Hello,

Before anyone directs me to another thread link, I already know this has been done before. I have researched old threads and can navigate this site well. I would like the most recent information pertaining to this subject please. :help:

I was banded in June in Mexico and had the 10 cc VG band done by Dr. Joya. Great surgery, no complications.

My problem now is that the only weight loss I had was in the first 3 weeks after surgery, none since then and I am gaining that weight loss back at an alarming rate.

My after care doctor in my town is Dr. Helmuth Billy. He is a great, competent Dr. My only concern is that I don't think he has treated many patients with this larger band and he is very conservative with fills. He wants to make sure there are no slips or errosion by doing agressive fills. Wonderful.

Unfortunately, I have had no restriction since the first few weeks of being banded. My research on the board show that those with this band need A LOT more in their fills to reach the sweet spot. I want to take as much data as possible supporting this to my next appointment with him (on Thursday). I need to get a good fill this time. I am in a very deep depression because of my weight issues after spending thousands of dollars on this procedure. I need a jump start to get me going again and give me a shot in the arm. I don't think I'll be able to take a nother small fill and wait another few months to get to a point where I feel any restricion.

I hope you help and support me as this is tearing my psyche apart. Thanks to all of you for your help.:eek:

May 2, 2007 banded witha vg band, may 22,2007 doctor put on 4cc I thoguht that was a bit aggressive but dont know can anyone else respond to this. I

May 2, 2007 banded witha vg band, may 22,2007 doctor put on 4cc I thought that was a bit aggressive but dont know, can anyone else respond to this. I thought it would be six weeks before a fill and a 1cc or two but not 4 the first time. I had to drink a cup of water in the doctor office nad I gulped wrong, wrong wrong, thing to do i felt what people have been telling me about siping and eating slow and I know what a horrible feeling it was it took about an half hour or so for it to pass. thanks in davanced for your reply.

May 2, 2007 banded witha vg band, may 22,2007 doctor put on 4cc I thought that was a bit aggressive but dont know, can anyone else respond to this. I thought it would be six weeks before a fill and a 1cc or two but not 4 the first time. I had to drink a cup of water in the doctor office nad I gulped wrong, wrong wrong, thing to do i felt what people have been telling me about siping and eating slow and I know what a horrible feeling it was it took about an half hour or so for it to pass. thanks in davanced for your reply.

My doc put 2 cc in my band during my surgery but then I couldn't get anymore till 6 weeks after my surgery. Maybe you didn't have much swelling so he/she felt it would be okay and your doc may do that all the time. If you're not sure, call and talk to your doctor, he/she should be willing to answer any questions you might have.

My doc put 2 cc in my band during my surgery but then I couldn't get anymore till 6 weeks after my surgery. Maybe you didn't have much swelling so he/she felt it would be okay and your doc may do that all the time. If you're not sure, call and talk to your doctor, he/she should be willing to answer any questions you might have.

Darn, couldn't edit. . . . . . my first in-office fill (6 weeks postop) I got 6 cc. He normally gives 5 cc at first fill but I was super hungry so he gave me an extra cc. That was a little too much so he took out 1 cc and that was much better. My restriction didn't last long though; I did notice more a difference after my second fill.

I just found out I have an 11 cc VanGuard, not a 10 cc -- and as of 2 weeks ago when I got a fill, I now have 9 cc in my band.

Hi, I had 4 cc's in my first fill, I was fine, the restriction goes away. My 2nd fill was 2cc's, I was fine. Yea, some places charge for a fill so of course they don't want to fill it to fast. They will lose money. My Dr. gives the 1st year free fills. I haven't been able to get anymore due to health issues, Nothing to do with the band. I was banded Oct 17th, but I do still feel restriction. But would love another fill. Soon I hope. I have lost 50 lbs.

Mary

Hello!

Thank you everyone for this!

I have been so depressed about being hungry and eating too much and all of that.

I was banded on March 19, 2007- I lost 30 pounds in that first 6 weeks. I went in for a fill and he wouldn't give me one. About 2 weeks later I started getting hungry all of a sudden. I went back to him and I had gained 2 pounds so he did a fill. He put in 2cc's. Had I read this first I may have questioned that, but I didn't know. Well, that of course didn't seem to do anything so 2 weeks later I went back to him and he put in 2 more cc's. So I now have a total of 4cc's. I can still eat pretty much what ever I want and I don't feel much restriction. I guess there are tijmes I feel it but not really. I know DEEP in my brain that 30 pounds is fairly good for less then 3 months, BUT I am gaining and losing the same 5 pounds now and have been for a couple weeks. I know I need to really buckle down and eat all the right things, because I got depressed and stopped eating totally right. But I still feel like this should be working better then it is. I could use some encouragement. I am glad that I'm not the only one that is getting frustrated. I'm sorry that others are, but it is encouraging knowing that I'm not the only one.

