Lap band capacity: 10cc's vs. 4cc's

[Guest ZenGarden]

Hi everyone:

I've seen a lot of people who claim their lap band only holds 4cc's of liquid and I'm confused by this. Inamed Health is the manufacturer of the gastric adjustable lap band, and according to the medical spec sheet (downloaded from the internet) all of the bands have a 10cc limit.

I did research for two years prior to having lap band surgery, and I have not seen/read anything that states that band only holds 4cc's total. Just curious as to where everyone is reading/hearing that information?

[Alexandra 55]

The original bands, measuring 10cm and 9.75 cm in circumference, did indeed have a 4cc max capacity for Fluid. Maybe they're not marketing those anymore, since there are newer and presumably better ones now available.

[waterlily1072 5]

You must have misunderstood, there are different sizes of band some only hold 4cc's and others hold 10cc's. They all close down to the same diameter when full of saline. I understand there is a larger 11cc band now too. Inamed currently makes at least 2 differetn sizes that I know of. Then there are other brands too that are available outside the US.

[Guest ZenGarden]

<p>Alexandra:</p> <p> </p> <p>Thank you for the clarification. Very sorry to hear about your slippage and wish you the best of luck with the new band.</p>

[sgrennan 7]

A size 10 band only hold 4cc of saline. A size ten does not mean 10 ccs. That is what my dr has told me. I did hear that you could streatch that a bit and put just a bit more in. I hope they can hold more im already up to 3cc and have very little restriction.

[fabfatgrl 10]

. I hope they can hold more im already up to 3cc and have very little restriction.

Don't worry... as you get closer to capacity sometimes only 0.1 ccs can make all of the difference. It becomes all about fine tuning... very very tiny fills and unfills to find the perfect spot.

[Dr Garwood 1]

there are 4,9,10,14cc vol bands now, have the surgeons office explain to you what size fll vol you have. the larger bands have a higher vol. to obtain to reach the sweet spot. Be patient and qork with the fill person and see them every week until it is right. The fill center should have a policy of returnat no charge in a week if fil is not adequate, i know that we do that for all of our patients.

[elle 1]

I asked my surgeon what size band I had and he said 12cc. I don't understand. I know it is an allergan band. Do you know about a 12cc band. I also wondered about whether it will take longer to get restriction, because it holds more saline. I was told for my first fill that he put in 3ccs which is a standard basic amount. Now at my second fill, he measured what was there and said it was 2 ccs. Can you lose saline or did I misunderstand or is it just not exact when you withdraw the saline to measure. He added 2ccs so he said I total 4ccs. (I think it would be 5ccs.)

[Wheetsin 714]

Allergan has the "old" bands which held 4cc (2 options) and 10cc. Their new AP bands hold 10cc and 14cc. I've never heard of a Lap-Band brand band that held 12cc unless it was in reference to a VG (10cc band) that had been overfilled, which does happen.

Saline can be lost of there is a leak, some surgeons may subtract some to compensate for what's in the tubing, and there's a theory of diffusion that I've not yet seen any documentation to support (it may be out there, I've just never seen it personally).

Edited March 25, 2008 by Wheetsin

[donnabarney 0]

I have a 9.75 band that holds 4cc's.

I think there are a few different types.

[ForwardLeap 0]

My Doctor explained that the band he placed in Dec 07 is called a 10 band but only holds 4cc. The type of band he places is determined by how much fat is around the stomach when he gets in there. If someone has alot of internal fat around the stomach he will place one of the bands that holds 10 cc or more of Fluid.< /p>

[Hastings 3]

All these answers filtered through all these patients. I wish we were all on the same page. :ohmy:

I have a 10cc band with three ccs put in at the time of surgery. Three weeks post op, no hunger yet and I have had restriction from the very beginning.

[juliegeraci 7]

Its confusing. I have a size 10 band as well. I am not sure if its 10cc or 10cm but mine only holds 4ccs.

[fabfatgrl 10]

Saline can be lost of there is a leak, some surgeons may subtract some to compensate for what's in the tubing, and there's a theory of diffusion that I've not yet seen any documentation to support (it may be out there, I've just never seen it personally).

Here you go...

Permeability of the silicone membrane in laparosco...[Obes Surg. 2005] - PubMed Result

Obes Surg. 2005 May;15(5):624-9.Click here to read Links

Permeability of the silicone membrane in laparoscopic adjustable gastric bands has important clinical implications.

Dixon JB, O'Brien PE.

Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education, Monash Medical School, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. john.dixon@med.monash.edu.au

BACKGROUND: The single most important attribute of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) is its adjustability. Having the correct volume of Fluid within the band is crucial for optimal performance. We observe a small reduction of the satiety-promoting effect with time. The characteristics and clinical relevance of volume change have not been adequately investigated. METHOD: One observer measured the saline volume within the 10-cm Lap-Band in 118 consecutive patients who fulfilled the entry criteria. The same observer had performed and recorded the previous adjustment. Initial volume, final volume and time between observations provide the data for analysis. In addition, a range of adjustable gastric bands currently available were bench-tested to assess broad applicability of findings. RESULTS: The difference between observations varied from 0.0 ml to -1.0 ml, median of -0.1 interquartile range (IQR) 0.0-0.2 ml. Two factors were associated with volume change: time in days between the observations (r = -0.55, P<0.001) and the initial volume within the band system (r = -0.50, P<0.001). These two independent factors accounted for a significant proportion of the variance observed (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.45, P<0.001). Replacement of any discrepancy appears to maintain effectiveness. All six bands showed similar saline loss when bench-tested. CONCLUSION: Adjustable gastric bands are semipermeable, leading to a small reduction in saline volume with time. Patients should be informed of this effect, attend for regular follow-up visits and seek help if the band's effectiveness appears reduced. We recommend that the volume present should be checked and readjusted at least every 6 months.

I don't think Dixon was the first on this. I seem to remember one of the German docs writing on this earlier.

[WandaMae 0]

Hi, just wondering what causes the band to slip, is that common in most lapbanding.