Curley

Yes, the model is newer. There seems to be no info about it though!!! But, it is a new low pressure band with a different design. It is softer on the body. When it is filled, the person injecting will notice that the low pressure makes it different to fill. ie the fill does not spurt out when the port is injected. I believe its called AP band, and its by Inamed.

Thanks NewSho, I agree with everything you said. I put on so much inbetween not having restriction to now that hardly any of my wardrobe fits me anymore. I have jeans hanging up that just exist to mock me. Most of my boots wont even zip up!! I had such a funky wardrobe too from last year at a normal weight. Yes, for me, even a band that works at half capacity is still doing a massive job. My interest in this topic is definately not to gloat about how my doc is xyz etc. I really want to get the info out there that my doc who knows alot, was ademant that he would be rebanding me, scar tissue aside. I was terrified that he would get in there & find things too awful to reband. He seemed almost tickled with the thought that this would ever happen, and he really laughed. But, being the kind & respectful guy that he is, he assured me that this has only happened once out of all the times, and this person was rebanded latter. So it makes me wonder what is going on in the world where one side rarely rebands, and the other almost always does. My other concerns are that this band is not as strong & perfect as I once believed. I have come to believe that being too tight is the same as saying...`I really want to have a slip`. For me this means I have to put in more work than I would otherwise choose to. Also, I now believe that overeatting & pbing are also strong indications that you are ruining your chances of keeping the band. So I try to avoid this even though its a struggle. I have had the experience of mucking up once, & it takes alot out of you to try to get back on track. Realistically some of us will still have to fight the deamons full on, just to keep themselves from ruining the band.....which is hard because that is why we have the band!! Also, I have become more concerned about all the things that can go wrong with our fragile systems when the band is too tight, or slipped or eroded or placed wrong. We have to be on our guard to watch out for signs that things are not right. Fortunately some things are reversable but for some there will still be a huge cost.

I would be looking into some other opinions from band doctors who specialise in the band. I just want to mention that my doc was terribly surprised when I told him of all the slips that end up with the band being removed. He was surprised about the removal bit, because he has only ever replaced the band, not removed it (but for one time according to him). He is Professor Obrien who works with Inamed & helps design the new bands & is known worlwide for his work with the band. It just surprises me that some doctors make you wait 6 months to heal, some refuse altogether & others just replace with no issues!!!! Well, my band that was replaced at the same time as the old one being removed seems fine. I have a new type of band that is meant to be softer on the system. It still makes you pb, and it doesnt actually feel any different in that respect, but I can often eat fruit & salad which I couldnt before. I cant understand how you didnt have blood supply to your stomach, can you get clarification about that??? My thoughts are that there are many reasons why bands `fail`. Just because your first one did, doesnt mean it will happen again (for the same reason). Alot would depend on where the band is positioned, the type of band & your eatting habits with the band, and of couse fill levels. Good luck, I think my doc. would consider banding you unless you didnt have a stomach!!!LOL. He just doesnt see scaring etc as an obstical to banding.

Inamed. It has been trialed at my docs surgery since January & released in the last month or so. When I got my band replaced the port was not changed. I had an Inamed band before & this one is too!!! It is their latest model & includes some changes to the design which make it more tollerable to the body. Best luck, Sharon

Hi fellow AP bandsters. Im curious to read or hear something about this new band. Wouldnt you think it would be announced somewhere!!!! I can feel things get sort of stuck then go slowly & gently down. eg watermellon, chicken (not chewed enough), japanese rolls(the seaweed ones). I dont really feel full as such and have to stop myself from grazing, but Im not going crazy either (as much)!! I might get a touch more fil but dont want to not be able to eat fruit & vegs like last time, or go into abnormal eatting mode. I am willing to accept that I may never get perfect restriction where it is effortless. Im happy to have the band even if its not perfect. I would love to meet for a coffee one day.

Hi guys, I just wanted to let you know that I have a very new designed band from Inmed that is just out of trials. It is an AP band & is low pressure which means less chance of a blockage when something gets stuck. It is softer on the body. It is so new that I dont know anything about it really except that it is accepted as being an improvement over the other bands. I havent even got it to proper restriction yet as I had it put in about 6 weeks ago. My old band slipped & I ate very abnormally for about 2 years. I have an extra 10 kilos of weight that I put on inbetween bands & no restriction. At the moment I feel very overweight with no clothes that fit as I gave away all my large clothes. Even my boots dont fit!!! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about this new band that may be an answer for some who couldnt tollerate the old band.

I cant believe you lost sooo much. I would love to hear about your story!!! Maybe start a new thread. With my old band I definately contributed to the `slip` because I always pushed the limits with my eatting. I still went from 105 kilos to 65, nothing to sneeze at, but I didnt put effort into following the rules. For some reason the weight just came off even with me eatting junk & drinking with meals etc. My problems really started when I kept getting more fill to speed the weight loss or to compinsate for my lack of effort. ie instead of revising what I was doing incorrectly, I just wanted more fil. So being too tight eventually caused too much pressure from the pbing & it caused the band to fail. I plan to remember & learn from this 2nd time round. However, this new band has different signals than the old one. I can feel things getting stuck & then make their way down! That never happened with the old band. I can eat everything from chicken to california rolls. I dont know if its because the new band tollerates more food types or because Im not tight enough. It is interesting though to have a second chance, I hope I can make it work......because you know, of course I had to tell everyone in the world about being banded, & I am getting lots of comments!

