Lap band surgery, but no fill right away?

[elimatal 0]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum and must say,everyone on here is so helpful,and my kudos to you all for taking the steps necessary to help fight the battle of the bulge!! I am in the process of getting approval for the lap band surgery (Maryland resident with One Net insurance...) so I guess I still have a long road ahead of me!:tt2: My question is this--when you actually go in for the actual lap band procedure and they band you--do they fill the band at all at the time of surgery? If not, how long do they make you wait before they do? Thanks in advance....and my best wishes to you all! I'm sure I'll be talking to everyone on here quite a bit in the months to come!:biggrin2:

~Jenna

[LiseSeattle 0]

I would also like to know because I was banded on 3/4 and am set for my first fill on 4/1 but want to know if it's worth calling my doc to see if i can get in early b/c i am in bandster hell ... hungry as can be and wanting to eat anything i see! how do you get through this "pre-first fill" stage???

[ssdown 0]

Hi Eli. and Lise!

My surgeon doesn't place any saline in the band until the standard six weeks, but I have heard that there are some surgeons that do a fill during the surgery. I'm getting pretty hungry too, Lise and I think getting the fill sooner would be fine with me, bit I'm going to try and hang in there to give my band plenty of time to heal. Eli. Good luck! See you around the threads Lise! SS

[Hastings 3]

I have a ten cc band and the doctor put in 3 cc when he installed the band.

I've been banded about two weeks and still on liquids and haven't been hungry yet.:mad2:

[lucymae 0]

My doctor won't let me have my first fill until 8 weeks out. He says he wants to make sure that I am completely healed before he starts a fill. I am staying on the diet. I was 222 on day of surgery and now I am 212. I can't say this is easy but I want this bad enough that I am sticking to the diet even tho I could eat whatever I want now.

[shortgal 5]

I had no fill in band after surgery, but had some swelling so that gave me some restriction for about two weeks. Then the hunger returned but I really just followed my old weight watchers diet becasue I did not want to gain any of the weight I had already lost. The band increased my willpower and I was able to stay on plan. I have had varying degrees of mild restriction, that never lasts very long, between the next fill.

And I am 3 1/2 months past surgery and still don't feel like I've hit my sweet spot. So what I'm saying is hang in there and don't expect the first fill to be magic.

The process of the band is meant to be slower than other WLS methods, so we need patience. If they fill you too fast and you get too tight, it can lead to problems, so the process is there for a reason.

If your Dr. uses floroscope to fill you might reach restriction a little faster. I've had seven fills ( yes, seven) and still need more. I've had 2 cc's at the first one and 1 cc at each one after except the last one which was small becasue I was feeling tight the night before the fill.

My first fill was 3 weeks after surgery and then most of the others have been about 2 weeks aparts.

[luluc 6]

I had 5ccs put in my 10cc band during surgery. After 5+ months and 6 fills I have restriction = 7.9cc currently.

***Shortgal, this last fill worked :thumbup:. Have fill #7 next Monday, not sure I'll need it***

[shortgal 5]

I had 5ccs put in my 10cc band during surgery. After 5+ months and 6 fills I have restriction = 7.9cc currently.

***Shortgal, this last fill worked :thumbup:. Have fill #7 next Monday, not sure I'll need it***

You sure waiting long enough!

My next appt is Thurs. Hope this is the one. Thinking I need at least .5 cc's.

How much fill did you get for this last one? And are there things you can't eat now or what have the changes been food wise this time?

[luluc 6]

You sure waiting long enough!

My next appt is Thurs. Hope this is the one. Thinking I need at least .5 cc's.

How much fill did you get for this last one? And are there things you can't eat now or what have the changes been food wise this time?

I sure did wait long enough (and patiently followed diet too, lucymae plus seriously working out)!!!

I've not had a fill less than .4ccs - nor more than .5cc, which was what I had on 3.3.08.

The first wk I had to slow down eating - never had to do that ( I could always eat fast ) & chicken for the first time gave me a problem - w/DH also banded, chicken's on the menu A LOT. That was about it, by this wkend chicken / sushi / beef seemed all OK, so long as I took my time.

Here's the big difference - I can eat about 3/4c of food and it keeps me full up to 5hrs. THAT is what I was looking for - I can eat a little more than that, if it''s a salad or such , but that seems to be the avg volume of the majority of my meals. I'm not going to bed wanting a little something/something - and wake up not starved. If that's the sweet spot, I guess I'm there???:thumbup:

[ovahkummer 11]

I had nothing in the band and after week 2, I was famished all the time. I lost about 19 lbs in the first 4 weeks and then gained back about 8 when I started to eat solids again. Even though the scale was saying 19 I did not 'feel' it so i guess it was a lot of Water weight. I had my first fill almost two months later and now I am filled with 1/2 cup and stuffed with 1 cup of any solid food such as rice or meat, but with about 1 cup to 1.5 cups of light food such as salad or popcorn. I eat whatever I want, just have to do it slowly. I did my fill under the fluro thingy and it has been almost three weeks now and i can't complain. The dr could see how fast the chalky liquid was flowing through, so he knew how much solution to put in the band for the right flow. I've lost about 6 lbs since the fill and I'm elated with that! I don't want to lose too quickly. My average is 2lbs per week since I got the band. I can really feel the loss this time. I have about 4.5 cc's in an 11 c.c. band.

