I was banded on 11/11/10 during the surgery 4 1/2 cc were placed in the band, I have had 2 fills since and at this time the band has 13 1/2 ccs and no restriction at all. During the 2nd fill the doctor was performing the Water method to get the band as close to good as he could and he stated that when he added an extra cc it was too much, so he withdrew the 1cc back out, in my thoughts I wonder how he could have had a total of 14 1/2 ccs to withdraw 1 cc out. I eat just as I did before the band and have not had any food getting stuck, vomiting, or nausea. I feel like something is not right, after reading all the stories and post, how could I have a full band after 2 post op fills and not feel anything different?

I would be so grateful for any suggestions, words of wisdom or thoughts you might have to offer. Thank you all so much.

I am sorry I may not be much help to you but I wanted to comment, I am beginning to think the band doesn't work that well, I know everyone's going to say it's a tool and I agree it's a tool but I thought things would be different, I thought that it would stop me from eating too much but I like you can eat almost as much as I did pre-band, i am really disapointed in myself..

if I had the willpower to do it on my own I wouldn't have gotten the band, my tools not working.

I was banded on 11/11/10 during the surgery 4 1/2 cc were placed in the band, I have had 2 fills since and at this time the band has 13 1/2 ccs and no restriction at all. During the 2nd fill the doctor was performing the Water method to get the band as close to good as he could and he stated that when he added an extra cc it was too much, so he withdrew the 1cc back out, in my thoughts I wonder how he could have had a total of 14 1/2 ccs to withdraw 1 cc out. I eat just as I did before the band and have not had any food getting stuck, vomiting, or nausea. I feel like something is not right, after reading all the stories and post, how could I have a full band after 2 post op fills and not feel anything different?

I would be so grateful for any suggestions, words of wisdom or thoughts you might have to offer. Thank you all so much.

I am sorry I may not be much help to you but I wanted to comment, I am beginning to think the band doesn't work that well, I know everyone's going to say it's a tool and I agree it's a tool but I thought things would be different, I thought that it would stop me from eating too much but I like you can eat almost as much as I did pre-band, i am really disapointed in myself..

if I had the willpower to do it on my own I wouldn't have gotten the band, my tools not working.

Have you talked to your Dr about it? It doesnt sound like your band is working correctly, but if you don't say anything and make him fix it, the Dr probably wont.

Yeah I am hoping you misheard him because I have never heard of anyone being at or neat max cap on a band before even the ones that have had the band for years. Does he do Fluro with his fills? I would request a barium pouch test, it almost seems as though your pouch might not be in the right position, or it might have slipped.

my question is... are you losing weight?

When you said he used the "water method" you mean he had you drink water, right? When you drank water in the office did you feel restriction then lose that sensation shortly after? Or did you not feel restriction at all before he removed the 1CC? When I get a fill, I have to drink a glass of water. I feel the water sort of gurgling down, there is an instant feeling of restriction. If it doesn't go down then I know I am too tight. I agree with the others- though it took three fills for me to even start really appreciating how the band works, I did feel some restriction prior to getting a fill. If you are feeling nothing after three fills then maybe something is not right in the placement of your band. You should discuss this with the doctor.

Maybe u sprung a leak. Seriously. Doc should extract all saline 2 c how much is in there.

I was banded 11/10/10, and just got another fill yesterday which brings me to 10.2cc in a 13cc band, and am just now starting to get restriction. Everyone is different and I honestly think they used to big of a band on me in the first place. If i would have had a Lap Band small i think i would have had more success.

But oh well! Good luck to you and hopefully they can figure out what is going on

I was banded on 11/11/10 during the surgery 4 1/2 cc were placed in the band, I have had 2 fills since and at this time the band has 13 1/2 ccs and no restriction at all. During the 2nd fill the doctor was performing the Water method to get the band as close to good as he could and he stated that when he added an extra cc it was too much, so he withdrew the 1cc back out, in my thoughts I wonder how he could have had a total of 14 1/2 ccs to withdraw 1 cc out. I eat just as I did before the band and have not had any food getting stuck, vomiting, or nausea. I feel like something is not right, after reading all the stories and post, how could I have a full band after 2 post op fills and not feel anything different?

I would be so grateful for any suggestions, words of wisdom or thoughts you might have to offer. Thank you all so much.

