melaniemachado

Check out Puget Sound Surgical Center in Seattle. They have a new out of town program that is very comprehensive. They are know to be the highest skilled laporoscopic surgeons in the U.S. My dad and his wife had their surgery with this clinic. I guess the are the best in the U.S. Good Luck!

Pacific Nutrition and Wellness has added a fill program to its comprehensive bariatric post operative clinic. Karin Heusted is an ARNP who trained at Columbia University Hospital for lap band fills. The center has programs that include nutrition counseling, personal fitness training and group therapy. www.pacificnutritionwellness.com People banded outside the U.S.A. are welcome to apply for the program. Insurance accepted if benefits are available.

Flouro is available. Good fill programs do not need flouro for every fill. Costly, radiation and it only shows liquid passing through the band. Food volume, satiety, type of food tolerances, hunger and weight loss are the best indicators of restriction. Flouro should be reserved to see esophageal dilitations, band slips, port tilts or other aparatus malfunctions. Flouro also helps with hard to access ports. Hope this helps.

Sleeve patients do well on all full liquids and all pureed foods the first 2 weeks post operatively. liquid yogurts, thinned refried Beans (with broth), smoothies with added egg beaters as they are a pasteurized, blended cottage cheese with pureed fruit! have fun. Melanie Machado, RD, CD (I have over 150 sleeve patients in my clinic)