Is It Leaking?

Chelley · July 26, 2006

:help: I'm very worried my VG band could be leaking. I had surgery April 18th, a 2.8 cc fill June 12th, a 2.5 cc fill July 10th and a 2.4cc fill July 24. The radiologist who is doing my fills has no explaination as to what could be happening to my fills. Upon aspiration at the time of fill #2, the doctor could only pull back 0.5cc of my original 2.8cc fill. Today, he didn't tell me how much he aspirated b/c he probably knew i'd freak out! Has anyone else had a similar problem with the VG band?

Trace Curry · July 26, 2006

Chelley,

This is pretty common and no big deal if it's fill #2 especially. The VG probably takes about 3cc's to "prime" it and sometimes in the OR it doesn't get done. It doesn't hurt anything, but the first fill then some of the Fluid goes to the priming. I see it all the time and it's not a bad thing unless it keeps happening every time.

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!

:help: I'm very worried my VG band could be leaking. I had surgery April 18th, a 2.8 cc fill June 12th, a 2.5 cc fill July 10th and a 2.4cc fill July 24. The radiologist who is doing my fills has no explaination as to what could be happening to my fills. Upon aspiration at the time of fill #2, the doctor could only pull back 0.5cc of my original 2.8cc fill. Today, he didn't tell me how much he aspirated b/c he probably knew i'd freak out! Has anyone else had a similar problem with the VG band?

Chelley · July 26, 2006

Thanks for your explaination. There isn't a lot of information out there about the VG band. I appreciate your response & feel better just having a few more facts about the VG band.

DrHekier · July 27, 2006

I completely agree with Dr. C.

The VG has a much larger capacity than the other two sizes of Bands, and as a result is more likely to have retained air. As Dr. C says, it takes a fill or two to 'prime it', that is to say, get the air out. It is not uncommon for us to see less Fluid come out on fill #2, than what was put in on fill #1. We even see this at times with the 9.75 and 10 cm bands.