Lap-Band and Diving Question

Hi all! I'm looking into having the lap-band procedure done but one of my largest questions is about diving post-op. I'm not entirely familiar with all the different surgical acronyms/procedures but this is the one where the stomach is wrapped in a band that can be adjusted with saline solution after surgery. I was at a seminar and asked the doctor about diving with the band full. He said it would be necessary to remove the saline before and replace after diving deeper than 30ft. Fills cost from $100-$250 so this would become rather expensive, especially for weekend trips and such. My question is, does anyone here have the band that I'm talking about and if so, what are your experiences with diving with it in regards to depth, fills, pressure, etc. I found this statement on doc-scuba.com "The adjustable band is saline (sal****er) filled, and thus is not affected by pressure changes." but I have no way to validate it since it is the exact opposite of what my would-be surgeon said. I would appreciate any input on this! Thanks a lot!

I have the lap-band and have had it since 4/2004. I have not been diving since being banded but, I know a few people who have and have had no problems. Also, my doctor is a diver as well and I asked him (after the fact) and he stated that there should be no problems. Again, if you are like me anything is possible. Good luck and if you have any other questions please ask. I love my band and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Deanna in Texas

I wrote INAMED and they said the same thing but it's great to hear it from some actual divers as well. Thanks for the reply!