Question:
which band?

i finally got a surgery date for 12-9-08 expecting to get the lap-band. today, the nurse asked me which band that i wanted, the lap or realize. up until recently they only did the lap-band. so confused!    — cbrooks925 (posted on November 19, 2008)

November 19, 2008
Hi I have the realize band the only different is that realize has a website and you can post your progress and your Dr. can view it.
   — JANIECEMOM

November 19, 2008
My doctor told me the difference is that the Realize Band comes in one size and the Lap Band has two sizes. I chose the Realize Band, but ultimately it was his decision when the doctor got in there and saw what he was working with.
   — Linda J.

November 20, 2008
i had gastric bypass 3 months ago, but at our consultation, we looked at the Realize band. this site might help you i googled it for ya http://www.wlshelp.com/lap-band-vs-realize-band.html or go to realizeband.com and it tells you comparisons! good luck Donna
   — Donna H.

November 21, 2008
I am 6 weeks out on the Realize Band. There is not a whole lot of difference in the two bands. I did a lot of research prior to my decision. There are a few differences, though. 1) The Realize Band is more pliable. 2) The balloon on the Realize Band goes all the way around the band, unlike the Lap Band that only goes about 3/4 the way around. 3) The port of the Realize Band is larger with the metal portion being wider than the Lap Band. This is to help prevent the fills piercing the tubing to the band itself, causing the doctor to have to go in and "patch" the tubing so the balloon will not deflate. 4) The Realize Band has a wonderful website to track all of your progress and your doctor, nutritionist, and hospital support team are able to access this as well for each of their patients. On the website, whether you choose to update daily, weekly, or whenever (I update daily), you can track the following: a) Track your Progress (includes stats, goals, band fills, progression photo-you add them to your profile, and the new you. b) Track your Personal Plan (includes reminders, appointments, nutrition plan, temptations, success strategies, and support team. c) Track your nutrition by recording your daily food, vitamin, and fluid intake. There are hundreds of recipes (which I printed off and made recipe book from) and there are thousands of food items with nutrition facts already in the database or you can add your own food items and recipes to track your calories, fat, sodium, carbs, protein, and etc. d) Track you fitness by recording your daily workout diary and developing your own workout plan. Once again, the database is full of different ways to get in daily exercise and how many calories you burn (walking, running, cleaning house, etc) There is a help section and the Realize Band customer service reps are very helpful. I have had to contact them twice now and they were able to help me with my questions. If you can not already tell, I truly love having my new tool. In six weeks, I have lost 21.5 pounds, which is just where I should be with approximately 8-10 pounds loss in a month. I do not want to loose too quickly so that my skin has a chance to regain elasticity and hopefully alleviation the "saggy skin" syndrome.
   — Teresa J.