NaNa

Yes, sometimes it takes about 2-3 weeks before a fill settles in, this is why it's important not to get piggy back fills, and wait the recommended 4-6 weeks between fills.

A cough with the band, that is not related to a cold, indicates reflux, and a cough can eventually lead to aspirating food into your lungs. You need to talk to your lap band surgeon about your cough. A consistent cough also is a early sign of reflux and pouch dilation. I am not a doctor, but I am just sharing what I've learned and seen others have/or experienced in the last 8 years with my band. Good luck

You mentioned: Perhaps the area of the country I reside in has ethical medical professionals. And the many doctors, attorneys, and judges I have interfaced with through the course of my long career also abided by the professional ethics set forth by their respective professional boards as well. Your signature indicates you live in Florida, I've heard enough about Florida lately and their laws that the rest of the country think is a joke these days.., so enough said about Floridians and THEIR LAWS and their professionalism ...lol

Carole, Anything I say on the internet I can back up with studies, and cited reference material, I don't generalize I post FACTS. If you are naive enough to believe there are no "unethical" surgeons and they are all so "professional" you are living in a small bubble, and very soon it will pop. If you have not heard about MANY "unethical and unprofessional surgeons" out in California that sparked a congressional hearing regarding deaths of lap band patients and many suffered complications and Billboards were everywhere out in California a few years ago, and if you are naive enough to believe all surgeons are so so professional, I really feel sorry for you. I don't believe everything I read on the internet also, but I've known of Dr. Simpson over 8 years, he used to be a regular poster on the OH, before the lap band forum on OH was destroyed with band bashing which is a shame. Dr. Simpson has seen a lot of lap band abuse from both patients and surgeons, so have I. If you've had a lap band complication, I am sorry to hear that, of course I am no doctor, and I don't care to be, I am a software engineer by trade and I am very happy with my career. I've had enough issues with my old band to have EARNED my strips and have seen others with various lap band issues over the 8 years to try to help others. Again, anything I say I can surely back it up with studies and cited material.

Bandista, Thank you and that blog of Dr. Simpson is right on the money and so true, from what I've seen over the 8 years, having a band-friendly surgeon and aftercare is more important than getting the band.

Jim, You are right on the money! Let's get real here, most surgeons like to cut, they like to operate and be done and not have to deal with filling a lap band and dealing with unfilling/refilling the band. Also, the Sleeve is the big thing now just like the band was about 5 years ago, and I see the same thing happening with the band, now happening with the Sleeve, that was one of the reasons I went with the band again, if anything happen I can get it removed, whereas, if anything go wrong with the Sleeve, I am SOL. The Sleeve and the Bypass can be a good surgery for certain circumstances, but they also come along with long term issues that I've researched. Once the surgeon has cut you and rearranged your guts, they really don't need to see you again, but with the band, they MUST see you since it is a specialized surgery and only a band surgeon can identify and treat any lap band related issues, but surgeons can push Bypass and Sleeve people to other internist, and doctors to deal with their hypoglycemia and Vitamin deficiency and a lot of these issues are under reported whereas any blip with the lap band such as vomiting is cited as a complication. This is why is it critical for anyone who is seeking a band should research their surgeon and seek lap band-friendly surgeons who will take the time to follow the patient progress and proper fill adjustments.

You are welcome Missy!

Sojouner, It's ok to disagree with me, but I will tell you, you are a "rookie" at the lap band, and I've seen a whole lot regarding the lap band. There are MANY "bait and switch" surgeons, they know MOST patients WANT the band, and they will either talk them into the Sleeve or Bypass and tell them that the band will not work for them, which it probably won't because they will offer them horrible aftercare, I've SEEN it too many times over the 8 years I've had a band seen others with horrible issues due to horrible aftercare. So does Dr. Simpson agree with "bait and switch" surgeon based on his lengthy blog of his thoughts about the TRUTHFUL demise and issues that many lap band surgeons have caused including that 1800- scam clinic that sparked a congressional investigation. Most banders lap band experience will be as good as the surgeon who installs it and the aftercare they receive, and patient compliance. Here is the link http://www.yourdoctorsorders.com/2013/05/lap-bands-perfect-storm-and-turn-around/

