I've been reading a lot lately and it looks like some bands have a few cc's in them when they get put in and some are emtpy. Does it just depend on the doctor? I would love it if I had something in my band after surgery!

Your right- it depends on the dr. Some get filled during surgery- others wait. Fills are equally as dependent upon the dr's philosophy. Some get aggressive fills others get very small fills.

bMy doctor flushes the lines to get all the air out but does not put anything in the band. That way on the first fill which he will not do for 6 weeks, you have full benefit of the fill.

I was told the same thing OnTheWayToThin was. My doctor puts something in it, but then removes it and gets all the "air out" or something to that effect.

Then he doesn't do anything with it (leaves it empty) until the first fill.

He wants the only thing to be done for the first 4 to 6 weeks to be the healing process. There's time enough for the weight loss once the stomach and sutures have healed, so he waits until then to fill it.

Definitely depends on the doctor/surgeon. I was told by my surgeon that he doesn't put any in during surgery. Then I went for my first fill last week and turns out he put in 4cc's. So he put another 4cc's in and am currently at 8cc's. It's just preference.

I got to choose my band. I got the AP band which comes with 2cc's in it.

I asked my doc (they all do it a little differently) and he said "It has some primer in it; nothing important". He's one who feels slow steady fills are best, and that post op we need to heal from the trauma of surgery. Personally I'm glad I wasn't filled; I've read too often about people post op who were nauseated, couldn't keep liquids down, etc because of a fill! (Not the only reason for nausea ... unfilled people can be nauseated...but I wanted to do anything to avoid it!)

Different docs will handle it differently.

It depends on the doctor really. Sometimes they put some saline in at surgery to help the band to "sit" properly. I had 4cc put in my 10cc band at surgery.

I have a 10cc band and when I went for my first fill they put 1 cc in but found out there was some already in it. Hopomone that would explain why I already had some. This has been a wonderful tool because I actually stop eating when I get the full feeling which I didn't before.

I had 4.25cc put in during surgery and then 1.5cc but in during the first fill for a total of 5.75cc after the first fill.

My doctor also is one who does not put anything in the band, he's not an agressive filler, for me that's great! I'm almost 6 months out still no fills!! and still loosing2lbs a week! Each doctor is very very diffrent!

My dr. does put in saline during the surgery. He said since I was "so small" he would have to put more in. I don't know how much he put in. I'll find out when I go July 8 for my first official fill. Three weeks after surgery. I'm exited. Cuz I could eat a cow!!