Lap band question for all

[Cherry 71]

Yesterday a discussion ensued at a family dinner where both my mother and sister insisted that lap bands can go on the stomach with nothing left out of the belly to adjust them.

I know nothing about the lap band but I thought there's a "little meter" that needs to be accessed by the doctor in order to adjust the band.

Can anyone elaborate? In the past 5 years or so, had this style band surgery changed? Thanks

[abarmann 0]

I had a port that was attached to my stomach lining inside...the would stick a needle in it to fill my band with saline to tighten it.

[GG'sArtsMom 42]

I'm not definite in my response without doing research, but I can't imagine there is a lap band that just goes in the stomach without the ability to be adjusted. It would seem pointless since the theory behind the band is that it is adjustable.

I have heard there is a band that can go over an RNY if people are having issues with regain- perhaps that is just a band and maybe what your family was thinking of?

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Google non adjustable gastric banding. It does exist, it was the precursor to the adjustable gastric band and has very much fallen out of favor. Never really got popular.

[Cherry 71]

Thank you SoccerMomma - that's the answer I was looking for (mostly)

I don't know a whole lot about the band, but I suppose I was mistaken to think the "port" comes out of your abdomen for doctor access..... apparently it is sewn into the inside of your skin and then the "saline" is injected through your skin into the "port" (not called a meter thingy as I originally referred to it as). I read up about how some people experience feeling it or a lump where it is, and some will elect to have it put unter the muscle.

Meanwhile, my mother & sister know very little about it personally (they just want to act like they know about it).

This all came up because my mother accused me of having "one of those lab band things" done. I was a little pissed off about the whole discussion...... then my sister said that there is no "meter" that is accessed. I dropped the discussion because I was already pissed off. My family does not know I had RNY 4 weeks ago.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

I never got thin enough my port was visible but I could feel it. Didn't really bother me unless I leaned over the tub to clean it or something else that put direct pressure on it.