Well, if you go to OH which is a anti-lap band website you will hear nothing but negativity about the band. Anyone who post there nowadays are seeking revisions and are very bitter about their band experience. Also, you have to take into perspective the type of complications that occur with the band, most are simple things, like vomiting, reflux, heartburn, port leaks and tubing leaks, these are the majority of issues that occur with the band. Frequent reflux/vomiting is a symptom of lap band problems, such as slippage or dilation. Some people live with a slipped band for years, who don't have good aftercare, and end up needing emergency surgery to remove the band. Port and tubing leaks are not dangerous, but annoying and can get costly if someone is self pay and don't have money to fix or replace the band, this is why many people who are self pay should have a rainy day fund for any unforeseen lap band issues. However, these things can get severe if not treated promptly, like food obstruction can get life threatening and cause repeating vomiting and dehydration if someone does not seek medical attention by a lap band surgeon immediately. There are many people that do not have aftercare with their bands, many went to Mexico and don't have a surgeon to see them regularly in the US, some people have very poor aftercare with the surgeon that sees them in the US also, some lose their insurance, and no longer can afford the aftercare with their bands, so if you dig deep in how most people suffer complications, they are usually not really caused by the lap band. Also things like food obstruction which usually can be easily treated easily, can turn into a horrible complication if the patient does not see their lap band surgeon immediately to remove saline from the band. Also, everyone's body reacts differently with the band, some people have a weak or short esophagus and are not good candidates for the band, and they can't stand the pressure of a tight band and sometimes this will cause esophageal motility issues long term, but from all the studies I've read even people with a weak esophagus and motility issues return to normal after the band is removed. , Also I agree with the above poster Lellow, Australia have better lap band stats than the US because they have better aftercare surgeons, many surgeons in the US do not like offering aftercare and filling the lap band-- many surgeon view aftercare with the lap band to be annoying, many in the past have pushed them to Primary Care Physicians for fills, and other fill givers that do not fill the band properly, who know nothing about the band. Many of these surgeons were Bypass surgeons and only did the band as a "side project" because MOST people WANT the lap band and the bypass surgeons would do a bait and switch on patients, not fill the band properly and many people never get to the green zone, either too tight or not enough and patients would get so frustrated and remove the band, and the Bypass surgeon would gladly remove the band and revise them to the bypass, and that happens WAY too much in the US. I've had a lap band for almost 8 years and I would not change to any other procedure, I could have revised to the Bypass or Sleeve last year when I got my band replaced due to a hiatal hernia, but I see too many Bypassers and Sleevers struggling with weight gain long term, and dealing with other long term health issues such as reflux, Vitamin deficiency and hypoglycemia. I will risk lap band complications any day before I would risk Sleeve, or Bypass complications. Also check out the revision forum on OH, many people are desperate and seeking help from weight gain with the Sleeve and Bypass, many long term Bypassers are NOW seeking bands over their bypass, my surgeons also says many Sleevers are asking for bands too, but they can't because they don't have enough stomach left, but their small stomach has stretched too much to be effective without serious deiting, but some surgeons are putting some type of mesh bands over Sleeves, never let negative people fool you some have other motives for band bashing. Good luck.

Unfortunately, slime comes along with being banded period WITH a restricted band. EVERYONE at some point in their banded life will slime, some more than others, so get used to it..LOL. It's the bodies way of lubricating your food to try to slide it down instead of it coming back up. It's the price you pay for tight restriction, if you don't like sliming, you can also remove a little saline in order for you to eat better, but I am sure you don't want to do that, so you will have to suck it up and find ways to minimize it. It's the same with Bypassers most will dump soon or later, same with the band most will slime sooner or later. You can minimize your sliming incidents by either drinking something warm prior to a meal, the band is tightest in the morning for most bandsters and many will have something light like yogurt, or a Protein drink for breakfast instead of trying to eat eggs and sausage. Also sliming is DIFFERENT than actually Pbing, Pbing is acutally bring the food back up -- similar to vomiting, which if done every day for long periods of time can cause pouch dilation and other issues. Sliming is not that serious since your mouth just waters and you start spitting out gobs of slimy spit, and you don't bring force upon your stomach or band. Welcome to being a full fledged lap bander .

If you've had some esophagus "issues" this means you've been too tight before, remember the band is a tool, I know it can be tough losing weight with the band, but we can't rely heavily on the band to do all the work, without causing complications. It's a 50/50 deal. First you have to make sure you are eating dense Proteins to promote satiety, sliders and junk will pass right through the band and if you are too tight, you will always be hungry because you will not eat enough to stay satiated for 4-5 hours between meals. Remember you have to do your part too, having restriction is only a small part of weight loss and success. You have to have a plan and stick to it, have a daily exercise regimen that you can stick with, count your calories of everything you put in your mouth, drink plenty of Water, sometimes thirst can mimic hunger. Also acid reflux can mimic hunger too, so if you have heartburn or reflux you may need to start a PPI like Prevacid. If you get your band filled again, remember it's not all about restriction, you only want enough saline to dim your hunger and not stop you from eating, the band is not designed to do that, it's designed to help you stop eating and pull back from the table. Also measure your food, think of a pixie cup, only eat no more than that per meal or 4oz. You can do this! Good luck.