Are you eating the proper foods? Are you drinking before during or after you meal? Eating the right foods and avoiding liquids during meals is key to feeling full. I could eat a huge portion of spaghetti and as long as I chew carefully, never feel restriction. But when I eat lean meats, fish and veggies, I feel my restrictions.

Another one I will never get is chips and salsa/queso. They are such a slider food for me. Pasta too.

dits4golf is right I would have the doc take out the fluid and show you exactly what's in there. Or he needs to do a fluro with barium so he can see.

Thank you everyone for the comments. I had lost 10 lbs during one two week period, but I was going to the Y and exercising 2-3 hours a day my food intake is pretty much the same as before the surgery. Once I reduced the exercising, back came the 10 lbs plus 3 more. I don't drink liquids when I'm eating only before and after. I try to eat mainly Proteins, however I can eat eat bread, and whatever else I choose without anything getting stuck. The fill was done by me drinking a cup of Water, then fill was added, I would drink more water feel the restriction, the doctor withdrew the 1cc and then when I would drink it would hesitate for a moment then go through. The doctor double checked thechart, after stating something doesn't seem right, when he was adding up how much was in the band, after the 2nd in office fill when her realized how much was in the band 14 1/2 then he took out 1cc, now the band is supposed to have 13 1/2 cc in it right now, the bandis a 14 cc band.

In my heart of hearts, I feel like there is a leak or something.....I wouldn't think it had slipped because I don't have nausea. But I truely have no idea. I will call the office this week and talk to the nurse/doctor about this issue. I have to do something.

Thanks again for your comments and thoughts, I really do appreciate them.

Hi - I don't know how much help this will be but I am in Australia and we use mL measurements - I'm not sure how this relates to cc measurements but I have a 10mL band and I have 9.2mL in it at the moment. I have had my band for 3.5 years and have plateaued at 95kg (which I think is around the 180 pound mark)... I had my fill this morning which took me up from 8.7mL and at 8.7mL I had absolutely no restriction whatsoever. I hope you talk to your doctor and ask them to slowly build your fills up and give the band a go because it can work. Good luck!

Hello All!!

I am so grateful for this discussion forum because I have had 4 fills and I really feel like my band is not working but I am going to take all of this advice and talk to my doctor about this and also I found it interesting you all know how much is in your band because I have no idea so this are all questions I need to ask.

I think that doctors are in too big of a hurry to fill bands. I am a year and three months post op and I have 3 and a half cc's in a 10 cc band. My doctor told me as long as you are losing weight hungry or not you do not need a fill. I consistantly lost 70lbs and was stuck for a few months and had a fill dec 30 which didnt help but had another fill on Monday which now I have lost 7lbs since Monday. He told me that I would be successful because I still have a lot to work with. If you are losing slow but steady even if you are hungry but you are still losing. DO NOT GET A FILL. and they cant make you get one. Fills in smaller increments are better for you.

I am sorry I may not be much help to you but I wanted to comment, I am beginning to think the band doesn't work that well, I know everyone's going to say it's a tool and I agree it's a tool but I thought things would be different, I thought that it would stop me from eating too much but I like you can eat almost as much as I did pre-band, i am really disapointed in myself..

if I had the willpower to do it on my own I wouldn't have gotten the band, my tools not working.

No I would not feel down on yourself. I completely agree with you. The lap band is definetly NOT weight loss surgery. Although they say that lap bands and bypass will be at the same place after 3 years after surgery its the path we take that is different. I am 6 month out now and I feel that my weight loss is all contributed to me... not the band (with the expection of the first 4 to 6 weeks). You can still pretty much eat whatever and how much ever. I HAVE to work out, I HAVE to control the food. Bypass just lose the weight literally by doing nothing.... BUT they have to work at keeping it off. Because bypass people do not have to be FORCED to learn the good tools and habits that lap bands do, they tend to gain the weight back and stay on the same distructive path with their eating..... so eventually they gain it back. BUT with lapband if you can be success to change your habits then you loose the weight and keep it off. I am in the military system and for every 1 lap band they do they literally do at least 50 bypasses.... SO yes I have seen this happen to bypass patient case by case. I am happy with my choice... but I do tell people straight up... if you want to lose the weight and it come off with no exceptions this or that and just have to work about a yr out to keep it off then have bypass... if you dont want to deal with teh struggles of still trying to lose weight then dont get the lap band.