hello there, i'm new here. I'm want to have lap band procedure asap... I've got medicare and centrelink benefits card. does anyone know if the lap procedure would be covered by that? how much would i have to pay for it? what doctor in sydney would u recommend?

the band is made of silicone and is inflatable

every month or so the surgeon will add a small amount of normal saline via the port to make the band tighter which means you will eat less

each of us are different in how many fills we will need and how much fill is in our bands

i didnt get my first fill till 10 weeks post op

others get one earlier depends on your surgeon

i have had 4 fills and now have 4.75mls in a 10ml band

i now have good restriction and only eat very small meals

some people have more some have less in their bands

you need fills regularly until you feel you are at an optimum stage

with little hunger and are satisfied with small meals and losing well

once you have reached the weight you desire then we still need to visit our surgeons annually and will sometimes need a top up

its also possible to be too tight and sometimes you need an unfill....this has happened to me just the once.....where i went in for a fill....and then had a few days where i couldnt even get my own saliva to stay down and no Fluid at all

if this happens you need attention straight away as dehydration happens quickly....but it isnt the norm so dont be too worried

hope that helps you to understand a bit better

and im sure someone else will be along who may explain it even better than i can

Leeanne:thumbup:

thanks, i've still got so much to learn about this procedure... does it hurts? there refills. how are they done?