So I have a friend who had the realize band implanted about a month ago and the Dr. feels as though it may have a leak. Does either lap band or realize take any responsibilty for the defective band placed in him a month prior or is he on the hook for a whole new surgery? I am not convinced that he has a leak. He has 6.4 cc's in a 10 or 11 CC band (realize C) I am guessing he could just not have restriction yet.

Greg

Don't know about liability for surgery for replacement but if the band is truly defective, they will likely replace it.

The obvious test is for the doctor to have kept track of how much fill is in the band, withdraw all the Fluid in it and compare how much they draw out to how much should be there.

And it might be if there is something faulty that it's the port. I've read here where a few people have had to have their ports replaced. Not many, but a few.

i agree. I don't think he pulled the fluid out. I think he just assumed he would have restriction at 6.4 but I am sure it could take more than that/

Reading through posts on this board it appears that more fluid is required in the realize band to reach restriction.I am not sure why.

It sounds odd that the doctor thinks he may have a leak if it's only because he doesn't feel restriction. It seems the doctor would check the Fluid level rather than just let him worry. In the 9cc Realize Band, I've read that 7 to 7.5 cc is the level that most people feel great restriction. I have 11 cc in my 9 cc band, so I would have probably been like your friend with 6.4 cc in a 11 cc band.

Believe me, I became concerned that I had a leak too, but my doctor assured me that I didn't, and that I'd eventually get good restriction. It turned out that he was right, thankfully.

I have 10.1cc's in my 11cc Realize Band. I feel like I could still use a little more but I'm going to live with this, since I'm just starting out and have a long way to go. Moral of the story is that it can take quite a bit to get good restriction.

Edited October 21, 200916 yr by tvlbunny