[shortgal 5]

Luluc

Sounds perfect to me and exactly where I want to be. I sure hope this one gets me there becasue timing for another might be difficult. I'm going to France the end of April and sure don't want to end up too tight while out of the country.

If this fill is good, timing should be just right.

I'm keeping my portions reasonable, but I am always watching the clock waiting for the next meal and extra Snacks ar sneaking in, so weight loss is stalled.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

My surgeon is very conservative and very "by the book", which in all reality is a good thing. He won't do any first fills prior to six weeks. I'm ending up having to wait it out 8 weeks because he will be out on vacation during this time.

Patience... (as one previously put it). You have to have tons of it for this procedure. No if's, and's or but's.

I am deep in bandster hell. I was hungry since day three post-op. I only eat small portions because I am supposed to, but it doesn't fill me up. This time is on sheer will-power, however some (very few) never really even need a first fill. Everyone is individual, as well as their surgeons.

Ask your surgeon these questions, in fact keep a list of all so you don't forget any.

Good luck!

[LiseSeattle 0]

Well, I tried to get my date bumped up...but only succeeded by moving it forward 1 day. Gahhh.

[VegasGrace 1]

Straight from the manual:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE: BAND ADJUSTMENT

Postoperatively, the surgeon may adjust the stoma size percutaneously by injecting or aspirating saline with the access port needle via the self-sealing access port.

The following are general guidelines for LAP-BAND System adjustments:

1. The initial postoperative adjustment should occur 4-6 weeks after the operation. In most cases, you will add 1-2 cc of saline to the 9.75 and 10 cm LAP-BAND, 2-3 cc to the VG LAP-BAND, and 4 cc to the 11 cm LAP-BAND.

2. The patient should be reviewed regularly (every 4-6 weeks) and weight and clinical status measured. If the weight loss has averaged less than 1 lb per week over the period and the patient indicates there is not excessive restriction to eating, a further increment of Fluid should be added (usually 0.3 - 0.5 ml)

3. Where the average weight loss between visits has been greater than 2 lbs per week, normally no additional Fluid would be added.

4. If the weight loss has averaged between 1 and 2 lbs per week, additional fluid would be indicated if the patient feels he/she can eat too freely or finds difficulty in complying with the dietary rules.

5. Fluid would be removed from the system if there were symptoms of excessive restriction or obstruction, including excessive sense of fullness, heartburn, regurgitation and vomiting. If symptoms are not relieved by removal of the fluid, barium meal should be used to evaluate the anatomy.

Prior to doing an adjustment to decrease the stoma, review the patient's chart for total band volume and recent adjustments. If recent adjustments have not been compliant with nutritional guidelines, the patient my have a leaking band system, or may have a pouch enlargement or esophageal dilation due to stomal obstruction, band slippage or over-restriction.

Band system patency can be conformed by injecting saline into the band system, then immediately withdrawing it. An absence or decrease in fluid volume indicates a leak in the system may exist. The band may be evaluated for a leak using a radiopaque solution, such as Hypaque or Conray-43, flushing it from the band system after the evaluation. If pouch enlargement or band/stomach slippage is suspected, a limited upper GI with a samll amount of barium or gastrograffin can be used to evaluate the size of the pouch, the gastric stoma and the position of the band.

CAUTION: Insufficient weight loss may be a symptom of inadequate restriction (band too loose). Or, it may be a symptom of pouch or esohpageal enlargement, and may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as heartburn, regurgitation or vomiting. If this is the case, inflation of the band would not be appropriate.

The band internal diameter may be decreased approximately 0.5mm by adding an additional 0.4 cc of sterile saline. Excessive restriction may result in a closed stoma. Because of the possible complications that can occur with excessive restriction, a doctor familiar with the adjustment procedure must be available for several days post-adjustment to adjust the stoma in case of emergency.

Deflation (an increase in stoma size) is considered if the patient experiences frequent episodes of vomiting, is unable to swallow liquids or appropriate foods, or if there are medical indications for increasing nutrient intake. the internal diameter of the band can be increased approximatley 0.5mm by withdrawing 0.4 cc of the fluid. Elective deflation of the band is advisable in the following situations:

Pregnancy

Significant concurrent illness

General anesthesia

Remote Travel

Travel to areas where food or Water contamination is endemic.

[Beachcomber3 0]

OKAY...so it is not just me. I was banded on 2/11 and have no restriction. I can eat everything and am hungry....I go in on the 26th and will beg for a fill.

I have gained 2 lbs and know I have to stop this madness NOW! I went through surgery to be successful..... I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! WE WILL ALL BE SUCCESSFUL! :shades_smile:

Thanks for listening to my whining.....