With a properly restricted lap band (not too tight) most people can eat a variety of foods, just smaller amounts. Some foods are more bothersome to lap banders such as dry chicken, thick doughy breads, hard apples, chinese food, rice, since it can swell inside the pouch. I can eat all foods, if I choose to eat bread, it has to be thin, toasted and crunchy. Ideally you should be able to eat most foods as long as you eat carefully and chew well, and if you are very restricted, wait a few minutes before taking the next bite to ensure it goes down to prevent getting food stuck and vomiting. The lap band pouch opening when restricted is the size of a pencil eraser and food funnels down like a drain, if you pile too much food in at one time, especially thick food, it will pile up and come back up, or worse get stuck in your pouch. While losing weight, most people are advised to steer clear of white bread, rice, potatoes, sugar, flour, etc, anything white. If you can't eat most solids (without pain or frequent vomiting), something is either wrong with the band, or it is too tight.

The choice to have a life altering surgery should be YOURS and YOURS alone, not your surgeon because years down the road if you have any issues they will be on you and on you alone. I know many people that have had the Bypass and over the years have had numerous complications and their surgeon never had to see them again after the first few years, many are living with life threatening Hypoglycemia and other chronic issues and the surgeon could care less and they are pushed back to their PCP or internist or other medical doctors to deal with their long term issues. You have to first figure which surgery YOU want and can live with, some people do not want the lap band because it requires fill adjustments and some do not want a foreign object in their body. But again, the Sleeve, Bypass and DS weight loss surgeries have foreign objects too such as staples, which can cause issues too long term, like staple line disruptions which can cause chronic stomach issues. The band requires maintenance and most people get yearly Upper Gi's to check the position of their bands, some people cannot afford this, but again, with ANY weight loss surgery you will have some type of maintenance like Bypass, Sleeve and DS folks have a different type of maintenance of bi-yearly or yearly labs to check for Vitamin deficiencies, many people think having the Sleeve does not require this, but it DOES, since removing part of the stomach also removes a large chuck of the stomach where critical B nutrients are absorbed, and they are seeing long term Sleeve folks with many vitamin deficiencies as the Bypass folks now in a recent study I just read. If I was diabetic, I may have chose the Bypass, but the risk of complications outweighed the benefits for me, and also I don't like the idea of dumping syndrome all my life or long term hypoglycemia that so many Bypassers have. There are also risks with the Lap band too, there is a very high complication rate, but most are not serious, if you get immediate attention to any problems -- and not let any problems go to far which can cause emergency band removal, but the band may require repeated surgeries and you need to make sure you have good insurance and plan for any unforeseen lap band problems. Also, If you are thinking about the lap band you need to arm yourself with knowledge of how the band works, how to avoid complications, making sure the lap band is a good fit for your body, you can get all this information from reading the lap band contraindications on the lap band website. I've had lap band inside my body almost 8 years and I don't regret it, in fact I just had a new band put in last year due to a hiatal hernia and pouch dilation, but my issues were caused by filling the band too tightly about 7 years ago, and also my first surgeon did not repair a hiatal hernia which over the years started causing reflux if I wanted my band tighten optimally. I decided to get a new band placed rather than revising to the Sleeve or Bypass because I see too many people struggling and gaining weight back after 2-3 years and most Band to Sleeve revisions are not successful because many Banders have tighter restriction than with the Sleeve and I have seen many have not lost any or not much weight at all after they revised to the Sleeve, virgin Sleevers tend to lose more and I was not willing to risk removing my stomach for hard core dieting, for little or no weight loss. Good luck

Congrats! The sweet spot is sweet when you get it, it's like golden high .

First fills are rarely effective, it usually take about 3-5 (every 4-6 weeks) before your band works optimally, for some people it takes a bit longer, depending on how much is added each time. After each subsequent fill, and you notice you are getting near your green zone, your fills should get smaller and smaller. Give it about 2 weeks, for many people it takes about 2 weeks before the fill settles in. This is why it is very important to see your surgeon every 4-6 weeks the first year to ensure you get your band working properly, sometimes it may take many tweaks, or small unfills to get it adjusted in the green zone for effective weight loss. Getting the band sure requires patience! But hang in there, you will get restricted soon, keep eating Protein first, and veggies if you have room and measure your food up to 3 to 4 oz.

