Fill Restrictions / Need help and answers

[Kandi5912 0]

Hello everyone, I first would like to say to all, congradulations and good luck on this new life journey. I am proud that you all support each other and give encouragement and insight and we are all winners.

I was banded on 4/30/07 so far so good. I have lost 75lbs..I have been to my Dr. continuously to get the right restriction...I get it then I lose it get then I lose it. But recently at the begining of this year my restrcition is begining to really loose. I have gained 5lbs and I find that I can eat more. Here is the deal, I have a 4cc band. When I go to the Dr. she fills my band to 3.1cc..I have restriction then in 3wks it is lost...when I go back to the Dr. my band only has 2.9 cc. We did the Radiology and fluro light to make sure that the band is where it needs to be and we also test to make sure that there was not leakage and there is not any. I am now at 3.4 cc but I think that I might be able to do a little more. She is going to Kentucky to talk to another band Dr she no and take all my information to see what is going on because this has become a routine now. We are trying to figure out what is going on. She made the comment that the lapband is not for everyone and dont work with everyone, however I believe it is as long as you do what you are suppose to do it will work it was working in the beginning. And I will not get a revision to have the RNY no disecting on me!! Could anyone give me some feedback or advise. I was thinking about going to see another Dr. to get my fills and answers. I was told that I might have to go up to 3.8 to have the restriction that I need. Do anyone no of any Drs in Indianapolis that is not at St. Vincent Bariatrics that are wonderful and well EXPERIENCED?? Please help!! THANK YOU

[VegasGrace 1]

Hmmmm.... don't know.

But if this were me....

I'd make a plan with my doc. I'd get a fill and just as soon as I gained a pound...I'd go get another one.

This will require more dieting on your part and cost more.

I'd calendar it out.

[Kandi5912 0]

When you say dieting what do you mean. Could you give me some examples. My daily diet is actually great. I dont eat any red meat, I eat chicken (protien) bake or grilled, salmon and other fish, turkey and some seafood. Steamed veggies, fruits not high in natural sugar, no breads, no Pasta, no starch at all. I eat salads, drink plenty of Water (too much according to my bladder, no sweets at all, and I exercise 5 x's a week. 45minutes cardio, and 1 hour walking the treadmill. Next what do you mean when you say cost. The food or the Dr visit. If it is the Dr. visit I am grateful that my insurance pays 100 % of all my follow up visits and I have no co-pay. Do you have any other suggestions that you can through out that I can use to gather some information to put my plan together. How long have you been banded. Thank you for your feedback any and all suggestions are helpful.

[Kat817 19]

It could simply be that 3.1cc's is not enough restriction for you. You could go up from there, and see how it goes.

I know I have read on here, that you can actually fit more than the 4cc.'s in the band due to the tubing etc. Is there a reason that your Dr. stops there? I understand you had restriction there before, but you have also lost weight since then, and that will cause the band to loosen.

I would go up from there in very small increments, and see how it feels. How much more weight do you have to lose?

Kat

[Kandi5912 0]

I think she don't want to stop there she is really knew to the band and I think that she is just scared she has done over 2000 pts and that is what she always say small increments but they just don't be enough. where can I find out about the band holding more than 4 cc. thank you for your advice

[Kat817 19]

Maybe she will get some info from this other Dr. she is meeting with. Even if she did not overfill it, there is still room to fill from 3.1, so I would ask for a fill if I was still able to eat hard Protein, and was fighting hunger.

Now if you cannot eat hard Protein, without issue, and you are not feeling hunger, then it sounds like your fill is fine.

My Dr. also fills in small increments, it is the safest way to go he believes.

Kat

[Kandi5912 0]

Thank you Kat for your advice and help. I am going back in a week to see what she has in mind and get another fill because I am not restricted at all. I will keep you posted. Once again thank you for your help and encouragement. Keep losing!!!!

[jnbwilds 0]

Kandi,

I'm also in Indy - and was banded by Dr. Keith McEwen. Dr. McEwen is the leading lap band surgeon in the state - so I might recommend talking with him. I'm not sure if he does fills for people who were not his patients, but it is worth the call. I have been extremely pleased with every aspect of his care. He is in Fishers and I'm linking his website here.

LAP-BAND® Surgery in Indiana - Bariatric Surgery - Morbid Obesity Surgery - Keith McEwen M.D.

