hi all, why, is the fill needed, and can you get to tight.?

can it stop you from eatting altogether.? don't understand it?

4/5/04

295/260/-35 to date

ny. ny. : :ermm

Adoreme7

The bands have a balloon feature in them that allows the Dr to make the band tighter or losser around the stomach. Normally when the band are put on they are not inflated. The stomach will swell from the surgery and cause the hole (stoma) conneting the upper smaller pouch with the lower stomach to be small. As the stomach settles down the stoma opens up and the food we eat passes thru and doesn't stay for the designed period of time in the upper pouch. Once the food goes into lower stomach you get the hunger pains again. So to make the food stay in upper pouch when this occurs the Dr will give you a "Fill". that is done by injecting a measured amount, determined by the dr< into the band thru the port placed in the belly. This doesn't hurt. The band has Fluid added and the balloon expands causing the stoma to close holding the food in upper pouch longer. Then you don't feel hungry.

If you are losing to much weight and not eating as much as you should the Dr. then can go into the port and withdraw some fluid to open the band.

Hope this isn't too wordy of an answer and helps you to understand the proceedures.

Greg

That was a good explaination. You painted a excellant picture.

Yes, you can be filled too tight. This can cause you to pb (throw up), not be able to eat the proper foods for nutrients and keep them down, cause band slippage, possible band erosion, and could cause you to have your band removed. Usually, a slight "unfill", (removal of some solution) is all that's needed. Excessive pbing should be avoided!

thank you so much greg139 for your explaintion, it was very helpful in understanding the fill, all this time i thought it was filled ,from the time they put, it in you ,the first time, this really helps to ask my dr. more ? about it.

thank you so much again, was very helpful.

thanks to all and kaylee and newhope. you are so helpful to all. thanks. in a rush sorry. will write later sorry.

----------------------

ny. ny. margie

lost 35lbs

54yrs 4/5/04 band

have a good day you'll

Good answer, Greg!

Margie, it makes me nervous to think that your doctor didn't explain exactly how the band works. Did he/she at least give you some literature on it?

hi, zoe,

when i got the appt. to go and ask, about the lapband, they take you in one room with about 12 people more or less, and give you a leaflet book that explains ,step by step the stages of the oper. the first week, liquids ,,the second week.. purree.. the third week soild foods... and if the doctor. thinks that you should stay longer on liquids for more then two weeks ..you do.

they really explain alot till you understand ,, but, the fill is not metion too much. and as i think back ..

they just didn't say much about the fill .. even in the July.. month i felt i was stuck on not losing weight.. the doctor said they would give me another month and my give me a fill but, not a deep explaintion of it.

in Aug.. when i went back ,,i saw another doctor, still...that doctor ,did not want to go that way yet so i was glad, because for a whole month i worried , my head off. just wondering , what was going to be done ...

it was scarey and i did not know what she fully ment. so i didn't want the fill or anthing i was not sure off .. but , i didn't tell her.. i told my husband i 'm just was not sure ....i needed to find out more info. on the fill they wanted to give me...

so i looked for help and support in the net. and found this site .. and it was a god send to me.. so i'm learning so much and being able to speak to bandsters lol; to learn more and more.. and now i have to go back and ask some ques. about ( the fill) to my doctor and then ,take it from there.. but . thank you so much for asking and the rest of you guys, for your knowlegde and concern. and for a place like this that shares all your thoughts and experance... THANK YOU : ) :Bunny

MARGIE

Margie, you've lost 35 lbs. w/o a fill? That's wonderful! I'm with you, I tend to be very cautious and want to know a reason why, before I do something. But it does sound like your surgeon needs to take more individual "hands on" with his patients, instead of running them through in masses. I did the informational seminar (complete w/ very detailed Lapband video). Then I scheduled 2 different appts. w/ my surgeon (for one on one info.) before being banded. Please remember the info. we share is from banded patients, and not medical professionals. Best of luck to you!

hi marie,

i think you are such a supportive,bandster,

i didn't think the fill was that important. because , i haven't had time to put my own effort into losing the weight. so i needed to know what it concites of (the fill). so much was said, now i can get more info. from my doctor, and make a good decision , when the time comes, i still want to do, as much as i can, on my owe to make the band work, because, is not the band, is you. and all the habits that got you in the place you are now. so i'm going to work very hard to make it work. i'm not to fond of doctor or hosptials.and needles. but , i really needed help in understanding , all that was going on with me and my insides.. i reading , so much about , all the banders, and basically , the same problem as me, and all the ques. helps me to be stronger ,, and i hope it helps them all too.and each other.

thank you, for your concern and support.

margie...

You are so right! I think the "head work" is probably the hardest part! I see you enjoy sewing. What types of things do you like to do? That will come in handy, as you alter your too big clothes down and make new ones.