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Anyone in Ireland?

Daisyhappy!

New Member
Hi everyone, I'm new around here and very seriously considering a gastric band-eeek!! I'm based in Dublin and have been searching places online, I've booked an appointment with the hospital group on the 30th but they are charging me 75euros for this when a lot of other places offer free consultation. I also found Cosmedico, the band is only €5000 with these but I'm not sure what aftercare is offered. It's all so confusing!! Can anyone offer me a point in the right direction?? I will be going private. Thanks and well DONE to you all, been creeping around reading your diaries :) x x
 
Hi there, I am not based in Ireland but due for band op tomorrow (omg) but with hospital group. Went to consultation and was supposed to pay 50 pounds. But once I git there they did not asked me for it bit even if they did it ll have been deducted of the total price of surgery. Plus if u get lucky like me I got 400 pounds of so came to a total of 5550 pounds. Hts
 
hi there, I am in N.Ireland but was fortunate enough to have surgery on nhs. U could try some of the clinics up here - might work out cheaper with the exchange rate from euro to sterling
 
Hi Daisy, I live in Dublin and had a Band done in June 2009 with THG. I flew to the Priory in Birmingham to have it done.When I first contacted THG they were very supportive and phoned me constantly until I agreed and paid for the band. The operation and hospital stay all went well. However once I left the hospital ( with no information as to what to do next ) THG never contacted me. I waited a week after I was home and had to phone them. They told me I had fallen under the radar and they had forgotten about me.Because I paid for 1 years aftercare I had my fills with them. Long story short I would never recommend them to anyone here in Ireland. They have no support group and trying to make appointments for fills to fit in with my job is a nightmare. They can never give an appointment for the dietician and nurse on the same day so it means taking time off work each time.I'm currently looking for somewhere else here to attend for fills and advice.They basically promise everything when they are trying to get your money , and then forget about you after.
Sorry if this offends but I wish someone from Dublin had warned me about them before I spent 10k on surgery with them.
I don't regret getting the band ,I have lost 60lbs ( very slowly). I struggle at times but am getting there slowly.
I hope thats helpful for you and good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I got a call back from Cosmedico earlier today but the op is do.e is Belgium, fills aren't included in the cost and they offer no aftercare whatsoever :( just the surgeon-in Belgium-'s phone number! So after that call I was dead set on THG, but then I saw your post so don't know what to do! The choices over here are so bad aren't they?? Well done on losing 60lbs that's amazing! If you hear of any other company over here I'd love to know. So far THG seem like my only option, Bah! X
 
No problem I would have loved some advice about THG before I spent all that money. I think they do the op In the Beacon Clinic in Dublin too. Don't have much info on it though , might be worth looking them up.

If I hear of anywhere else I'll let you know. We are really short of choice compared to the UK.I feel that's why THG are so bad they know they don't have much competition here. I have also read posts from people in the UK who were less than happy with them too.

I hope you find somewhere soon, its a life changing operation and well worth it.
 
Yeah I did hear about the beacon but when I looked online I couldn't find anything. I must give them a ring on Monday.
Can I ask you one question though if you don't mind, I'd really value your opinion!
If you were to do it all over again and with choice as bad as it is here, THG group being your only option without going abroad, would you still have the surgery?
I've been wondering this for a while and I'm not sure myself, I think personally being as desperate as I am at this stage, I probably would settle for less than the best if its the only option available to me :/
 
That's a hard one really. I'm glad I've had the band done, but I'm not going to lie to you its not easy with it. I'm really sorry I went with THG.To be honest most of the information I have gained over the past 2 years has been from all the lovely people on this site. Unfortunately some of it is not relevant as we live in Dublin.So for me the aftercare is as important as the operation itself. For instance I asked several times when on visits to THG for a support night to be arranged for all of us who had surgery. I got an invitation to a night in the office in Dublin. My husband and I both went in looking forward to meeting others who had the surgery. When we got there it was a night to promote THG and an open evening for people who were thinking of having surgery.There was nobody else who had surgery there. The Manager asked me if I would mind having a fill in front of all these strangers to show them how easy it was.I of course refused it was like I was a guinea pig for them. We left shortly after that.On my next visit I asked the nurse why there was no support night when that's what I was told there would be and she said they wanted to get more people interested in the surgery. Needless to say the support night has never happened.

Would you consider going up the North , check it out there might be more options.

At the moment I'm stuck and haven't lost much weight in months, ( I still have a lot to lose). I can't face going to THG and paying €180.00 for a fill and no support. I'm looking to see if there is somewhere else here I can get it done.

Its a really difficult time when you're trying to decide what to do, as I said before I would love to have someone warn me about THG before I spent all that money.

Let me know if you can find somewhere else here as I would be interested in looking for an aftercare package with them.
 
My band was via wls group.5950 which incl 3 yr aftercare. Upto now they've delivered on what they set out to. had my call from the nutrionist on a weekly basis since op, have checkup and fill appts scheduled, booklets galore and 24-7 contact no's where they answer your stupidest of queries...and the consultation is free!! pm if you want referral details xx

Sent from my iPhone using WLSurgery
 
Says they operate in ballykelly? I'm at Sheffield but clinics at Bradford, Glasgow, Manchester, London, Kent and Brussels!!

Sent from my iPhone using WLSurgery
 
I had a band fitted in 2007 with no aftercare package and I can honestly say that its been really difficult. Any weight I have lost has been through sheer will-power. I agree, that with a band, the aftercare is as important as the band itself. I found this site a month ago and now feel I'm getting wonderful support x
 
Thanks for all the replies, looking forward I did start to get a funny feeling about THG. I rang with questions about aftercare, on the website it says a lifetime after care gaurentee, but she said its only for six months and so are fills! She had told me the op would be done over here but then said no it'll be the UK, also I asked what would happen if my band slipped and she said that would be my own fault but because I'm a customer the price would be reduced to about 5k!
So it could end up costing me a bomb!
I've found a place that do sound great in parkwest called Aurialia (sp?) and its also 8k but includes 2 years after care, fills, nutritionist and a support group every 6-8 weeks. She also said any problems with band is fixed free of charge AND the consultation is free!
So fingers crossed!
 
Hi. sorry haven't been on for a few days. I would be interested to know about Aurialia too.I'm glad you are not considering THG , as I said they are useless.At the bottom of this site there is an add for Bons Secure Hospital in Dublin . It might be worth giving them a call.

I feel in particular with the band you need good support and aftercare.It is really hard to lose the weight unless you have really good will power.If we had such good will power in the first place we wouldn't need surgery, so we need the support afterwards to help.

Hope you get the answers you are looking for as this is not an easy journey, although well worth while.:jelous:
 
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