I was banded in August and have had 2 fills. I still feel no restriction whatsoever. I have lost almost 30 pounds, but I have worked so hard and have been so hungry during this time. I can still eat absolutely anything and a lot of it. I keep wondering if there is something wrong with my band? Why don't I feel restriction after 2 fills??

Surby, there's nothing wrong with you, but there may indeed be something wrong with your band. Have you spoken with your doctor about this? Many people need three or more fills to feel the right level of restriction, but most feel SOME effect even after only one fill. Do you not have any sensation of tightness at all, no matter what you eat or how fast you eat it?

Hi;

When I got my first fill, I did not feel any restriction at all. I have a 4 cc band and my first fill was 1 cc. This was very peculiar because I could eat anything i want at an access if I so wished.

What happened is that I got very lucky and got a really nice nurse who thought to check how much was in my band. After pulling all the Fluid out she found only .6 cc in there. The nurse who originally did the fill missed the reservior. If they miss the opening you feel air bubbles as they inject it. At least I did. So they did another 1cc which bought me up to 1.6 cc. Then I felt restriction but i was hungry again 30 mins after I ate. I got another fill and at 1.9 cc it was a nice restriction. I am going for another fill soon, but I understand your frustration. I actually gained weight after my first fill because I was so dissapointed that maybe I did something to cause it to not work.

Always ask lots of questions to your doctor and nurses. If you can't see them call them. We pay alot of money for this procedure, the least you could do is to ask questions for the peice of mind.

I urge you to call your doctor. I have heard that some people don't feel a restriction untill 3cc in a 4 cc band. I can't imagine that but everyone is different.

I hope this helps.

You can email me if you have more questions.

I just had my 4th fill...my first one was 3cc's and I felt restriction for only the first week...then a month later I got 2.5cc's and still wasn't satisfied with the restriction. A month later I got 1.5 more and felt pretty good restriction at 7cc's. I just got one more cc on last Friday and I'm feeling really restricted now... and I like it that way. Every person's different. I don't eat a lot, though. It depends on how big your band is to begin with, too. Mine holds 10cc's where others only hold 4. Talk with your doctor.

Surby, there's nothing wrong with you! I have a 4.0 cc band and right now I have 3.4 cc's in there and I don't have restriction. I can feel some foods actually gurgling down through the band when I eat. I guess I just need a bit more. What worries me is that the flouro always shows the fluid going through very slowly after my fill, and it seems that I will have restriction once I get off of fluids and back on regular food, but once I get back on regular food I don't have enough restriction to limit my food intake. I am worried because my band only holds 4.0 cc's and I am already at 3.4 cc's. I don't have that much room left! I am on my second band. I had problems with a slip on my first band and I had it removed and another one put on this past summer. In the whole six month process I have gained back about 10 pounds which is really killing me emotionally. I feel like everything will be fine and I will get it back off as soon as I get restriction, but I am worried that I will never get restriction! I am not that far from my goal weight either, but I am just so worried about gaining more because each time I get a fill it just ends in disappointment for another month until I go back to the doctor to try again. Another thing that has just baffled me is that with my first band I was extremely tight with 3.0 cc's and here I am at 3.4 cc's this time around and I don't even have restriction! Any thoughts from anyone out there?

Nope

probably nothing wrong with you. Do you have a Vanguard band? The "big" band? I do and it was fill three before I had ANY restriction - and fill FIVE before it was really good.

I would be sure that you aren't losing saline, though.

Hugs.

Try to be patient and keep the faith. Someday, restriction will come.

I didn't have restriction until after my 3rd fill. You probably need another fill. You shouldn't feel as hungry as you are describing, thus another fill is in order.

Number of fills is irrelevant. It's amount of fill that brings restriction. You could have had 30 fills, but if you're only getting .000001 cc at a time, it's not going to do you as much good as just one fill at 8cc.

What amount of fill do you have, in what size band?

i have a 4cc band and currently have 3.7 in there...on the second fill my (inexperienced) dr trried to fill it up to the full 4 but I left the clinic and started vomiting fleme...I couldn't even hold water down...so I don't know whether I am game to go any higher...I don't feel that much restriction but as long as I walk and try not to eat between meals I am still loosing weight so I am happy at least....

If you are still having cravings, I have to ask - what are you eating? If you are eating white carbs, you are increasing your cravings. By cutting them completely out,your cravings will decrease in a few days....makes life much easier!! (white carbs=starches (corn, potatoes, white bread, flour, gravies, pasta, etc). Good solid protein goes in the pouch first, then good carbs (greens, etc) and white carbs are off limits. There is a lot more to making this band work than just the band.

I don't feel that much restriction but

We're in similar boats, somewhat. I have 2.5 in my 4 and although I certainly know it if I eat too much at once or don't chew well enough, the band has yet to control my portions. It's hard to explain because I do get the full sensation with a relatively small amount of food, but if I wanted to I could keep eating... because when I've felt hungry I've certainly been able to eat more. In other words, I'm not yet to the point where there's anything mechanical that's truly controlling my portions, it's still me saying "Ok that's enough" and pushing the food away, or not getting any more of it.

Fullness/lack of appetite could be the band's current level of restriction and I just need more fill to get to the point of the band really controlling portions... or it could not be. I lost my appetite 2 days before surgery, and it just never came back.

A teeny tiny bit of fill can make all the difference. I know people who are fine at 5cc, but at 5.1cc are well restricted. Maybe you just need to bounce around between your current fill and the one that had you too tight and find that sweet spot.

i was wondering what the symptoms of slippage and leaks are? After my fill i feel restricted and have no between meal hunger, but after a few weeks, i seem to eat more and get hungry faster

i was wondering what the symptoms of slippage and leaks are? After my fill i feel restricted and have no between meal hunger, but after a few weeks, i seem to eat more and get hungry faster

Worried, many people, me included, needed some fills at two-week intervals to get going on restriction. I'd feel restriction for two weeks, and then it would seem to disappear. I've had six fills in almost six months to get to my "sweet spot" that's sticking.

I had fill 1 at six weeks, fill 2 at eight weeks, fill 3 at ten weeks, fill 4 at 14 weeks, fill 5 at 18 weeks, and fill 6 at 20 weeks (these are approx). I'm still going strong on my last fill, and it was four weeks ago. Before the restriction seemed to disappear, but this time it's not. My doctor said that my experience was very normal.

Edited February 21, 200917 yr by kiz

thanks-i feel better. having third fill tuesday.

I was banded on 8/15/08 and have had two fills. One at about 8 weeks out and then the last one was about 10 weeks after that. I have lost 48 pounds so far but I am not sure I know what to note as restriction. I try to measure my food and I think my weakness is snacking. I try to watch it but when I am not working and at home I know I eat more between meals. I do feel full after I eat and I suffer if I eat too fast and don't chew well enough but I really don't have a clue as to what it would feel like to reach a sweet spot. I have a 9 cc band and only about 5 cc's in there right now. I think I will need another fill soon. Maybe that is one reason I am snacking.