Hi all-

I am wondering if anyone out there has a surgeon who is sympathetic and responsive to you when you feel you need a fill earlier than initially scheduled??? It seems from reading this forum, that most docs stick to their guns about fills, regardless of the patient's desire to get in there more aggressively and feel restriction.

I, just moments ago, emailed my surgeon with frustration. So far my surgeon has been WONDERFUL!!! He did not require any liquid diet preop, only the first week post op...and that was full liquids, not clear. I am only 2 weeks post op, and he has already graduated me to regular food.... in short, he seems aggressive enough. He is also amazing at returning my emails... usually within a few hours.

I feel no restriction any more and no longer feel full after eating. i feel that despite my forcing myself to eat only 800-950 cals per day (plus a 2 mile power walk on the treadmill) that i should still be losing weight but i am not. he has me scheduled for aug 24 for a fill (he did put "some" in at surgery). I shared my frustration with him and can't wait to hear his response.

Has anyone shared this bandster hell frustration with their surgeons??? If so, did they stay strict with fills? listen to you and get you in earlier? compromise?

Thanks!

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by katwmn63

I'm impressed with the email return. That was from the surgeon? I could email the nutritionist, and get replies from her. My doctor was very responsive, except he insisted on 8 weeks before the first fill. I made it with out much difficulty, but I know that it is hard on others.

My surgeon had me schedule a visit at 3 to 4 weeks post-op. I seemed to have "healed" at 3 weeks and got a fill then. I had a friend who's incision was infected though and he wouldn't give her a fill until it healed. It was near the port and he said he didn't want to risk the needle somehow injecting the infection farther inside her. totally makes sense.

so - if you are healing okay, swelling is down - I'd think it is okay.

After that fill I was "as if no fill at all" pretty quickly and just had my 2nd fill. It had been 3 more weeks.

I think that just because a surgeon sticks to a fill schedule doesn't mean s/he is unsympathetic. Let's get real here. We are healing, they are they pros. My surgeon very patiently explained to me why he believed in smaller fills spaced at least 4 weeks, preferably 6, apart. In fact, my insurance will only pay for fills 12 weeks apart, but my surgeon did them at 6 anyway with only my copay.

There are pros and cons to aggressive fills; I've read a lot of negative science about esophageal spasms and other issues. I think this falls under the "trust your surgeon" umbrella. I DID ask mine why he felt as he did, and he did explain it. I have to say I figured he knows what he's talking about.

And now here I am almost 1 year out. I feel MARVELOUS. I am losing great. Since 5/7 I've lost just at 44 pounds. I can eat ANYTHING, in small amounts. I don't have GERD. I don't PB. It is as if I don't even have a band, I just eat less. I think he, in large part, gave me that because of his fill schedule. Don't toss away a happy future because you are suffering a little post op...that's my take on it.

My surgeon won't do a first fill before the 6-week mark. After that he wants you to wait at least 2 weeks between fills to give yourself time to see how you respond.

My surgeon also doesn't do the first fill until six weeks post op-I think that's fairly common, and if so then you're right on schedule. But after that, he will do fills every two weeks until you reach your sweet spot. Making sure you have a good amount of healing time after surgery doesn't mean your doc is unsympathetic or unresponsive. See what he says about scheduling fills AFTER the first one before you peg him with that.

UPDATE: First let me say thanks, and 2nd let me say... I LOVE MY SURGEON!

Yes he emailed me back.. in fact i heard from him twice today:)

the first thing he told me to do was to go to panera bread for lunch and order a sandwich, not Soup or salad, a sandwich, and to let him know how it goes down. i did exactly as he said and had a very tough time on the first few bites...i fealt restriction (i am not used to bread)! i did go kind of fast, so then i slowed way down and chewed alot... i finished just over half a sandwich before getting full. i fealt "kind of" hungry about an hour later and ate some sugar free Jello. then i emailed him the info.

he emailed me back. he is happy with just a half of sandwich. he also told me that i shouldn't chew, chew, chew.. the more i puree the food in my mouth, the faster it goes through the band, and the sooner i will feel hungry. he feels that advice is a great disservice to LB patients - DISCLAIMER-"My surgeon's advice" but perhaps not everyone's, but i really always did wonder about the "chew" thing. He also said that if i snack beteen meals, eat nuts or other Protein snack ..jello is like saliva and a waste...it will go right through.

he then told me to weigh myself tomorrow then sunday and report the weights to him...then we will discuss changing the date of the fill!!

this makes a ton of sense to me. i still don't understand how 850-900 cals per day has me stagnant... neither does he... but at least i have something to try to feel fuller longer... and a surgeon working closely with me to figure things out:)