I am new at this site. I am curious about the banding. I have been reading others threads, and am wondering what is a fill, that everyone is mentioning. what is it? why is it done? How long after surgery til you go back to work? eat foods? Does anyone regret having the surgery?

The actual name for a fill is an "adjustment." The inner part of the band--the part nearest the stomach--is tighter or looser depending on how much saline (or air) is in its inner-tube-kind-of-thing. (Although it's not really inner.)

I'll look for a link to band basics.

Well welcome to this site! The Lap-Band surgery is where the place a band that is adjustable around the top part of your stomach, leaving you a small stomach at the top that can hold approx 4 ozs of food. The band has a tube that is connected to what they call a port. Mine is under my right rib cage. The port is where the insert a needle to fill the band with saline to make the opening from your small stomach to the rest of your stomach smaller or larger. When they "fill" the band with saline is what we call a fill. I was off of work for a week after I had my surgery. You can still eat most foods, some people have a problem with bread, rice and pasta due to the swelling they do with your saliva. You get fills or unfills to lose weight or to quit losing or if you were to get pregnant. When you eat the small part of your stomach (or stoma) fills with the food, then it gradually digests into your larger stomach making you feel full for longer periods of time eating much less food. I hope I have answered your questions and if you have any more feel free to post.

Thanks for all the great replay's, I appreciate it. I was wondering how often due people get fills? Not often? It doesnt sound vary painless.