I have a question. I have had a total of 3 fills. The most recent was Friday 24, 2005. The nurse told me that normally when you get a fill it might give you enough restriction for a while but it might level off and you will need a new fill. Does the saline go back into the tub and when more is put in all of it comes back? Since I have had my third fill I have not been able to eat foods that I could before this fill. I have also experienced the stuck feeling more often when I have realized I can't eat a certain food anymore.

Hi Tamiko,

Fills can "disappear" over time but it does not necessarily mean the saline is going anywhere. What's changing is the shape and thickness of your stomach walls. As you lose weight the tissue can get thinner, so that the same amount of saline in your band results in less restriction.

Eventually you reach a point where a teensy-tiny amount means the difference between good restriction and too much, but in the first year or so there might be a lot of change in the amount of saline needed to produce the desired effect. But you shouldn't be actually losing large amounts of saline; if that happens there might be a leak.

hi

I went for my second fill today and the dr told me that they are not going to use saline anymore and he removed all the saline.He then proceeded to put in something that he says have a higher density molecular structure than saline and will not evaporate.He took out a full 2cc that he put in the band 2 weeks ago so no leak there.....I am so sorry I didnt ask the name of it.He did say that the saline tends to dissapear "little little" from the band.So I have 4cc of something else in the band.......

I have never had any of my saline disappear or evaportate

I have never had any of my saline disappear or evaportate

Me either! My doctor checks mine every time I go and the full amount is always in there.

hi

I have a big band and it seems that there is more problems with the amount in them.I am on another board where most members get the big band and when you read there you can clearly see that there is issues with amounts.

I live in the Middle East and the band surgeon comes form Belgium ( he does half of the British ladies that get bands in Belgium)

It is very,very hot here in summer.Already 42 degrees Celsius and will climb to 50 soon.I wonder if that is why they are doing this.Mind you,I am seeing him again early next week and will ask what the stuff is that they use now and why they seem to think the bands lose some saline.