fluid loss without a leak???

[Banderina 69]

Is this possible? My band lost some Fluid but the doc said its probably not a leak..I was supposedly at 6.25 had my level checked and only 5cc came out. The fluid was clear and he said if it was a leak I would have lost more fluid and the fluid wld be yellow not clear...so what gives?

[cheryl2586 3,053]

If you sat in 98 degrees and you were Water you would evaporate. Same with band Fluid. It will evaporate eventually. As to what extent I cant tell you that.

[Banderina 69]

I've only had my band ten months..and I have heard of evaporation. Still concerned.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

How long ago was it verified you had 6.25cc in until you only had 5cc in it?

Btw, you can have a leak without it being discolored. If you have a small slow leak, it wouldn't be fast either.

[JACKIEO85 308]

The Lap Band and tubing is a Close system Not sure how Saline could evaporate from that?

[lellow 1,713]

How long between when you had 6.5cc in there and when you had 5cc?

I ask because my leak was slow. The Fluid was NOT discoloured either. I lost about 0.25cc a week.

Attrition (loss of Fluid from the band) is said to happen but I actually think it's more about a loss of the level of effectiveness in the band in a patient who has had it a long time than actually fluid loss. I could be wrong, of course! But a 1.5cc loss in a relatively short period of time is a leak. Pure and simple.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Even if the band is a closed system it would be no different then a closed jar of Water. If it sits long enough it will evaporate.

[Banderina 69]

I didn't have an issue until I went from 6 to 6.5 then I went back two days later for an unfill of .25 . I almost immediately had no restriction. I waited three weeks to go back for a fill. This is when he checked the Fluid and only 5 came out. He put back 5.5 I go back in a month to see what the level is. I'm so not happy about this. I've only had my band for 10 1/2 months.

He really downplayed it and doesn't think its a leak. But where the heck did all that Fluid go? I read that sometimes not all the fluid will retract out. I dunno. I'm tired from worrying about it. :/

[lellow 1,713]

My doctor had said before 'sometimes we can't get it all out' yet over time, it became clear it wasn't just them not getting it out, it was actually going missing. It took lots of visits spaced a few months apart for it to become undeniably apparent that I had a leak.

Though in your case, 1.5cc in 3 weeks is not that slow anyway. That's 0.5cc a week. I was losing half that.

[Banderina 69]

No he hadn't checked the level everytime I went. And I didn't go since april up until a month ago. I was fine until I had the small unfill and then I lost almost all restriction.