brianb

I suggest you do your homework before throwing out fiction based on opinion. OPINIONS Like.....we all have one
I was just stating a FACT that you can't get a 4cc band in the U.S. IF anyone was so inclined
But I'm curious about the 5% complication rate, if that is from the study from monash? and Dr. O'Brien, I've read it and it was done from 1994-2011 was that done with some of the 4cc bands?
The Facts are that bands didn't start in the U.S. so why Scare anyone in England, Australia, Mexico because they have a 4cc band. Years have passed and improvements have been made. surgical techniques perfected ( hopefully)
If anyone is interested in whether your U.S. Doctor was proctored by a Mexican Doctor let me know I can provide a link.

I had plastics in Monterrey, MX and lap band last week with Dr. Aceves in MX. I had PS here at home one time, and RNY several years ago here at home.
I still talk with my Mexican PS surgeon. He was caring and I had a daily personal nurse come to my hotel before I could go home. After my LB in MX I was motoring around with my IV pole the same day. The have different rules about anesthesia- for me it was MUCH better than surgery at home.
I will say I have a 4cc band, but I didn't argue. They had the AP and realize. 4cc have higher complication but better restriction sensation. Since mine is band over my bypass pouch, I figured higher pressure was better.
What do I know! But I know I have a band and port. Fluro to prove it. I can't imagine where people are getting gauze instead. I believe bad things happen everywhere.

I had my surgery in may of 2009. I went to dr kuri in Mexico. I am reading through all of this info about him using the 4cc band (the old one) I have had no problems with this band, but should I be worried even 4 yrs after surgery? It's kind of freaking me out now.

I used Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexicali and I'm extremely pleased with my surgery. I am only 10 days post op, but I had the most wonderful experience with Dr. Aceves and his entire staff. The hospital was emaculate, the hospital suite I stayed in for the few days post op was very comfortable, and I was looked after by the Dr. and his team with the utmost care. I would recommend his practice to anyone looking for lapband at a great price.

The only doctor I would trust in Tijuana, Mexico is Dr. ariel Ortiz. Very famous, and the pioneer in Mexico. The lapband was first introduced in Europe and then was brought to Mexico by Dr. Ortiz. It was then brought to the US by Dr. lee Grossbard from Zephyrhills, Fl., my doctor!

So is it just me or is anyone else wondering why her doctor can't tell her what is in her band? My doctor logs ever cc in.
Your doctor should be able to look at your chart and add up all the in and deduct all the out (if any) and be able to tell you what you have in. Then pull out whats in the band and see if it matches what should be there. If it doesn't match... you may have a leak.
I know after my fills i felt full for weeks. Than as i lost it got looser. But that was just my experience..
Good luck

With my first band it took me 8.5cc in a 10cc band to get good restriction. Like you, I didn't even feel it until I got to about 7cc. Like you, I'd feel it for a few days then the swelling from the fill would settle and it would disappear.
All it means is you're not yet at your green zone. Get more fills.
Now to add to what Missy said, when I'm in the green zone, I actually FEEL like I can't eat anymore once I've eaten a little bit of food. I'm right now sitting in front of a plate of food and I've had 3 bites and feel no desire to eat anymore because I feel like I can't take another bite. That's what you're striving for when getting the right restriction, imo. Satiety. Satisfaction. But you can push past that feeling and keep going if you really wanted to, risking stretching your pouch and over-eating. That's where your band stops and where YOU kick in, to ensure you keep to band-sized meals. But with the right restriction, you shouldn't be hungry for a long while even after eating that little.

Everyone's journey to sufficient restriction is different - mine was 5 fills. Until you reach that spot its' pure will power and determination that drives the bus. Even after restriction it takes an extraordinary amount of determination to stay on track. Do not allow yourself to eat a big plate of food! Eat a small amount and walk away. I gave up eating "meals." Instead, I literally eat all day long - just small amounts. Effectively, I've become a "grazer" which has its pros and cons dependent on your lifestyle and schedule. Evenly spreading your calories out rather than clumping them together is superior for your metabolism, bodily chemical balances, etc. Be patient, determined, energetic, and you'll be in the driver's seat soon.
Brad

This is your opinion and I doubt it is a medical opinion. WLS is an individual decision. What you are doing is the same as the rest of society.... judging others based on your own insecurities. If anyone wants WLS, anyone can get it. It's not just for certain people. If it helps a person, than it is worth it.

