fills not working

Betsy · April 19, 2006

Hi, My mom had lap band done about 6 months ago and she has felt no restriction as of yet. She has had 3 or 4 fills done so far and nothing has worked. Last time was the first time she felt any restriction at all but it was gone the next day. They put in 8cc's.:confused: She is getting really discouraged and upset. She doesn't want to have to have another surgery. Has this happened to anyone else? Her doctors are telling her this is the first time they have seen this, but I doubt that is true. I hate to see her so discouraged. If anyone has any inoformation on this I would really appreciate it! :help:

Alexandra · April 19, 2006

Hi Betsy,

Your mom probably has the larger VG band, the one that can hold up to 10 ccs of Fluid. If the doctor is "sneaking up" on restriction each fill may only have been a small amount. It's hard to be exact on the amount of Fluid, so being told they "put in 8ccs" may not really mean anything--some of the fluid is in the tube, for example.

Does she get her fills under fluoroscopy? Or are they just done by "feel"? If the latter, she might request that a fluoroscope be used next time so they can see if the fluid is really going where it's supposed to go. She may have a leak or a kink in the tubing, or possibly the tech is just missing the port.

Don't automatically assume another surgery will be needed--there are lots of questions to be answered yet. And it may indeed just be a matter of more fluid being needed. Everyone is different and I have heard of amounts of upward of 9ccs being used to get good restriction with the larger band.

Good luck and let us know how it's going!

NaturalBeauty · April 19, 2006

Hi Betsy,

I have the VG band which is the largest band and it took about 7 fills for me to fill restriction. As Alex said, the first 4cc's are in the tube. I know I did not start feeling restriction until I was at 7.5ccs. Now that I am at 8.1 I have good restriction but, I have a friend who is already at 9ccs and still can eat anything she wants just in smaller portions.

Please tell you mom not to get discourage, work the band and follow the doctors orders and hopefully everything will work out fine. Best wishes to your mom and to you for being concerned and helpful to her.

shellyj. · April 20, 2006

tell your mom to keep getting fills UNTIL she is satisfied with the amount of restriction she has! it can take several or it can take 1 or 2. you just never know! i had to have several.

Bawilliams1 · December 2, 2006

I have a 4.0 cc band. I have had 3 fills and I am now at 3.4 cc's. The flouro always shows the Fluid going through very slowly, but by the time I go back on regular foods I have no restriction. I am starting to worry that even with 4.0 cc's in my band I won't have restriction. I am also worried that my band may be eroding? I just started worrying about that after reading all of these posts!

ted12345 · December 2, 2006

erosion is very rare,

i think people have restriction BUT somtimes dont reconise it!! they may feel the golf ball feeling but still feel hungry so push there band and eat more. somtimes you can "pop" food threw the restriction and sometimes you can streach the pouch.

often people will PB after a tiny amount of food assume it just went down funny and keep eating. Some people just never feel restriction IT HAPPENS, Of them there is restriction on the x-ray and the patient just does not feel it. I mean with a 30%+ faliour rate your bound to see these problems eather the surgeon had done few bands or is completely telling lies or he refuses to accept it. Eather way it happens and its very common problem.

How do you deal with it?? i dont know if i knew i think i would be rich the band does just not retrict every one we all live differnt diets and lifestyles sometimes like i say some people have restriction but just eat around it or fail to adjust to it.

Woodys · December 2, 2006

I have a 10 cc filled with 9.5 cc. With each fill I felt restriction for awhile but as I lost weight I also lost restriction. I have less than 20 to reach goal and have maximum restriction right now, the Dr. feels that I most likely won't need another fill to get there. When I could still eat more than 1 cup of food per meal and was at 9 cc's I panicked and emailed my Dr. I was assured that it is not uncommon to have to go all the way to fill the band until you reach adequate restriction. Please tell your Mom this.

Other posts in this thread seem to be really down on the band, please ignore them. The band is the best thing that ever happened to me...it takes work and patience but it also saved my life.....so, work and patience is well worth it. Most of the 11,366 members at this site feel the same way.

Carol

ted12345 · December 2, 2006

"Most of the 11,366 members at this site feel the same way"

No were near that amount of members post!! there is a tiny fraction tiny tiny fraction amount that post regulary

The band has a 50 to 60% expected weight loss you have reached that goal wight is a BONUS you then have to maintain it.

Lets see!!

ted12345 · December 2, 2006

lighten up!! bad choice of words really kinda taking the pee a it

I said lets see, untill then i wont say no more give thints TIME let the band do what its expected to do desighned to do dont push it and dont exaused your expextations!!

Woodys · December 2, 2006

I have 100% faith in my band. I love my band and I would do this again in a heartbeat. I will reach goal and soon.......and, because of the band, I will be alive to tell the story of how great it is for many many many many more years...becasue it has saved my life. Enough said, this is not our thread to natter at each other.

Carol

ted12345 · December 2, 2006

i think you are in danger of promoting a product that has a life span shorter than expected. If people rush into this on your say so i wonder how you will feel in a few years time when the US catches up with europe and the stats begin to speak for them selfs.

The band has the HIGHEST long term reporative rate post 2 to 3 years the probs KICK IN.

The band has the highest re op rate than ANY other form of WLS the HIGHEST Faliour rate and the LOWEST expected % of excess weight loss.

I think them few basic well known facts speak for them selfs!

I say time will tell lets see what the band is doing in 5 or ten years!

Its all ready ten years down the line in europe and mainland Europe lots of surgens just simply are no longer doing it. There Experience tell them its % for falior is too high and secondry surgery is more dangerus and technically complicated.

Lapbanding is a easy operation surgeons can rake the cash in banding patients. Half of them will no longer do it because its proving to be a lost cause.

American surgions are catching up and some wont do it i ask my self why will some NOT do it at all but others do and those Surgeons nine times out of ten that will perform lap banding ONLY perform lap banding. It takes time skill and money building a reputation in bariatricts and the band is a quick eay short term fix.

You are entitles to your opinion i mine i dont invent the fugures i simply quote them!