My cousin is about to get a band in September. When I first heard that she was getting the band I told her that I had just gotten my first fill and that I was doing great. She said, "What's a fill?" I educated her a bit and was left wondering if she had enough info to make the band work for her. Anyways, she just told me that she talked to her doctor about fills and that he "never heard of such a thing." She said that he has never heard of filling the band with saline and that he was "one of the first doctors to bring the band to the states." I couldn't believe my ears!!! She thinks I'm nuts for having my band filled!! What is going on? I'm now wondering if she is safe in this doctor's hands, but she doesn't believe me about the fills....I just printed out he Lap Band Overview page from Lapband.com where it talks about fills and saline, but anyone have any advice?

Danie

Sombody is not telling the whole story somewhere along the line. The whole purpose of the band is to get it filled......it is 'non-operational' without it. Serious lack of communication here.

Run, don't walk, away from that surgeon.

It's pretty easy to get a list of the FDA trial docs and check out his story. I'd actually wonder if he wasn't planning on doing an old-fashioned, useless, high complication rate VBG on her.

Yeah, it sounds like this is a miscommunication somewhere. There is a non adjustable band but the success rate is very low and very few docs do the procedure.

I think your friend is confused.