Julie my stomach came up thru the band too!!! My lowest weight was 64kg & now I am 75!!!! Im really suffering because nothing fits. I live near The Avenue in Prahran. Im beginning to believe that the band seems to last 2 to 4 years before it gets teething problems???? I hope Im wrong. Every board I read seems to have problems lately. Three years ago all I heard was praise & 100% certainty that this was the answer. Now it seems you either cant get restriction, or it slips or you cant eat healthy food, or your throat spasms etc. It was much more fun when I had my rose coloured glasses on.....and my hipster jeans that fit!!!!

Hi Julie, looks like we are neighbours. Did your 1st band pass its use by date too? ie slip or the stomach moved??? Unfortunately, I lost alot of confidence (& face) since my ordeal because I put on 10 kilos sooo quickly inbetween no fills!!!! I hope Ive got it in me to do this again! I have a different attitude this time, with the knowledge that the band can not do it all for me. It will be interesting because I went thru a good year or 2 of maladaptive eatting & now I can eat real food again. I forgot how it felt to eat fruit & veg! You have done well, soo much lost!!! Dont you just love the Prof???

Hi, there are 2 sizes APS (small) and APL (large). Maybe its not Inamed, sorry if I assumed wrong. Prof Obrien told me its just out of trials & he was helping them with trialing it on his patients. I assumed he was associated with Inamed, but I could be wrong!! In any case it does exist & it is called the AP model band. It has a 360 degree inner chamber where the Fluid goes, as opposed to the Inamed one which doesnt join all around. Also the hinge that locks it doesnt touch the stomach as does the other ones.

I went for years. It is the same 12 steps as for alchohol. It is not weight loss based so technically, you could be morb. obese and succsessful with food. I do believe it is heartfelt, and the people involved really believe in it....but lets just say, if it worked I wouldnt have had to get the band. Parts of it are helpful, like get out of yourself, and accept the things you cannot change etc, but it is not `the` magic answer to obesity or eatting disorders.

Hi Penny, before you do anything, I would love you to talk (email?) with my doc, Professor Obrien in Australia. He was truely surprised when I told him of all the band removals that are going on O.S. (that I read about here). Just recently I also had a slip, and before the operation I asked what the chances were of not being able to replace my band. He sort of laughed & said, only once (out of 100`s) could he not progress with replacing a band due to complications. He did not view the scarring as an obstical to him being able to replace it. Also, there is a brand new band called the AV. It is much kinder on the stomach apparantly. I just got this one myself a week ago, havent road tested it yet! You have been so helpful to others, you deserve the best solution possible. Proffessor Obrien also does much research on obesity etc, and no doubt would be very interested in your delemer. It wouldnt cost to try. Good luck, Sharon

Hi, here is my update. Saw the Prof. this week after a slip. He informed me that they dont reposition the band but always replace it, so I will be getting a new band. He also told me a few interesting things. First, I dont have a slip as much as an extended/ stretched stomache. I said, well that`s definately my fault because I know I eat too much. To my surprise, he said, no, that is my fault, because we didnt educate you enough after you recieved your band. He is ademant that these days they have learnt that they werent stressing the importance of eatting small amounts, chewing well etc! So I will expect more lecturing this time! Also surprising is that the Prof. told me a new band will be released soon. He has personally put in 100 already as he is part of the design team. This band is newer than the VG band, and hasnt been released yet. He might put the new band in me (Sept 3rd). I dont know what makes it different, but that its an improvement and very exciting. He indicated that it was better tollerated???!!!! I look forward to ending my relationship with my current instrument of pain & suffering!

Thank you, I will definately update you on my progress!

Well, as for the symtoms, it was more a general not working of the band, or, it was hard work!!!LOL. So, basically I had a year of the band being too tight or too open. Gradually the amount of fill needed to make me too tight was microscopic. This meant that the band could no longer be adjusted. ie it was empty or too full. It took me a long time to come to terms that there was a problem, as I had been sailing along very well. An exray proved straight away that the problems werent in my head. I had a definate `extra` pouch that wasnt there before!!! To be honest, I was a complacent bandster towards the end. Although pbing was something I avoided in the beginning, by the end I was doing it more than 3 times a day, with the help of my fingers. It became my normal routine. I have been living really badly food wise for over a year too. The new band I mentioned has not been released by inamed yet. I am not saying it is better. The old band worked fine for me until it slipped. I just wanted to let you guys know that there are new designs in the pipe works. Maybe some of the many complications we see here will be addressed in the newer designs. Here`s hoping!!!

Wheeler, so you are a fellow Aussie? My computer has been down, so I couldnt reply till now! Did the Prof. put the band in too high?? That sounds like a big stuff up! Also why did they replace the band, and not just reposition it after the slip?? With all that farting it sounds like a gastric bypass!!! LOL But, in all seriousness, thats just not good enough! Gee, the band is sounding less & less perfect isnt it?? I also lost about 40kgs & it comes back very quickly when the band is not working...for me anyway!!! Please keep us posted. Maybe we will cross paths at the Ave!

