I've noticed that there's several different band 'sizes'. Is that different from the amount that you get when you get a 'fill'??? Just curious-my seminar is in a week and I'd like to be PREPARED!!!!!

I've heard there are 3 band sizes and I know the one I'm getting holds 10cc - I'm not sure of what difference this makes in the long run, just what the surgeon chooses. Now after reading about port sizes I asked him about that and he said he puts a standard size port in - while we are heavy the larger one is easier to find and fill - after we lose weight if it becomes noticable then he will put a smaller, flatter one in. He said that is done in the office under local anthestic, and not a big deal. She showed them both to me.

Thanks! That clears it up-I've noticed on here that there are a lot of people with the 10cc band. Good luck with your surgery! How exciting!

I was told that the 10CM band is better for faster weight loss and the 11CM (which hold 10cc) is better for preventing slippage. I have the 11CM with 3cc's filled and counting the days until my next fill because I am HUNGRY

I thought my doctor said something about my band holding 12 cc's...is this correct?

I have a 10cc band that holds 4.2ccs. I am currently at 3cc fill level and I've hit my sweet spot. Good luck.

i thought my doc said my band was 9cc??? is this right???

Below is an email from the Nurse at Dr. Malley's office. I had asked her what size band I have.....

Regina,

Your lapband size is 10cm. There are the 3 different sizes and he chooses a size based on what he sees when he is doing the surgery. The main concern is that the band is big enough that you are able to drink the next morning with the swelling from the surgery. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks

Nikki Dennis LPN

Bariatric Nurse

My doctor said he was not going to tell me becuase too many people obsess ovwer how many cc's they have gotten during a fill, and he said that it is so misleading for people to think that knowing the cc's will change anything. A good doctor uses a machine that allows him/her to see exactly how liquid is passing throught the band while you are getting your fill. It is like an ultra sound machine. That way there is no issue with you knowing the cc's. If they don't use that machine, then it is guess-work at the patient's physical expense.

The lapband comes in different models and each model has a length in centimeters (cm) and fill capacity in milliliters (ml or more commonly cc).

You have to be careful not to get the cm and the cc mixed up.

One commonly used model is 9.75 cm in length with a 4cc capacity; another is the VG band, that measures 10cm (or 11cm) and holds 10cc (or maybe 11cc). So you see how people get confused.

The surgeon picks the band to best suit the patient; my surgeon explained to me that "a big man gets a big band", so I have the VG band with 10cc capacity (I don't know or care what the length is).

Just make sure you know the maximum fill capacity of your band. I wasted lots of time and money when the place where I got my first 3 fills believed I had a 4cc capacity band when in fact I had a 10cc capacity.

Just to save time, I'll paste this response I made in aother thread:

what are the different size bands and why? Why first. Because organs are different shapes and sizes, and what fits me may not fit you. Just like bracelets come in different sizes to fit around our wrists, so bands come in different sizes to fit around our esophagae. The surgeon will select the band that fits your organ the best, which is why most of the time they can't tell you in advance which band you will receive (if they use multiple sizes). Some surgeons only use one size. Some prefer, say, the 4cc to the 10cc because it takes less time to reach restriction, while some may prefer the 10cc because you have more room for fine tuning, while others prefer the 4cc because they feel the single pillow makes fine tuning easier to achieve than the multiple pillows which could hold uneven amounts of Fluid.

BioEnterics bands: (length/capacity)

9.75cm/4cc

10cm/4cc

14cm/10cc

There are other bands out there, but I'm not sure about their capacity/length.