Fill needed?

November 20, 2003

Hello all-

I am 3 1/2 weeks post op and feel pretty good about the weight I have lost (30lbs.). Is there anything that says we have to have a fill at the six week post-op? I am finally able to eat a few more things other than Soup (but still only 1/4 of what I used to eat), and I'm afraid that a fill might restrict me to just Soups again. Has anyone out there passed on their first fill? Thanks.

Dan

alicia · November 20, 2003

Dan, I wasn't offered a 6-week post op fill. Mine came 10 weeks post op....second fill 5 weeks after 1st. It depends on the individual and their docs. Wish my first fill had been about 3 weeks sooner, though, but because of docs schedule I had to wait. He only does them once a month.

shellyj · November 20, 2003

you sound like you are pretty tight right now. at 3 1/2 weeks you may stilll have some swelling which could be causing the restriction. you may just be a lucky one who doesnt need a fill till you lose some more weight! (lucky thing) i am at 3 months out and just now reaching proper restriction!

you definitaly dont have to have a fill some people wait months...as long as they are losing why get more restriction! as you finish healing and get back to your normal eating habits youll be able to tell if need a fill or if you can work it with the restriction from the band alone!

quakergirl · November 21, 2003

Don't get a fill unless/until you are eating so much food that you haven't lost any weight for several weeks straight.

Any doctor that insists that you need a fill based on a certain time schedule rather than how you feel and how you're losing weight is not a good band doctor, if you ask me.

If in doubt, I feel that it's better to err on the side of keeping your band too loose than to risk making it too tight. A too-loose band just means your weight loss might slow down for a while. A too-tight band can make it so you can't keep any food down, and that's obviously not a good thing at all.

Here's a list of things to consider in determining if you need a fill or not: http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm