done in Tijuana Mexico last July for $8000 by Dr Pedro Kuri who has done thousands of bands - it's all he does. He was a very kind and caring gentleman and the hospital was clean, calm, quieter than any I've been to here. There is a bit of a language problem with the nurses but we managed fine. There's really no waiting list. My weight loss has been slow - my fault not the bands- but steady. I've lost around 45 pounds, about half what I want to lose, but I'm not good at the exercise part. I just eat a whole lot less than I used to, and no bread, pasta, rice etc, and it's a lot easier when you aren't hungry all the time. I really feel like I will get to my goal and this time the weight will stay off. I LOVE MY BAND!! Some people have problems apparently, I've had none, and feel great. The fills are not covered, Dr Mitchel does mine for $125, but I've only needed 2 so far. No it doesn't hurt to get a fill. I hope I've answered some of your questions. Good luck on your journey. Betty

Hi, I'm Ani... I'm going to Puerto Vallarta for my surgery...I am having the sleeve, have you checked that surgery out? You might want to consider it before going through with the band. You can go to the forum and get a ton of information. There is a doc in Calgary that does fills...I am not sure what he charges, probably between $200-300 per fill...no, it is not covered. The cost for my surgery is $10,000...that includes airfare, ground transportation to hotel and hospital, a 5*hotel, and all medical charges. My doctors name is Dr Joya...google him, or put him in OH search engine. He does the band, RNY and the sleeve.

Hi Tracie I had lapband done 4 years ago in Tijuana, Mexico, with Dr. Lopez Corvala. He is the director of the Surgeon Training Center of Mexico and has many years of experience with all kinds of bariatric surgery. I do fills here in Saskatoon and I charge $75 per fill. There is a Dr. in Calgary who does them for $125 but I've heard his bedside manner isn't great! There is someone in Medicine Hat as well but I don't know who that is. I don't know if your fills are covered by Alberta Health, but your surgery and your fills are tax deductible as a medical expense. The first week post-op you are on clear fluids and then graduate to other fluids. After 5-7 days you move on to soft solids and then to other solids. The amount of weight loss varies from one person to another, depending on BMI and compliance to the program. You should not drink liquids with your meals and you should stay with low calorie, low fat and low sugar foods. You should not eat between meals. The lapband is a tool to help you lose weight but it does not work by itself. You do have to be committed to it and work WITH it and not try to "cheat" it. The fills are done usually 4 -6 weeks post op for the first one. This also varies from person to person as to how many fills you will need. The fills are usually not painful as it is just putting a needle into the skin to get to the port. Much like a blood test poke in the skin. There have been incidences of band slippage but since the new and improved way of stitching it in place there has been less of that happening. You can get more information at www.surgicalbariatric.com. or call me at 306-373-1879. Lorna King R.N.