APS Band FILL protocol

[Pattypoo1 0]

I am searching for the Fill Protocol for APS band. I want the actual protocol from the manufacturer. My Dr follows that to a T so I am interedted in what he will do next. I don't want what the "other" Dr's are doing, just the word from the manufacturer. Anyone know how to obatin this info???

Thanks in advance.

[Chris61 0]

First of all you need to find out what band he is going to be using. There are many differant bands out there and a lot of times the doctor does not know until he is ready to put it in. Once you know that you should be able to go to the band website and get the information. I would also ask the doctor for that information also.

Chris

[MollyBrown 0]

I do not have the protocol, but I have the APS (or actually the APL because I am very tall and I guess my stomach was large).

Anyway, I had my first fill yesterday of my 14cc band. He gave me 5cc's. He said it is likely that this will not do much for me, but he starts out slow. I am on liquids for two days. The fill process hurt less than I anticipated but it still hurt, no numbing or anything. I do feel a tightness today, I have been burping a bit, and liquids are making me feel satiated.

Not sure if this helps, but I thought I would tell you my experience.

[Pattypoo1 0]

Chris:

Thank you. I already have the APS. I requested it and told him that's the only band I wanted. He was still using up the old bands, but he ordered one in for me, so I am the only one he has right now. Before my first fill he went to get the protocol, to review it, looks like he is following the manufacturer's suggestions exactly. I have my second fill Monday, I think he said it was 1cc the second time, but I can't remember. I have searched the Inamed/Allergen web site nand cannot find any info out there. I know it is out there somewhere...

MollyBrown:

Thanks. My first was 4cc in the small, so 5cc in the large sounds about right. The 4cc did nothing for me at first. It's hard to tell because of the liquids. But at exactly 10 days I felt it kick in... then it waned a couple weeks later. So there it is...

[faithmd 14]

First of all you need to find out what band he is going to be using. There are many differant bands out there and a lot of times the doctor does not know until he is ready to put it in. Once you know that you should be able to go to the band website and get the information. I would also ask the doctor for that information also.

Chris

The OP mentioned already that she has the APS (Advanced Platform Small=10cc) LapBand.

I do not have the protocol, but I have the APS (or actually the APL because I am very tall and I guess my stomach was large).

Anyway, I had my first fill yesterday of my 14cc band. He gave me 5cc's. He said it is likely that this will not do much for me, but he starts out slow. I am on liquids for two days. The fill process hurt less than I anticipated but it still hurt, no numbing or anything. I do feel a tightness today, I have been burping a bit, and liquids are making me feel satiated.

Not sure if this helps, but I thought I would tell you my experience.

APS and APL have different fill protocols. After all, the Small holds 10 cc/mL, the Large holds 14 cc/mL.

to the OP, you can call Allergan (contact information is available on their website-www.lapband.com) and ask them, or just ask your doc.

I saw the protocol at my doc's office a few months ago, I know the L and S have different protocols, and my surgeon's office also follows the Allergan reccs to the letter. I just can't remember what the protocol said...

[stacy73 2]

I do not have the protocol either but you can see my fill levels below-fyi.. i got a fill yesterday-my third- and I definitely feel a difference

[babs0101 1]

I too have to APS. In my 10cc band, my first fill was 3 cc. This did nothing. I told my Doc that and he gave me another 3 cc. I just last week had my third fill this time only .5 cc's. So now I have 6.5cc's and I have restriction. I'm loving it, such small amounts of food keeping me happy, I still can't believe it!

[~Trixie~ 0]

Like many of you, I also have the APS. According to members of the support group that I attend, my surgeon has always been quite conservative with fills. However, he has recently brought a new surgeon on board who has a drastically different approach to fills that my surgeon is adopting. Instead of the "blind" fill, he will be conducting all fills under flouro. He will insert enough saline to completely inflate the band, and then he will draw a little back to make sure there is a proper opening. Once that is complete, he will conduct some sort of swallow test (not the same dreaded liquid from the day after surgery, thankfully) to make sure that all things are flowing properly...then it's back to liquids for two weeks.

I would be interested in reading ANY info on the APS. I haven't been able to dig much up about it.

[kandiceb 0]

I also have the APS. You can see my fill procedure per the standard in NWWLS where I was banded. The last two have been very small because I'm getting to the correct restriction. I'm not there...but I am close. I can go three hours without being hungry. In fact, I am rarely hungry. The hunger I'm facing is "head" hunger. This is where the band doesn't help. I just still feel I can eat too much...about a cup if not more. I am losing weight so I can't complain.

[wendy1263 0]

I have 5.0 in a 10aps band. I can still eat some things but am still getting used to what I can eat solid and what I can't. meats get stuck, breads too...but sometimes breads don't. It's crazy. Of course mornings things are tighter..but sometimes they aren't??? Sometimes I have to bring things back up...sometimes I don't. Do I need another fill? or is this the way it should be and I just need to work around that fill to improve? I see some people get restriction with this band at around 6.5. Does that amount smooth out the weirdness?

[smatyas 0]

I have the manufacturers fill protocals for both of the Advanced Platform bands...

APS

Total Volume 10 cc

Volume at surgery - 3cc approx

Suggested first fill - 1cc

Subsequent fills - +/- 0.5cc

APL

Total Volume 14 cc

Volume at surgery - 4cc approx

Suggested first fill - 2cc

Subsequent fills - +/- 0.5cc

Pulled directly out of thier book.

[~Trixie~ 0]

I have the manufacturers fill protocals for both of the Advanced Platform bands...

APS

Total Volume 10 cc

Volume at surgery - 3cc approx

Suggested first fill - 1cc

Subsequent fills - +/- 0.5cc

APL

Total Volume 14 cc

Volume at surgery - 4cc approx

Suggested first fill - 2cc

Subsequent fills - +/- 0.5cc

Pulled directly out of thier book.

Thanks Smatyas!

Question (sorry, I'm channelling my inner Dwight Schrute): You say that the info you shared with us is "Pulled directly out of their book." How did you get the book? Was it given to you after surgery?

[Pattypoo1 0]

Trixie, that's the fill center guy so he has all that info...

Thanks fill center guy, that's exactly what I wanted....

[~Trixie~ 0]

Thanks Pattypoo! I didn't know that!

[smatyas 0]

I picked up the information from Allergan at the American Society of Bariatric Surgery conference last year...

Hope it helps!