Sounds like you had a good ole fashion band whipping. I've had a few in the last 7 years and they are no fun. None of mine required emergency unfills, but I have had food stuck for SEVERAL hours and vomited for hours until the food came back up with my first lap band, but I surely thought I was gonna die. Many people have had to get their bands REMOVED in an emergency from obstruction, one girl I know about 6 years ago was out eating with her family at breakfast and ate a biscuit (BAD CHOICE) and the biscuit got stuck so bad, she vomited repeatedly and could not stop, removing all the saline from the band did not help, they ended up removing her band that same day, her stomach was just too obstructed. I would say MOST of lap band removals are from either eating too much food on a too tight band (which eventually will cause horrible reflux, damage esophagus) and frequently getting food stuck and vomiting every single day.. When you get restricted optimally, there are some foods you should never eat, or eat with EXTREME caution, these foods have caused people to get their bands removed which are thick bread, hard apples, grilled dry chicken, chinese food, especially the rice, it's gummy and will swell, and will cause obstruction, I've had repeated vomiting from it with my old band. You have to eat band friendly foods as long as you have a restricted band, bread and bagels are not lap band-friendly, all of your food should be moist, like baked very moist chicken and not grilled, things like low calorie Protein based casseroles, anything in a crock pot, like stews. Many people will say they vomit every single day, but they forget to mention that they tried to eat a burger and fries, these foods will cause obstruction and vomiting on a very restricted band. Some people will vomit so much until they cause band damage and once the band is damaged by slippage or dilation, unfilling will not help, and they will get reflux so bad until the band will have to be removed. It's not really hard living with a band and avoid vomiting but you just have to choose your food wisely.and chew well. Sorry about your experience, hope you and your band is on the mend.

Wow! You look like a different person. You must feel on top of the world.

Remember fills should not be "automatic" they should only be given when "needed" a few people never need fills, but most do. If you are still losing weight and your hunger is dimmed most of the time, it is probably a good idea that you cancel your fill until after your vacation, and then re-evaluate after you return from vacation if you truly need one. Just enjoy your vacation! You will have plenty of time to get that fill.

I totally agree! Having had the band for almost 8 years, many people get addicted to saline like a drug! Some will not let go of any saline, if the scale is moving in the right direction, until it is WAY to late and they have irreversible band damage either to their esophagus or pouch, which causes horrible reflux and often band removal. It should never hurt to have a band, I know sometimes it can be annoying and tricky to find the green zone without being too tight, but you have to ease up on restriction and once you get near the green zone, the subsequent fills should be very small like 0.1 and never a big fill.

I have not posted on here in a long time, ( a few years) I used to be a regular post on Obesity Help too, until all the band bashing made all the veteran bandsters leave. It seems like a place now for people seeking revisions from the band to something else, and it is no longer a place where anyone with a lap band or seeking a band should post, in my opinion. I also got busy with life, marriage, traveling, etc, living a great post op life, and I have not posted in any forum for a while, and thought I would come back home to LBT to share my journey /accomplishments and struggles and help newbies. I had a hiccup in my journey last year due to an un-diagnosed hiatal hernia that was never repaired during my first band placement, which also contributed to a small pouch dilation (surgeons were not routinely repairing hernia back in 2005), and had my old 4cc/10cm lap band replaced with the new AP small band. I had to switch surgeons to seek a highly qualified revision surgeon because a lot of surgeons are now moving away from the band which in my opinion, at least until a "new buyer is chose for the lap band" which is a disservice to those who really want bands, and what I've read and researched, those who are really wanting lap bands need to search carefully for band-friendly surgeons to offer great aftercare, which is more important than getting the band. Aftercare is the key to success with the band, and having a surgeon that believes in you, and will follow your progress. I was on vacation recently for about 3 weeks out in California and Vegas and I put back on some pounds by eating sweets and I want to take those pounds back off. I started my journey in a size 26 8 years ago, and my lowest size was 8/10, I maintained my weight in a size 10/12 for a solid 6 years until I got married and started having band issues last year but, I settle around a size 12/14, which is not too bad considering where I came from. I am overall happy with my new band, however my old 4cc band felt tighter, and I got restriction quicker with my older band, than with this new AP small band, but I am happy with my new AP band because I have never PB, or had any real issues so far, and I am very optimistic with my new "improved AP band".

Thank you Joe! I really loved my 4cc band, wished I could have kept it, but in order for my surgeon to repair my hiatal hernia they had to removed the 4cc band since they don't unbuckle without destroying the entire lap band system. I've had my new band going on 10 months and I am hopeful!

Did you get your band deflated when you got pregnant? I've heard of so many having issues with restriction after pregnancy IF they did not remove saline prior. Also you got pregnant really early after your band placement. You could have a hiatal hernia, most don't show up on a normal Upper Gi series, mine did not, they usually can tell with an EGD, endoscopy what is exactly going wrong, you may want to ask your surgeon for an EGD to get to the bottom on your pain. Good luck!

Could you provide a little bit more information? Like when did you have your surgery and what were you eating and do the pain come and go or is it persistant, we are not doctors, so we can't diagnose your problems, we can just try to share the experiences we've had.. Typically back pain can be a variety of issues, it can be a hiatal hernia, eating too much food, or some type of inflammation.

Your are welcome! And congrats on your upcoming surgery!

Thank you! Small world, Dr. Moazzez placed my first band, are you still in Northern, VA? By the way you look great! I think I was Dr. Mo's 10th band placement, so I guess I paved the way for so many....