fill #3

patty simpson · March 8, 2004

Alright i am beginning to wonder about this surgery fill #3 and not much restriction i am totally stressed about this only down 15 lbs.Should i worry.

NetteInBoulder · March 8, 2004

I was in a similar place. If you want advice, mine is to eep getting fills, keep following the band rules and time will pass, the pounds will add up.

I'm 10 months out, 54 pounds down now. I just recently got a fill from 2.5 to 2.8 and now the weight is dropping easily. Have patience and keep doing what you know is healthy and right and it will happen.

Good luck to you!

Annette

birdee · March 8, 2004

Don't worry a bit......just like Annette said....keep getting your fills. That's the beauty of this surgery it's adjustable. I have had 4 fills and mind you my 3rd on was a whole CC. I am now up to 3.4cc's I guess we are all different that way....Keep the faith, you will find that right adjustment....and boy will you know it!!!!!

Birdee

Chris S. - L.I. · March 8, 2004

I'm getting my 4th fill on Wednesday and I'm worrying that I'm doing the wrong thing. Soemtimes I PB but I'm not sure it's because of restriction or because I eat too fast or don't chew well enough, although I haven't done that in awhile. I was able to eat alot of food yesterday which included Baked Ziti which I know is a no- no for a lot of Banders. The NP at the doc's office said if this doesn't do the trick I will have to go see the nutritionist. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to be on an "eating plan" but just be eating less. I sure hope this fill works.

PS How are we supposed to keep up with the fills if when we go, most of the time we have lose some of the Fluid that was put in from the time before?

GeezerSue · March 8, 2004

Okay, fills...

Some of us have surgeons who want to approach the adjustment (what a fill is really called) in a Let's-Get-This-Show-on-the-Road kind of way. They tend to be foreign and/or very experienced LapBand (not just experienced at lap surgery or experienced at bariatric surgery) surgeons. Other of us have the "Let's-Be-Very-Careful-and-Do-This-Slowly surgeons, who tend to be located in the US and/or kind of new at the band.

So, what that means is how many fills one has had is completely irrelevant.

And, IMHO, the whole little-by-little approach is silly. Because let's say that YOUR ideal fill is 2.3cc's. Dr. Little-by-Little puts in 0.5 at adjustment #1, then moves it up to 1.0cc's at adjustment #2 and so on. When the patient gets to adjustment #4 (2.0cc's), it still isn't enough and then at adjustment #5 (2.5cc's) it's too much and whatever the doctor was worried about in regard to an overfill is going to happen anyway. AND, some of thee surgeons only do fills once or twice a month. So the patient is six months post-op until he/she gets the needed restriction. And we all know how WE deal with that kind of frustration and "failure." And then they say the band doesn't work. Right.

Figure out what your doctor is doing. Explain whay YOU don't want to wait six months for restriction. See if you can get the adjustment YOU need.

Sue

My experience with fills is almost all outside the US. Those doctors used flouroscopy and most got the restriction as tight as they thought I could reasonably handle, and didn't even look at the syringe until I asked them how much saline we were talking about.