OCC using Realize C band now

[jezebelanne]

I am being banded July 31st by Dr. Ortiz and I spoke with him today about the types of bands he is currently using. I had researched the Allergen band and thought that was the direction I was going, however, after speaking with him, I'm fairly certain I'm going to get the Realize C. He is currently using both Allergen and J & J bands. He uses the Allergan 9.75/10 (4cc), some VG (9cc), and Realize C (11cc). The majority of folks he is banding now are being put into the new product, the Realize C, made to compete with the LapBand AP. The AP hasn't been approved in Mexico as of yet. Since the Realize C band hasn't been out for too long in the states (FDA approved last year), there isn't much out there on it. It is 11cm w/ a 11cc capacity. It can be filled up to 15cc without bursting. The biggest difference is in the buckly and the width. Some folks believe the wider bands slip less, however slippage is directly related to overtightness. He said the first 6-8 weeks after surgery are the most crucial in preventing future slippage. Dr. Ortiz informed me that he is not loyal to any one company, but rather to his patients. I feel much better after speaking with him and he reminded me of why I chose him as my surgeon.

I would love to hear from folks who have the Realize C.

[abandster]

How does the Dr. determine the Realize C or the bands are the best? I asked to schedule a phone appointment today because I was wondering about the same questions you had.

I'm sure I'll have a similar conversation to yours.

[jezebelanne]

How does the Dr. determine the Realize C or the bands are the best? I asked to schedule a phone appointment today because I was wondering about the same questions you had.

I'm sure I'll have a similar conversation to yours.

Let me know what you find out.

[Red]

I was banded yesterday and asked Dr. Ortiz why he uses the J&J Realize band now. He said that in his discussions with Allergan they told him they were going to make the new AP band to compete with the Realize band. He advised them, as their biggest client, that they didn't need to do that because the original band was fine. They did it anyway and the AP isn't approved in Mexico. So he figured if Allergan was going to just copy the Realize band, he may as go with the real thing. He says the differences are minimal but did say the port on the Realize band is wider. There are also other differences but truly, I don't think it really matters which one you get. Just trust him as your surgeon to make that decision. No matter which one you get, they both work the same. One isn't better than the other.

I also told him there is a lot of chatter on this subject on the forum as well as the shoulder pain issue. I told him he hadn't posted any videos on You Tube lately so he said he would post a video regarding the types of bands and the shoulder pain as well. Hope that helps!

Red