megan

it was 99 pounds (ha, sorry, u.s. keyboard doesn't have pound symbol:) that was without flouro so i don't know how much it would be if he needed flouro to find your port (mine sticks out). he was a really nice guy and happy to do fills on patients that weren't his. easy to find office as well. m

i was staying in london for a few months last fall and needed a fill. i went to Dugal Heath. He hit my port first try and gave me the amount of Fluid i told him i needed:) here is his contact info: Dugal Heath t: 020 7234 2865 f: 020 7234 2998

altitude (flying) , or lack thereof (scuba), has no affect on your band. i've been diving several times since banding with no problems. m

if it were me, i would try the re-banding. i've heard of others having problems if the band isn't positioned just so. how great would it be if all it took was moving it a bit? for me it would be worth the extra surgery to be sure...before having a surgery that is so much more risky. but maybe its a good idea to get a second opinion? from a doc not in the same surgical group? good luck in your decision! j

i'm one of those whose restriction kicks in almost 10 days out from a fill......and even though i've been banded more than 2 yrs i still have no idea why this is--and no doc has been able to explain it to me. i have my fills under flouro, but i dont think that has anything to do with when our restriction is felt. And my restiction never varies--as in from day to day, some people report different degrees of restriction but mine is always steady. weird.

i've seen a plastic surgeon about moving my port--i already have the low profile port but it really sticks out. he suggested he replace it with a port used for breast implants--that he's done it with several other band patients and although its harder to find for fills (because its soo tiny) it works great. i contacte don mills and he's never heard of anyone doing this, which surprised me. also called my surgeon and a few other bariatric surgeons around the country and none of them have heard of it. anyone here had it done, or heard of doing it? thinking surely this particular ps cant be the only surgeon performing this procedure... thanks!

airwayman there are many types of implants. in case you want to know more: http://people.howstuffworks.com/breast-implant5.htm http://www.adjustablebreastimplants.com/index_flash.html same concept as the lapband, tube, port, saline in and out. m

thanks susannah--im not worried about that, plastic surgeons routinely move and reposition the port during tummy tucks and other procedures. i'm more concerned with the non-lap band port issue.....still waiting to hear more about that part from ps!

under the rib? is it hard to access? thanks! m

I remember reading somewhere that in other countries (australia being one) that they use the band to treat bulimia--something you might research and educate your doctor about. I think the reason your doc needs to know is due to possible damage you may have to your esophagus...due to the purging. glad you decided to let him know!

has anyone heard anything about dr dugal heath, in london? i'm an american in london for a few months, found this doc online, and he has agreed to give me a fill.....just curious to hear about his reputation or lack thereof:) thanks!! jessica

i've been diving 3 times since my banding 19 months ago. a few of those i got down to around 100-110 feet.....this all with a REALLY tight fill of 3.5 in a 4 band. zero problems. but i also never have varying restiction---its stays the same not matter what.....doesn't change for flying, periods or anything. jessica

Just curious as to your opinion on this. I keep hearing people say to get one at least once a year, but my doc doesn't seem concerned about my sudden hunger....let me give a brief summary. 11/04- banded. Have had 5 fills, the last one almost a year ago--currently at 3.5cc 1/06- I had an esophagram, doc says fill is tight, but all looks good (the films were sent via dvd/cd to out of state doc). 2/06--Reached goal weight. 4/06--I started getting a slight burning in my throat in the middle of the night but no reflux. Started taking a chewable pepcid before bed, problem solved. Current: Restriction is still good but for about 2 weeks now, I have been getting very hungry very shortly after I eat--sometimes less than an hour later! Nothing else seems to have changed in terms of restriction or anything else, but I am just HUNGRY! I am still keeping it to 3 meals a day, but this hunger is unexpected. I don't remember feeling this way ever--even pre-surgery I would stay full after a meal for longer than this... Does this sound like an issue to you? Could I need more of a fill? My restriction doesn't seem to have changed....I keep reading about complications people are having...do you think its a good idea to have an endoscopy? Could extreme heat have anything to do with it? Its been miserable here in Missouri lately.... So far this journey has been a piece of cake--have never pb'd, only had 2 instances of stuckage, that passed with an hour....really quite easy. It scares me to think that something is wrong now. Any suggestions would be appreciated!! Jessica

Thanks for the reply Dr. C! This may be a dumb question, but it is necessary to have a band doc do the endoscopy? (or does someone in radiology do this?) I ask because the doc who does my fills is 4 hrs away....and my surgeon is in tx. I have had an esophagram before here, then sent the dvd to my tx doc. Is that how an endoscopy works? Thanks again!! Jessica

its my understanding that the band is deep within the stomach cavity....remember they have to pull your liver out of the way...so that stands to reason the band is nowhere near the surface, so surface activity should have no baring...right? also, i think where the band is actually placed is really high..higher than we think. when i would get something stuck i would feel pain under my left breast, under my ribs...i think that is where the band is..at any rate, the only think to worry about is your port, and that you can control.... jessica

i just wanted to comment on the "not eating enough calories" theory. to me that just doesn't make logical sense. the whole idea with the band is to take in less calories--burning more than we take in is how we lose. we want to be dipping into our "reserves" if you will. we all have plenty of fat in storage--our bodies have the nutrients in storage that it needs--we could all probably go months without eating as long as we had water (which of course i am not recommending). just something to think about--would welcome anyone's comments on this. i am not picking on anyone who has mentioned this--as i had been told this for years as well, just lately doesn't seem to make sense to me....sorry to hijack the thread!

My starting weight was 181 with a bmi of 36--no comorbidities. Dr. Spivak was my surgeon, and i was self pay--he is excellent! Before banding, I had never lost more than a few lbs--every diet i did i gained. I too was unsure it would work for me but i wasn't willing to keep gaining, so went for it. I am now 117 lbs, 2 lbs from goal, and went from a tight size 14 to a size 2--all fairly effortlessly. The band ROCKS!

kelli not sure if anyone has talked about this yet, but one big bonus of the band is the pressure it places on the vagus nerve--a nerve that send the signal to the brain that you are full. the idea is that the band does double duty---it makes us full on a small amount of food, and the pressure on this nerve helps us feel full for a few hours after we eat (this is with restriction). this is why so many people (myself included) are finally able to eat better and stop obsessing over food--finally looking at it like it is intended--for energy and nutrition. which is why most of us failed with dieting--sure, most of us can/did follow diets for a time, we lost some weight, but in time we could not maintain that type of discipline. most all diets work--as long as you stay on them, and most of us can't live forever on shakes, or grapefruit, or no carbs.... hope that helps explain... jessica 181-119-115 11-09-04

i can't eat eggs....ever. they are really rubbery and many bandsters can't eat them. i don't eat breakfast per say....when i get up i just start drinking my Water, and usually don't eat for a few hours, as the water keeps me full--i find once i start eating i don't quit:) i think its okay to wait to eat for awhile. i find if i do that, its ends up being around lunch time, and i can eat normally then. its true, i usually end up only eating 2 meals and a snack, but i am about at goal so i won't fuss with what's working:)P because my band is more open at night, i prefer to have saved calories for then--good luck! jessica 181-120- 115 11-09-04

just wanted to let you know i know what you are feeling--I was a VERY slow loser.....one lb a week the whole time. i was very frustrated and bummed really....BUT, I can say, now that i am a little over a year out, it doesn't matter that it was slow--just that it happened! i am hovering around goal, feel great, and so happy with my band. Also it took 4 fills for me to get to where i needed to be...so chin up, 16 lbs in 12 weeks is still within normal weight loss for the band-youre doing great!! jessica 181-120-115 11-09-04 spivak

Dr. Spivak was my surgeon and I LOVE him:) Excellent bedside manner, excellent surgeon, helpful staff. Meet him and you will see--he just has this kind nature about him. Good luck Jessica 181-120-115 11-9-04

YES!! mine is really becoming apparent...and mine is already the mini/low profile port! looks like a little walnut under my shirt.... I have contacted my doc about moving it--right now its right in the middle of my stomache--about 2 inches above my belly button. looks a little like a 3rd, albeit underdeveloped, breast:) Apparently the doc says he can do it under local in his office--though that doesn't sound fun. the good thing about it being where it is--NO problems locating it for fills:) will post if i have it moved! jessica 181-120-115

Yes, totally worth it. As you can see, I am not a fast loser, averaging 1 lb a week, but I no longer have big blood sugar drops and I no longer obsess about food--its finally becoming about nutrition, not entertainment--to me that is worth every penny if I never lose another lb. But all this came with my second fill, so don't get discouraged if you don't lose weight before 1-3 fills--many people don't. I was terrified the weeks before surgery, I was so nervous. Even teh night before I was postin on message boards, asking if I should go through with it. Well I did, and I have no regrets. The whole surgery was a piece of cake. What doc are you using in Mexico? Jessica

Hello! Congrats on your decision to get your band! There is a doc near Kansas City, Dr. A. K. Tayiem--he has two offices, on in Atchison, the other I am not sure where. I am pretty sure he takes mexican patients and his fills are cheap! Here are some numbers I have for him but I am not sure they are current-- 913-541-0230, 913-492-0154. Make sure you have your aftercare covered BEFORE going to Mexico--I have seen many people on these boards that don't have things arranged, and find themselves sol if something goes wrong. I don't have a problem with people going out of states for surgery, just make sure you have your ducks in a row:) I am in southeast missouri and found it easier to stay around here for fills--even though my doc offers free fills for a year. There is a doc in St. Louis that I went to once, but I didn't like his policies (he won't see you for 8 weeks between fills) so I found a doc in Nashville-a few hours away. So far so good! Good luck!! Jessica 11-09-04 Spivak 180-165-115

Hi! I live in MO and was banded on 11/9/04 by Dr. Hadar Spivak in Houston TX. I was self pay and paid 12g. You are going to be hard pressed to find anything cheaper in the states--I did hear there is a doc in Mesquite TX that charges a little less (maybe 10g?), but I don't really know anything about him. Really the average rate is around 22g--I called several docs around the country and I found this to be pretty standard. Alot of self payers go to mexico--prices there range from 7-10 grand. There are yahoo groups just for mexican patients that you can check out. I am currently looking for a local fill doc--will be making alot of calls tomorrow:) Good Luck!