Leakage?

Gail CB · June 26, 2006

I had my Lap Band surgery done the 6th of April. I have had two fills.

One was 1.3 and the second was .8. That one was two weeks ago. I have not thrown up once. I have had NO restriction at all. I am going back to my surgeon but I am very concerned. There is no doubt in my mind that there is leakage. Does anyone know where I go from here? Who pays the bill if the band has malfunctioned and I have to have something replaced?

leatha_g · June 26, 2006

It's very possible you simply haven't reached a point of restriction for your personal anatomy and band. No need to panic. Many do not get what they feel is adequate restriction immediately, depending on band size, anatomy etc, it could take a few fills. Rule of thumb is if you don't notice any restriction after 2 weeks, get another fill. Good luck to you, you'll get there, I promise!

Gail CB · June 26, 2006

thanks for your quick reply. My doctor told me after the second fill that I shouldn't return for 4 to 6 months so that is why I was concerned. I was wondering...I noticed that you had to be rebanded. Did yo have to absorb the cost of the second surgery also?

leatha_g · June 26, 2006

I would NOT wait 4-6 months for any fill, especially if my doc had a global fee for fills in the first year after surgery. 4-6 weeks?? maybe...

My insurance did have to pay for the second surgery, yes.

Jachut · June 26, 2006

My doc checked this for me because it was like overnight, what restriction I had just disappeared. The whole 1.4 ml was there. I had .3 added and its made no difference whatsoever. It was just after I started running, I got about six or seven weeks into it and completed my fun run and all of a sudden I could eat like a normal person again.

My doc says intense aerobic exercise burns huge amounts of your visceral fat, the fat that is around your organs and deep in your belly. And yes, that'd be true becuase whilst my bodysize dropped quite substantially, I still appear to have all the surface flab still. Its like someone popped a balloon and I deflated (although my skin kept up than goodness). I guess I just lost a ton of weight round my actual stomach.

It could be the same for you too. It is normal to lose restriction as you shrink.

carlacollins · June 26, 2006

Wait 4-6 months for a fill WHAT...no....my doc still has me come once a month to see if I need a fill....if I was betting I wouldnt think you had a leak...I would think you havent met your sweet spot for restriction yet...

Gail CB · June 26, 2006

Thanks for the information. I have not lose any weight since I was banded and have never felt any different in

my appetite. Hopefully I will be able to get this fixed without surgery.

Trace Curry · June 27, 2006

Gail,

You have 2.1cc's and no restriction. I give almost all my patients 2cc on the first fill and they almost never have restriction. I can't tell you for sure that you don't have a leak, but odds are you just don't have enough saline in. The "no fill for 4-6 months" thing is crazy, I'd have you back in my office in 2 weeks for another fill. I don't understand why some surgeons want to use the band as some sort of punishment device, only offering fills after putting you though some kind of torture by waiting forever. The band is a tool, once you buy it, use it, that's my philosophy.

Hang in there!!

Dr. C

Cincinnati, Ohio

www.TheBandDoctor.com 877.442.BAND

DISCLAIMER: I am not your surgeon, any comments made by me are not meant to be taken as medical advice, just general guidelines. Contact your surgeon about your specific problem!

I had my Lap Band surgery done the 6th of April. I have had two fills.
One was 1.3 and the second was .8. That one was two weeks ago. I have not thrown up once. I have had NO restriction at all. I am going back to my surgeon but I am very concerned. There is no doubt in my mind that there is leakage. Does anyone know where I go from here? Who pays the bill if the band has malfunctioned and I have to have something replaced?

paula · June 27, 2006

Hey Gail,

MY doc ask for us to wait 4 weeks between fills. Each time he administers a fill - he begins by pulling out the old fill amount before adding more... just to check how many cc's are charted compared to what he pulls out. This is a way for him to check for leaks.

Do you know if your doctor does this too?

Another thing I wanted to add is that many of us find restriction 4 -6 weeks after the last fill. Not sure why, but this seems to happen often.

Hang in there.

In a couple of more weeks, you'll know if youre ready for another one.

Gail CB · June 27, 2006

Paula

I have never thought of removing the saline to see how much is still in there but you bet I will ask the doctor tomorrow about doing it. I'm sure he will appreciate me telling him how to do it but at this point I'm very concerned.

I got another post from Dr. Curry who does Lap Band surgeries and he

is very encouraging to me.

Thanks for your input.