I had surgery Nov. 2nd, 2012 I have lost 42 lbs. I had my 2nd fill last week and now I want to know how do you know when you don't need any more fills. I can tell a big difference this time but not sure it's enough.

your still a bit early to not need anymore fills. as soon as your stomach gets adjusted to the new restriction you will need another one. What size is your band? Everyone is different. I have a 10cc band and Im at 7.2cc restriction

I agree with Lucy...it's WAY to early for you to decide if this is your final fill or not. At this point in my journey, I've lost track of the number of fills/unfills that I've had.

My last fill was in July 2012 and I've been losing slowly and steadily since. I may be ready for another little tiny fill in the next month or so. I know this because I'm getting hungry before four hours or so and I can eat more at a time than I could.

Pretty much when you stop losing and hit the maintenance phase. Until then, expect periodic fills as your stomach shrinks and the band needs to be re-tightened.

Even after that, it's possible for a little Fluid to evaporate and need a little fill every couple years.

when you can go 4-5 hours without the need to eat. I don't really get hungry anymore not like I use to and I don't hear food calling me. Give it 2 wks and see how u feel...the advarage on here seems to be just over half the size of your band 10cc/6.5cc is great for me right now.

Most will get 3-5 fills before they are restricted and not get too hungry within 4 hours. The doctors are guessing somewaht at the beginning because everybody is different in their restrictions. As the weight loss slows down, the doctors will usually "tweak" the band by small amounts of Fluid. My doctor wants to keep his patients to only 8 pounds a month or around 100 pounds per year. This will get his patients in teh good metal frame to eat quality foods and learn how to eat properly. If he sees you losing too much, he will not fill. A very conservative doctor.

Best wishes

I don't think there's any such thing as a final fill. For one thing, as you lose weight, the fat surrounding your stomach (and other internal organs) shrinks, so your band feels looser and you need more fill. And also, your stomach is a living thing that expands and contracts to help digest food and move it into your intestines. And you're a living thing with a body that's affected by lots of different things that can affect restriction: hydration, medications, time of day, time of month, stress, illness, etc. etc. etc. So you never know when you might need Fluid added to or removed from your band. And that's OK, because one of the wonderful things about the band is adjustability.

In the past, I've gone for months without a fill, then began to feel like I needed one. I asked my original surgeon about that and he said it's very common. It doesn't mean your band is or isn't working, just that life is about change. Living that way can require some extra effort, and extra attention paid to how your body feels, but in my view, that's a much better way to live than to live with the 92 lbs I used to lug around everywhere.

My nutritionist told me to write down in my tracker how long each meal satisifes me and that will help you and the doctor decide if you need a fill. Remember everyone is different. Some people have no fills, some a few and some have a lot. You have to figure out what is right for you as you go.

THANKS for all the great advice I have a lot to learn