If you're going to snack, make it something healthy......also you will find eating close to bedtime will result in some unwanted side effects.....
For myself, and some other people I know, it all comes down to the fact that since being banded, we lost weight because we eat less than we used to....
I do not diet, count calories, etc.....been there done that......
In my case, because of the band, I eat about 1/3 of what I used to eat. (sometime less) ..and it is not something I have to struggle with or work at..it's just how the band works........so it is not so much what times of the day I eat, it is the fact that on a given 24hr period, I eat only 1/3 of what I used to....
then I exercise to work a lot of that off also.....
I am unable to eat anything solid early in the morning, and because of adverse side effects I am cautious not to eat close to bedtime time....
So yes, I can snack at anytime...IF I was hungry.........but add it all up and it does not make much difference....

So here is my question. I eat very healthy during the day, perfect portions and good choices. I exercise almost every day. I am losing weight, about 2 lbs a week (banded 3.27.13 and 23 lbs down) but I know I could do more if I didn't go crazy every night. I drink wine, make a pretty indulgent dinner (my new thing is to sauté a lean cuisine with olive oil and add maybe a lil meat) and literally I can eat like 5 Rice Krispie treats or Fiber 1 bars. How do I make myself stop if I am still losing weight slowly? Any advice? Thank you:)

I haven't had any issues, but I've heard of many people have. It's definitely not the right solution for every single person. Are you going to revise to the sleeve? Or just take it out and be done with the whole thing?

The hot tea afternoon break calms the afternoon hunger devil for me. I have a chai tea bag with a dash of nf steamed milk and sf hazelnut Syrup. I buy a red tea chai since it is Decaf.
But I think the question about you needing a fill is more spot on.

I am so sorry this happened to you. Did anyone tell you how in the heck the band could have migrated south to your bowel? I hope all goes well with your surgery and you can have a full recovery.

Just less of it? I have found myself eating the same types of meals as I used to "preband", just much less of it. I am maintaining my weight where I am happy, so I am not worried about that.
I was just wondering if there are any other banders out there that eat the same things as before the band, just a lot less.

I went in for a fill today. My last fill was in December, which had me at 8 cc's in my 14 cc band. I struggled through until this month... where I would gain... lose, gain, lose. And had pretty much just lost my way. I don't know what it is about doing the things that you know your supposed to be doing, that just seem to conveniently slip our minds, but I stopped and looked at the situation and realized that I had quit doing all the things the Dr. told me that would ensure good weight loss. Such as... take my vitamins... get my Protein, portion my food... and chew, chew, chew. And then I found myself strictly eating Soups and slider foods because I would bring back everything solid that I ate. Taking the easy way out. And then be discouraged and frankly outraged that I hadn't lost any weight, cause geesh all I ever eat is soooooouuuuup!!!! ha. Then your mind starts thinking there must be something wrong, Maybe you slipped your band, cause your bringing up everything you eat, But that's not the case. They did an xray of my band and its fine... but the liquid was shooting through it like greased lightening!! so... they gave me a .6 cc fill and I can feel the difference of course since its the first day, but I am hoping that this will help me get back on track. I waited and cried and fought to get some help for 20 years.. it would be sad if I did all that just to let the fat defeat me in the end. SO.. wish me luck, and any suggestions are appreciated. I really need to finally get below that 300 lbs mark!!!

I was amazed.... Painless and quick. Dr.Bass here in SW Florida is amazing.
Talked with the nutritionist and got great encoragement....
My appetite disappeared almost instantly...
I am feeling on top of the world.!!!

For me, personally, it always comes back around to the fact that I am a compulsive and emotional over-eater and a sugar addict.
I just had my band removed due to complications that I mostly caused. I had band surgery in 2008 and was very successful my first year losing 115 lbs. in 9 months, (I was 335 lbs to start). I also was very regimented and mostly cut out all simple carbs and followed the band rules to a tee. But, in year 2, I took my eye off the ball and allowed sugar back into my diet. I not only stopped losing weight, but I couldn't stop with just a taste or bite. Even so, I maintained my weight loss for another year or so. In years 3 and 4 I started pushing the limits of my pouch capacity and was pb'ing too often. That started a chain of unfills and fills due to "sudden restriction". I honestly did not realize how much I was overeating and pb'ing because I was in denial. I struggled with emotional eating due to some family stress. I had been doing therapy for over a year and even learning the Cognitive Behavior Therapy tools that would help me, I chose to eat instead.
Pretty soon the reflux that was cured by a HH repair when I was banded came back and got worse and worse over time. Then I realized that every bite would come back up slightly and then would go down every time I swallowed. You see, I blew out the junction between my esophagus and pouch so there was nothing keeping bile (or food) down. My motility was fine (thank goodness). Having the upward pressure of the band fighting the downward pressure of the esophagus didn't help my case, but my band was right where it was supposed to be and I take full responsibility for what happened.
I'm not writing this to freak anyone out or bash the band because truly, I loved my band. It helped me accomplish many goals that I had previously given up on. It's not easy for me, (a supposed "band super-star"), to come here and admit that I screwed up the one thing that gave me a chance at a healthy life. I'm doing it because I want you all to know:
Reflux is not normal.
Pb'ing is not normal and should only happen on the very rare occasion if at all.
Having your band too tight will defeat you in the end.
Not being able to eat solid foods, turning to slider foods instead is not alright.
Take care of your band and, pending any surgical errors or equipment failures, it will be good to you.
Best of luck to you on your journey!
Best,
Lisa O.

I had the liquid diet as well. It was pure hell!
The first week was horrible. I kind of adapted after that a bit. Ate tons of Jello (this was the only solid I was allowed) and drank gallons of crystal light. Also slept a lot to help pass time.
It's worth it though. You'll be glad when you wake up from surgery knowing you did everything you could do to make things a success.

That is too funny!!! Wow, talk about supportive. Sounds like a great guy!

Very normal reaction. It's saliva in your esophogus to help stuck food slide through easier. Too much flem/saliva and you can regurgitate it. If there is food in your esophogus, you may be able to bring some of it up. So, sliming and/or PB'ing is simply bringing up flem/saliva and stuck food. I would think that if this occurred too often, your esophogus might develop some distortion. Once in a while probably not.
tmf

Sliming happens when u r really stuck. Body produces it to help move food in or out. Usualy out. Almost like spitting up a jelly fish.

I told everyone about me having lap-band surgery. I did not have any bad remarks, to my face anyway. But now everyone has expectations of me dropping weight real fast like tomorrow. Now I am going to have to explain how the lap-band works I guess that could be a good thing it could mean more people are getting informed, but it also is going to be a pain in the butt. Now I'm wishing I would have waited to tell people till they started asking then they would not be sitting around waiting for results. Results that probably won't be to their expectations. Just something I did not consider when I started telling everyone. So just thought I'd share in case anybody is on the fence about their decision to tell or not to tell.
~~~Stephanie

YES...You need a fill!! The fact you are even discussing it proves you do. You are doing it purely out of will power, discipline, and counting calories as with any other diet.
One of the characteristics of the Green Zone is "Patient Satisfaction" and you are not there yet. Patient satisfaction will happen when everything "clicks", and you stop "Struggling" Listen to what other people say, and you will see how happy and excited they get and they want to tell everyone.
I get PM's from some people telling me how excited they are reaching that point. That's how happy they are!
You are not quite there yet. GET Aggressive!
When it happens, you won't be asking if you are but telling everyone you are.
Also, your Dr. will not give you a fill if your weight loss is good. If you're going to beg him, tell him how HARD it is to continue the way you are. Convince him it is your dieting and not the band, and you don't know how much longer you can hold out.
For me, it took 7 cc's.

Great post and good points. I had the same questions, but now I'm a firm believer that the band works. It only started working recently for me, but here is what I've learned from reading a ton like yourself and thinking things through.

There is a lot of conflicting info online about the band. I personally believe this is because the band requires work from the patient. Lot of people aren't willing to do the following and they are very important.

- Get fills until you hit the green zone
- Chew chew chew to avoid a block which leads to vomiting and then a slip
- Eat slowly and stop when full to avoid pouch dilation which will lead to erosion or a slip

That's not much to ask in my opinion, but some seem to find this too much for them. I don't know if it's maturity or maybe some people are just so dang hungry all the time that they can't slow down enough to eat slowly and chew. We are all built different and some might have such uncontrollable hunger that the band is just not going to work for them.

I certainly don't want to judge others as we can't possibly understand unless we walk in their shoes (and live in their body).

If these things sound like too much, then I wouldn't recommend the band until they don't sound like a big deal:
- eat slow
- chew chew chew
- go to the doctor up to 7 or 8 times for fills (usually not this many, but it can take that long)