I was banded June 23. I start my soft foods in 7 days. My question is...in the time between my surgery and 1st fill, will I have any restrictions with my new band? Will my hunger be any different than before the surgery? What should I expect till my 1st fill? Will I need to chew things differently as if I had a fill?

Cherko12,

This thread is found under lapband fills, and is one of the most helpful things I have found on this forum. Take care during this first 6 weeks to follow your doctor's instructions on what to eat, etc. My own experience was that my food hunger did not diminish until after my fills began. My first fill was not anything to worry about - again, there's good info on this forum under lapband fills or be sure to check out frequently asked questions. Here's the info that was originally posted by Wendell Edwards:

"This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap Band.

The ALLERGAN protocol for Lap Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap Band.

Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap Band.

Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week.

The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows:

1. The patient's Lap Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to 4 weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to 4 weeks after the fill. That is why the ALLERGAN protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill.

2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap Band.

3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food.

4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient.

5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap Band to become loose again.

6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food.

7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again.

Most Lap Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater.

It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill."

Hope this is helpful.

Thank you Liz...that was extremely helpful. I know what the Dr. says but I am one of those types that need to understand why he is saying that....because if I understand, then I'm less likely to stray from what I should do. I will keep this as a reminder. Thank you...

you are welcome and best wishes on your weight loss journey!

I have spent lots of time reading threads on this forum both prior to surgery and since banding. When I find individual replies that are practical and contain good information (like Wendell Edwards or the Frequently Asked Questions forum), I copy and paste it to a private blog (that I'm using sort of as my own diary to keep me focused and on track) so that I can re-read it again, rather than have to search from scratch.

Many times, I simply type in the topic that I'm wondering about in the search box and I soon see many threads so then I know that I am far from the only one asking about a particular question. You are not alone here and that's great support. I learn and benefit from those who have gone before me in their journey and it's valuable.

Of course, each person's band and weight loss is unique to you (someone compared it to each wrist wearing a bracelet - we all have different fits). Your band may need several adjustments or few or none. It's wait and see, pay attention to your body signals and communicate with your doctor's office as needed.

I'm very much like you - I like to know why and how this all works.

Take good care ~ Liz

If you have the LapBand AP only, not the VG or 4cc bands, you will get a small amount of restriction at the time of surgery because they now leave some fluid in the band at the time it's placed.