I am getting banded August 12th by Dr. Weiner in Frankfurt Germany. He said that they only do one fill. They put you under an x-ray and they fill your band up all the way. They they have you drink some kind of liquid and they unfill until the liquid starts to pass through your stomach. Has any one else heard of this? It sounds like I will have good restriction on my first fill!

Not the way it's done for the majority of people I've heard about, but my question would be this...

What happens when you start losing weight, inside and out? Your internal fat will, eventually, fade away and make the band looser, even if it was tight in the beginning of your process. Can you get another fill then to adjust to your changing body??

This is ridiculous - ONE fill?

I've read about many US doctors who do fills by fluoro doing this for each of many fills, but the trouble is that just becuase the fluoro shows that Fluid is passing through, it makes no allowance for later swelling and extreme tightness - as in restriction appeared just right when the fill was done but by the time you get home you cant even swallow your own saliva. This risk of this is huge using this method.

You might get great restriction in one go, some people dont swell and this works for them. But as pointed out above, as you lose the fat around your stomach and as fluid naturally is lost from the band over a long time, you ARE going to need another fill in future.

Sneaking up on restriction is the only way to go. Small fills at a time AS you need them, trying to get it all in one go is not the way the band is designed to be used and I wouldnt go to a doctor who was trying to say that it is acceptable practice.

Edited July 22, 201016 yr by Jachut

I think it probably sounds like a good idea to someone who laks decent restriction but to anyone who has been too tight or had something stuck they would recognise the danger of this method, run away, don't look back!!

A new bandster hell would be created...one where every new bandit done with this method would have no idea what or how to eat and would probably spend most of their time struggling to get Fluid in. Learning curve....what learning curve...that would be being thrown in at the deep end.

Actually - if you think about it - how is it really any different? Those of us who have it done the "normal" way know that our first few fills don't tend to be a whole lot before you're restricted. As I've lost weight, I've had more agressive fills. So with that in mind........wouldn't filling it up all the way and then removing until the liquid passes amount to just about emptying the band? With that being said, it just seems like a waste of saline to me.....Plus - I have to pay for each of my fills and I really don't want to have a pay for a flouro each time!!!

Actually - if you think about it - how is it really any different? Those of us who have it done the "normal" way know that our first few fills don't tend to be a whole lot before you're restricted. As I've lost weight, I've had more agressive fills. So with that in mind........wouldn't filling it up all the way and then removing until the liquid passes amount to just about emptying the band? With that being said, it just seems like a waste of saline to me.....Plus - I have to pay for each of my fills and I really don't want to have a pay for a flouro each time!!!

Everyone is different in how much they need for a fill and how long it takes. I only had 2cc's added and had to have some out because it was too tight. I've never had a fill under fluoro. With having had a difficult time with restriction being different in the morning or at different times of the month (if you get what I mean) and learning to eat drastically differently (slower, chewing more, small bites) I don't think I'd want to risk it going way too tight with an agressive fill. It doesn't sound right to me. As well as the fact that the tightness of the band will change as you lose weight.

Well it must work because he has done over 2,000 surgeries. I would be able to go in in the future for fills but he said .2 cc fills or .5 cc fills are a waste.

Knowing what I know now, there is no way I would get a fill like this. I have become so sensative to adjustments and swell everytime. But everyone is different and if it works for you then that's great.

Nah, not a fan and he ain't comin near my port!! :-v

If you decide to go down this path though I would like to hear how it goes for you or anyone else who has it done this way.

Edited July 23, 201016 yr by jalomum
added line

I have had this done twice since I was banded They did not do it the first fill, not until I had the band for 7 months I wish they would have done it sooner maybe the 4th fill since I have not lost very much weight only 29lbs. since Oct 7, 2009. They do the procedure in the radiology dept. in the hospital called fluroscopy it's a live x-ray (pretty cool) then they stand me up and have me drink barium (thick, white liquid) I can see my stomach, the band and the liquid travel down my esophagus until it hits the small pouch and travels through the band. He always has all his patients go back to the waiting room and drink a cup of water before we are allowed to leave. I had the second one done yesterday and I can say this is the first time I have ever felt restriction. I've had a lot of discomfort if I do not chew my food but never much restriction if I waited 2-3 minutes the food would slide through the band I could always finish my entire plate of food. That is not the case anymore! I'm excited to see how much I lose.

I think it sounds like a great idea. If the results are better/quicker surgeons in the US may start doing it too.

Cindy

In theory this sounds pretty good. But in practice I'm not sure. US surgeons used to do lapband surgeries like this years ago, but not now because this way caused a lot of band slips.

I recall reading something on the lapbad manufacturer's website that states the band should start to be filled at the 6 week mark and then it's to be done gradually over a long period. The reasoning behind this was the band has to "heal in place" first before tightening it.

When I left my surgery the band was really tight, just from the placement and swelling -- this tightness lasted for 6-7 weeks. I could not imagine the surgeon filling up the band too. There is no way I would've been able to swallow my own spit.

I agree with ILOVEBEAGLES I did not get my first fill until after six weeks from surgery I was very swollen too, but I wish I would have gotten a fill under fluoro with barium way sooner than 7 months after having the band that was too long for me to wate. I had no restriction for 7 months-very frustrating I am so tired of people asking me so how the weight loss going and trying to explain why I don't have restriction yet. As of today I am 9 months out I have only lost 35 lbs. I have had 7-8 fills only the last 2 have been while drinking barium, the last fill I had one week ago with barium was the first time I have hit true restriction. Before this last fill I could eat a whole plate of food and not really have to chew my food that well. What a difference this last fill has made I am just now experiencing what I have read so many others posting about-take small bites, chew really well and eat slow. Everyone really is different and what works for one person may not work for another I think thats why my doctor is so conservative. I am looking forward to seeing the weight come off now!

I have had this done twice since I was banded They did not do it the first fill, not until I had the band for 7 months I wish they would have done it sooner maybe the 4th fill since I have not lost very much weight only 29lbs. since Oct 7, 2009. They do the procedure in the radiology dept. in the hospital called fluroscopy it's a live x-ray (pretty cool) then they stand me up and have me drink barium (thick, white liquid) I can see my stomach, the band and the liquid travel down my esophagus until it hits the small pouch and travels through the band. He always has all his patients go back to the waiting room and drink a cup of Water before we are allowed to leave. I had the second one done yesterday and I can say this is the first time I have ever felt restriction. I've had a lot of discomfort if I do not chew my food but never much restriction if I waited 2-3 minutes the food would slide through the band I could always finish my entire plate of food. That is not the case anymore! I'm excited to see how much I lose.:rolleyes2:

The last part of your post helped answer a question I had. I wondered if I would actually feel satiety or is this what it feels like(I can eat alot of food, some might get stuck if I dont chew well but I never really feel full). Im glad to know I will acyually feel full in the future. I have 3cc in an 11cc band and am getting filled on the 5th. I believe theyre going to get me to 6-7cc.

He told me that if I am losing good then I do not get a fill. If I lose 10 lbs the first month after surgery then no fill. If I lose 8 Lbs the second month then no fill. He has been doing this surgery since 1994 and has done over 2000 surgeries. I fully trust his expertise.

I hope your surgery went well today. Here's to a full and quick recovery.