I was banded on Sept. 8, 2009. I was wondering if anyone has an idea of about how many fills they had in the first 6 months to a year following their banding date??

I am close to my 6 month date and have had 2 fills.

It really depends on so many things. You can't really go by what others have had.

How much your doc puts in at each fill ......

How much of your own stomach tissue is inside the band .....

Thanks for your reply, I just was wondering what to expect as far as ongoing upkeep of the band. I am not sure yet about the sweet spot factor. I am not sure what to be looking for to achieve that status. I am sure it must depend on each individual.

Your sweet spot is where you can eat 3 tiny meals a day and not feel hungry between those meals .... and are dropping weight. You will hear many different things as far as how large the meals should be. My doc says 1/2 cup. I have heard others say 1 cup. That is where I think everyone is different. I think it depends on where on your stomach the band is located and how big your pouch ends up being. The meals at your sweet spot should consist of solid well chewed food.

I think I am a little bit tighter than my sweet spot at this point. There is no way I could ever eat an entire cup of solid food no matter how much I chew it. Sometimes, if the food is real solid, I can't even eat 1/2 cup. I am considering getting a tiny unfil to get to a better sweet spot. I fear my weight loss will stop.

I was told that they include some fat under the band. When you lose that fat the band will loosen up some.

I had a fill about every 4 weeks during the first 6 months. The amounts varied and the last thing i did was in September -- an unfill of .2cc which has me at 5.8cc.

In the first year I think I had 3 fills and one slight unfill, it might have been 4 fills and one slight unfill, not quite sure. Then I had one more fill about 3 months ago. I am nearing two years post-op.

My doctor likes to sneak up on the sweet spot. We were both surprised when I went over the top and got too full.

Now, every time I think of getting a fill, I have a stuck episode and decide I am OK where I am, and that if I want to lose the remaining weight, I am going to have to work at it a little harder.

Gee--I am like a lot of people, a few lbs overweight and needing to work at it!! :-)

But it really does come down to several factors. Your anatomy and discussion between you and your doctor. Some doctors are more aggressive than others. It also depends on the size of your band. Your personal preference will also enter into the equation. I'd rather have my band a little looser and be less likely to have major stuck episodes.

Denise

I was banded on May 19th... I have had 5 fills w/2 slight unfills because I was too tight.

I was banded on Sept. 8, 2009. I was wondering if anyone has an idea of about how many fills they had in the first 6 months to a year following their banding date??