Jenny

I am almost 1-year out and have 7cc in my 10cc band. The last few fills gave me really great restriction, but after a couple of weeks, it looses back up and I don't stay full between meals.

My question is, at what point do you have permanant restriction and not need frequest fills?? I am concerned about maxing out my band!

Ron

I am almost 1-year out and have 7cc in my 10cc band. The last few fills gave me really great restriction, but after a couple of weeks, it looses back up and I don't stay full between meals.

My question is, at what point do you have permanant restriction and not need frequest fills?? I am concerned about maxing out my band!

Ron

Ditto! I'm exactly 4-months post-op, but also have 7.2cc in my VG band. I had a fill 2 weeks ago (which was 2 weeks after my prior fill!), and I really thought that was "the one"... But now I'm again able to eat more than 1 cup of protein at meals (though I try not to prepare more so I won't EAT more). And I'm hungry between lunch & dinner, and hungry again before bedtime.

I really thought I'd hit that sweet spot for about 2 weeks there... My next fill is set for July 5th, and I feel like it'll be a mistake to wait that long in terms of weight loss progress. But I don't wanna max out my band this early in the game!!!!!!

Do we have any long-term VG Banders among us who could provide some feedback/encouragement?

Oh my gosh!! It's not only me!!! I have been so distressed because I have the large band too and have had I can't remember how many fills..maybe 8? I am getting nowhere and can't find that sweet spot either. My fills have been up and down and I think I am at 6.5 or so. Have been high as 7.5 and I don't know what is wrong. My surgery was in Mexico on May 2006. A local doctor in my home state is doing my fills and he does not seem to be very knowledgable about the bigger band. I feel he might not really care since he did not do my surgery. I am self pay and could not afford the much, much higher prices here. I am sooooo lost and down.:help::cry

Has anyone with the 10cc Band maxed their out without reaching permanant restriction? I posed that question to a surgeon and was told he never saw it in guys, but has seen it a few times with gals! Has this happened to anyone on this board??

Ron :guess

Has anyone with the 10cc Band maxed their out without reaching permanant restriction? I posed that question to a surgeon and was told he never saw it in guys, but has seen it a few times with gals! Has this happened to anyone on this board??

Ron :guess

Hi All,

I'm so pleased Im not the only one with no restriction. I was banded on April 2nd this yr, the band was great, then I guess the internal swelling went down, 6 weeks later I had a fill, he put 4mls in. I was a bit scared as I didnt know what to expect.....a week later I found myself getting more and more hungry? and I could not eat a whole plateful of food and a pudding? Well as the weeks went by I realised that this wasnt right, and I was begining to feel a failure, so I started going back to my old habits pre band i.e. drinking red wine, biscutes avoided exercise etc...

4 weeks after my 1st fill I phoned the hospital secretary up and explained what was happening to me. Today I visited the Dr again, he put another 1.5ml in, but I didnt feel any difference, (they ask you to eat a yogart etc to see if it sticks or you feel full) so he then put another 0.5ml in, so I now have 6mls in. I truely pray this works now, I'll let you know if 6mls (in a 10ml band) is a great restriction or not...

Sara x

Hi All,

Well I had 4mls for my 1st fill, but it didnt restrict...just had another 2mls put intoday (6mls in total) fingers crossed it will work this time!!

Sara

I had my surgery 2yrs and 6mths ago. My band takes 10cc, and I'm currently with 8cc in it. Had 6 fills and still did not reach that «sweet spot». I've been reading and researching a lot and seems that with this type of band it is harder to find ideal restriction. Loosing weight has been very hard but I still refuse to consider myself a failure. My doc keeps reminding me that if it took me so many years in my life to get this obese, I might as well spend a few more in loosing it, even if it's going away in baby steps. Besides, this being such a slow process, with some effort and lots of exercising, I'm allowing my skin to adapt just fine and avoid too much damage (boob job will be needed but the rest I guess it will be fine).

niki

Sara Mos, or anyone. I am in the same boat as you Only I was banded may 2, 2007 and have got a total of 6cc in my vg band and this last fill was Tuesday of this week and I can really fell the restriction I can eat only a few ounce of meat and a small vegetable and one more bite puts me in misery for around thrity minutes whow what a diffence two cc make. At first I thougth I mght be too tight but I can eat solids but not much of it. My question is will this losen up as time goes by. My first fill I never had to eat slow or drink slow but thats not even true now. You would think I would have learned that after the first epsiode of slimming but I am from MISSOURI SHOW ME, TELL ME, ONE MORE TIME. GOOD LUCK TO EVEYONE HERE!!!