Knowing that some people had to weight a while for their first fill but still lost weight, I am wondering if anyone has decided to forego fills altogehter.

To decide to forego fills would be stupid as they are what makes the band work. It would be like buying a power tool and trying to use it without plugging it into the power.

Fills are an integral part of the process. They are quick easy and painless or they should be with an experienced Dr. I would say that if you are looking at being banded and you do not want to go for regular fills to finetune your instrument then you are looking at the wrong weight loss procedure. You may find that a sleeve or a bypass will suit you better.

Believe it or not, there was a Bander on here when I was first banded who swore the doctor filled her up when he put the Band in and she had NEVER had a fill! (Didn't even seem to know what they were) :crying:

A few weeks after I had questioned her about it, I found that she had posted under "fills" that she had just had her first! :cursing:

You know, so say you get approved immediately and don't study about the Band and how it works (and if your surgeon assumes you already know everything), it IS possible for some people to walking around with a Band in, not knowing why they aren't losing! :wink: (Sometimes I will admit that I don't look forward to all the poking around--my port is turned upward just a bit--and I think "What if I don't get any more fills?!")

I have a friend who lost 90+ pounds with only one fill. I think it can be done. I can't tolerate large amounts in my band at all - I think it's all based on your invididual body. I am short (so was she) and I think we are just more compressed internally. LOL My surgeon jokes with me about that all of the time. I wouldn't rule anything out.

Carol

I'm almost 1 year out and did not get my first fill untill about 8 months in. I still have good restriction and I currently have no plans on getting a fill. I can eat all foods but smaller amounts. There's no rules to when you get your first fill... Or how many you need. My surgeon said don't try to fix what's not broke.. I have lost over 100 lbs!

On a personal note, I have only had 3 fills in 10 mos. My friend who was banded 2 weeks after me will be getting her 6th or 7th.

I think it depends on the person. I have refused fills (with DR's approval of course) because I was losing fine. Slowly maybe for some folks, but I get stuck quite often as it is and didn't want an unfill.

I am in competion with no one.

Listen to your body, if usually tells you when and IF you need a fill.

This is a journey, not a race.

I have only had 3 fills in 10 mos.

Something else to remember is it is not the number of fills but the total quantity of saline that counts.

You don't say how much fill you have in total. It may be a small amount or it could be a comparitively large quantity.

I have had far more than 3 - probably closer to 8 but am only at a total of approx 3ml in a 10ml band. It is all about finding the correct level of fill for the individual.

Some people that have no fills may in fact have been prefilled at the time of surgery. Some surgeons do this whilst others prefer not to as for many people it causes problems.

It is very rare to lose with no saline in the band at all.If it happens it should be looked upon as an unexpected bonus. No one should plan on getting a band and not going for fills as if they are not committed to the entire process they are setting themselves up for failure.

And a fill should not be feared. Mine are always done without fluoro and the Dr always gets the port first time. Quick, easy and certainly not painful.

Hi elcee,

I don't know how much saline is in my band. DR's policy is not to tell. He says he has found that people obsess about how many ml are in band and feel that if they only get to a certain number they will be successful. He "puts in" what's needed at the time for each individual patient. He does say he is very conservative with fills and only puts in a small amount. My friend who goes to my DR says she has no restriction and as I stated is on her 7th or 8th fill. It's a highly individualized process.

I have also never eaten a piece of pizza, slice of bread, dish of pasta or any kind of chips, cake etc. in the 10 mos since banding. I think that not trying to eat food I shouldn't or over-eating has also helped me. Why muck a good thing, I say!

I am not adverse to getting fills when I need them, that would be foolish and a waste of having been banded. I think that the band has helped me tremendously. I also credit myself for not eating crap that I shouldn't and not whining about being able to eat 2 slices of pizza afterwards. I shouldn't have tried to eat the 2 slices of pizza to begin with, it is counter productive to losing weight.

People need to take ownership of their choices and stop blaming the band for not losing weight.

Everyone's sweet spot is different, and as you know that fluctuates as we lose the fat around our middle and require more fills.

I do agree that how one can lose without any fill at all is also a mystery to me. But what do I know, I guess it happens.

Samantha

I think everyone reacts differently depending upon anatomy, etc. I didn't feel restriction until my 5th fill!! But everyone is different :w00t:

I think everyone reacts differently depending upon anatomy, etc. I didn't feel restriction until my 5th fill!! But everyone is different :w00t:

Congratulations Karry.....from 280 to 140...you must feel like a million bucks!

My dietician is wonderful, and has a 80 20 rule... 80 percent of the time eat what you are suppose to, and 20 percent of the time give yourself a break! I am three weeks out and have lost 28 pouns. Almost a third of the way to my goal! I am loving this band! Best choice I have ever made for myself.

Katie

My Doc put a small amount of saline in at the time of banding. I am 3 weeks out and am not hungry. I had a visit this week and he said I may never need more but if I get hungry not to hesitate and come in for a fill immediately. Everyone is different. I am very short and used to be petite. I hope to be petite in the future!

Something else to remember is it is not the number of fills but the total quantity of saline that counts.

You don't say how much fill you have in total. It may be a small amount or it could be a comparitively large quantity.

I have had far more than 3 - probably closer to 8 but am only at a total of approx 3ml in a 10ml band. It is all about finding the correct level of fill for the individual.

Some people that have no fills may in fact have been prefilled at the time of surgery. Some surgeons do this whilst others prefer not to as for many people it causes problems.

It is very rare to lose with no saline in the band at all.If it happens it should be looked upon as an unexpected bonus. No one should plan on getting a band and not going for fills as if they are not committed to the entire process they are setting themselves up for failure.

And a fill should not be feared. Mine are always done without fluoro and the Dr always gets the port first time. Quick, easy and certainly not painful.

I am six months in and just had my first fill last week. It wasn't pre-filled because the doctor stated that and said he was suprised at how much I have lost without it being filled. I have lost 58 pounds so far. I was still losing weight each month, but it had slowed down a bit and I noticed I was hungry a lot and had to eat more to be full so I asked for a fill. Mine was a little painful. I had some complications during my surgery and my surgeon said that mine is kind of hard to fill because it is in deeper than most.

Before my fill I was able to eat anything without it feeling stuck. So far, I am not able to eat any bread without it feeling like it is getting stuck even if it is small and I eat really slow and even a very little. I hope this goes away or I will ask that some of the saline be taken out. I almost didn't get the fill because I was worried about this getting stuck issue because I hate it because I feel like I am going to choke or throw up and I hate both. So I can see how some people struggle with it.

I agree with elcee. When deciding to be banded ... commit to the whole process. It may turn out that you don't need to have fills as others have said here...it is an indivdual reaction as to what fill level your body will respond to. So far I am one of the few that have not required a fill, but one never knows, as my surgeon has told me, if I should start to experience hunger or I plateau for 1-2 months, then we will consider a fill, until then I will remain fill free. He stated that he does not add Fluid in at the time of surgery.

For those concerned about receiving a fill I strongly encourage you to speak to others who have had fills, question your doctor's team or the doctor him/herself to find out what the experience is like or will be...ask about potential complecations.

I am a big proponent of knowledge and I made sure that my surgeon and his team were/are aware of my expectations of being told everything that is going on with my band process. It is my body, my mind and I will make informed decisions with my healthcare team together.

We all are different from our physiological make up, how we prepare ourselves for this process, to how we interact with our healthcare team and there is no one way that is better or more right than the other. What matters IMHO is that we do what is right for us and that we maintain our comfort level with our healthcare providers.