Leatha, sorry to hear of your health delemers. You have still done well with the band weight wise. My surgeon refuses to do the gb as he thinks its too invasive. However, he might think its ok in extreem situations as he is not a black & white type of guy. I see him in 2 weeks, and will ask. Please keep us informed of your journey. I am surprised that your band is either too tight or loose, that sounds like a slip. A normal band has room to adjust it, hence the name!! I can understand the stop signs not working but I thought your fill was ok??? It sounds very complicated. Also, to the other poster, thanks for your kind words. What is the vanguard band, why is it newer or kinder on the stomache??

Hi, just a small point here, we do actually move a lot in our sleep ie roll around etc. My auntie with MS needs to get someone to help her do this at night. I am not sure why we are compelled to move in our sleep but our body forces us to!!! Also, with me, I fly a lot & only got greatly effected once. Im thinking I was too tight anyway & this took me over the edge. My last flight I was empty & had little consequences from the flight. My surgeon believes that some people definatly are effected, its not a myth.

Hmmm, thats what I was afraid of! I too dont get the stop signs now with the slip. They told me that even with fixing the slip, I might not get back to the point of getting stop signals. I guess if you are careful you can live without them!!! But I was one of those letting the band do all the work! These days when I eat too much I just pd....no warning signs. And the amount I can eat varies all day every day. I feel very out of control. Are you going to perservere with the band or are you looking at alternatives? Thanks for your honesty!

Leatha, this is new for me! I dont think they will need to replace the band, more just reposition it. Apparantly due to possible scaring, the new or repositioned band does not send signals like it once did. I understand that the stomache is not as receptive to signals due to the scaring. So I have to come to terms with the possibility that an operation might be effective & might not. I hold on to the chance that it will work out. The truth for me is that a band with little restriction is still better than no band, and I will have to adjust accordingly. I begged them to give me the by pass if it gets to that but my surgeon refuses to do this op. anymore. I doubt that I could live with it as I am not a complient type of patient & I couldnt take all the vitamins! :rofl: Please tell me why your 2nd band is not as good. Do you also think we get band lazy over the years & learn how to eat around it??? So it might appear to not be working, but really we are just getting band savy??

I also got unbearable restriction one time from flying, but not other times. It totally ruined my holiday as I couldnt eat, but could drink. I lost a lot of weight!! Since that one flight my restiction never worked out, either too tight or too loose. Now I know that my band has slipped. Im wondering if it was because I was too tight during my holiday, or maybe I was too tight because the band was already slipped. Its something I will never know.

Hi, Im from Aust. where the band is not new, and I had surgery with one of the top surgeons in the world....and I have a slip 3 years out!!! So it is not just related to surgeon skill imoh. No one knows why it happens but it just does. Hopefully my surgeon will go back in & fix it soon. My appointment is in 2 weeks. I am sad because the band no longer works like it did at the beginning. Im either empty or too full with a tiny fill. So the band cant be adjusted as it is now. Im told that revisions are not 100% effective. Something about 2nd time round. But if there is a chance I will take it. Did you know that many bandsters live very well with a slip & continue to loose weight & it doesnt bother them? Thats why they dont fix a slip just like that. First they have to assess whether its worth the risk to fix it. My surgeon is proffessor Obrien, and I am hoping he can give me back my old band which I loved. If we contribute to slippage ourselves (Im told by my surgeon we dont) then I did some pretty stupid things. For a long time I was too tight & pded many times a day. But, maybe that was due to the slip which may have occured years ago. I too was a finger down the throaght pber, as it was quicker and less painful. I remember things going down hill after my last holiday & after a plane trip. I was skin & bones because I couldnt eat anything the whole time. But since then I have had fill removed & am a hunky chunky gal again. Im so sad, but have hope. I too am not so gung ho to recomend the band like I used to. I am more balanced about the risks involved. I used to think it was perfect. I still think it is the best thing available, but it is not perfect! I liked things better when I was in my perfect band world!!! I still am grateful for what it can do, even if its not the whole answer. ie I would rather a band that is imperfect than no band at all.

Hi, I have been trying to save a photo but it doesnt seem to want to work! Any instructions for a computer dummy? Thanks, Sharon

Hi, my name is Sharon. Ive been banded for one year & started at 230 pounds & am now 148! I love my band so much! I have been lurking for awhile & you are a fantastic group of guys here! My fill was rescently made looser because it was so tight that I was getting sick from not eatting enough healthy stuff. I really miss my tight fill as it made loosing weight super easy. Now I am finding it hard! My doc was Professor O`Brien, one of the band pioneers. Hes so cool about stuff. We dont seem to have to do as much as other doctors make their patients OS. eg we dont have to go on liquids after or before a fill, and I didnt have to go on clear fluids after the band....infact anything that could go up a straw was fine by him. Im married with 3 kids & work as an accountant. Hope to get to know you all better , Sharon

And you have a moustache!!!! LOL What sort of bath have you been in??