[Kandi5912 0]

Thank you Becca, I wish I would have saw his name in the directory as being "top rank bandster" when I was searching for a surgeon. I will look to see if he comes up in my insurance directory. I already talked to my insurance company in regards to chaning Dr. and my fill / band issues and they are covering my 100%. I just hope that he sees other patients that he did not band. I go back to my Dr. on the 19th of this month and will see what she has to say. If I dont get the restriction that I need or if she dont not fill me and have the needed answers I am going to look into him. I might still contact him or his office just to no what I may need to do for a back up plan. Thank you Fishers is not far from me at all. Congradulations on your new figure!!!

[sarahdavis 0]

Kandi,

I have a 4cc and just got my 3rd fill. I was banded in Sep of 2007...

1st Fill- 2.4cc (good restriction for a week, then gone)

2nd Fill- 3.4cc (great restriction for 4 months, then tapered off to some restriction)

3rd fill- 3.8cc (SUPER TIGHT)

My doc says he has filled over 4cc many times. He feels like up to 5cc is ok because of the tubing. I would ask your fill doc to fill you up to 4cc- then drink some Water and see what happens.... If it won't go down, you need to back it off...

Just my 2 cents....

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

You should try mixing up your exercise. If you are doing the same thing all the time, your body is probably too used to it.

It's very common to lose restriction. The fat pad around your stomach is shrinking and that loosens the band. Have you looked at Wendall Edward's post on how the band works, and fills and refills?

If you are eating as you say you are, and your body is too used to the same exercise, it's very common to plateau for awhile.

Are you hungry very quickly after you eat?

[Kandi5912 0]

Hey thank you guys for your imput and 2 cents!!! LOL!!! You all are really helpful. I havent really heard too much about going over the 4cc fill that one has, but I will look into it. I am talking to the band Dr who is known in Ohio for banding. He has emailed me some valuable information as well. I am going to ask him about the over fill of the 4cc. I go to my dr next Wednesday so I will see what she has to say or if she found out anything from the Dr that she was going to see in KY about the band. I have switched up my exercises of course to make sure I dont plateau...my goodness this is something else. I will check on Wendell Edward's post to find out some more information...thank you to everyone.

[TheGh0st 9]

I have a 10cc band not a 4cc but thought I'd agree that you can have more than 4cc's in theory. I know I had 12.5cc's in my 10cc band with good restriction before I had an unfill for unrelated reasons.

[Kandi5912 0]

hey are you from Kansas City, I am from there now located in Indianapolis. Have you heard of a Dr. Malley he is suppose to be a good Dr in Kansas City. Have you had any unsuccessful weight loss. Is the band working for you? I hear that it do not work for everyone but I think that has a lot to do with the Dr. that is chosen.

[TheGh0st 9]

Yes, I'm in Kansas City though I grew up in Nebraska. I use Dr. Malley for my fills though he wasn't my original surgeon. I agree he is one of (if not the) best docs in K.C. He has done over 1000 lapbands and is a regional proctor for Inamed.

I changedmy ticker to reflect a mini-goal but ought to update it again. My starting weight was around 255 and I lost down to 163 last fall. My current weight is up a bit from there due in part to some swelling from plastic surgeries and in part from lack of restriction while being unfilled during the recovery from the PS. I'm hoping to have lost what I gained plus a bit more by June then just focus on maintaining.

You are right that with any procedure there will be a percentage that doesn't find success. Though it also depends on how you define success. For some success may just be stopping the scale from continuing to climb while others may refuse to call there journey a success if they are unable to lose every single extra pound they ever gained.

My own not so scientific conclusions on why some bandsters have not been as successful as others. Boils down to three main categories.

- COMPLICATIONS - Unforseeen and RARE complications with the band such as a leak in the tubing or band slippage. There have also been rare complications that aren't band related such as various thyroid issues that can make weight loss extremely difficult, in those cases I would feel the band's ability to stop the weight gain if not turn it back should be considered a success in itself.

- FOLLOW UP - Lack of necessary adjustments to feel proper restriction. This may be due to lack of funds or a reluctance to go back for fills for a variety of reasons.

- HEAD ISSUES - And finally, yes there are those that just aren't ready mentally or physically to adjust to life with the band and will sabotage their weight loss efforts by eating around thier band with soft foods and high calorie drinks.

This last comment is a bit of a hot button topic even for me. After all if I could have changed my behaviours before the band why would I have needed it at all? Right? But the band really can help. It only bands your stomach, NOT your head. However, it does make it much easier to move in a more 2 steps forward one step back fashion as you continue to struggle with whatever inner demons you may have in regards to diet and or exercise.

And I am proof positive it is possible to lose the weight and still be a basket case when it comes to both.:sneaky: