Request a fluoroscope?

[brandyII 9]

If it had been 9 months+ your surgery and you've been as unsuccessful as I have been on the band (back to pre-op diet weight) would you request a fluoroscope if you've never been checked in this fashion except right after surgery?

I've also had plenty of bouts prior to getting my unfill from 4ccs down to 2ccs of PBs and the 10 hour long pb of the century.

Just curious if I'm not being proactive enough. The last time I saw my surgeon and this was brought up he said "oh you'd know if you had a slip" and it was pretty much dropped.

Any advice:confused: thanks, I see the PA tomorrow and I'm a bit doooown!!!

[tommaney 0]

I think requesting a fluoro would be good for your peace of mind/feeling of being proactive even if you don't expect it to reveal a problem. Not finding something could actually be useful information!

Also, I know that we'd definitely know if our band suddenly slipped...but isn't there such a thing as a slow slip? I don't know if that would apply to you, but it would make sense that it's less perceptible. I remember my doctor mentioning this when we were discussing some different techniques of securing the band to the stomach.

I'm a lap band struggler too--thank you, btw, for spearheading that forum category awhile ago!

[brandyII 9]

I think requesting a fluoro would be good for your peace of mind/feeling of being proactive even if you don't expect it to reveal a problem. Not finding something could actually be useful information!

Also, I know that we'd definitely know if our band suddenly slipped...but isn't there such a thing as a slow slip? I don't know if that would apply to you, but it would make sense that it's less perceptible. I remember my doctor mentioning this when we were discussing some different techniques of securing the band to the stomach.

I'm a lap band struggler too--thank you, btw, for spearheading that forum category awhile ago!

Thanks, I figured I couldn't be the only one out there and a lot of people were kind of afraid to talk about it as it was seen as a neg when we were just trying to fix ourselves. I see so many people get the fluoro every time they get a fill even and I've never needed that.

By the way I love your avatar I'm assuming it's a Simpson's fishy! Good luck to all of us strugglers:smile:

[lizlasvegas7 0]

brandyII

You definitely want to get a fluro x-ray done. Atleast for piece of mind:) Hope all is well and please do let us know what they tell you.

[brandyII 9]

Have you all had these done since you were banded?

[tommaney 0]

My port has been very deep and a bit tricky from day one, so I have had 3 fluoro's done--2 of them we did fills but the last one revealed my port was tilted downward. Sad but I'm glad we found out. Based on the last fluoro pic, my Dr. was able to study exactly how it was positioned and come up with a better access angle. The next time I came to his office he accessed my port freehand/using a shorter, less bendy needle.

Actually, I thought it was really interesting to look up and see a picture of my spine, the port, and other unidentifiable innards.

[brandyII 9]

Thanks, my port has always been easily accessible so maybe that's partly why no fluoro but I'm going to ask tomorrow, I'm sure it won't be done tomorrow but at least I can have peace of mind like you say. thanks brandyII.

[Frangipani 1]

Hi Brandy,

Absolutely you should talk to your Dr. about having your band looked at (and filled if needed) under fluoro.

I will never understand why this is not done by all Doctors, as it is the very best way to do a fill. You and your Doctor can see the Band, the pouch, and your restriction, on a screen right in front of you -- it takes all of the guesswork out of the whole process.

In fact, I would never even consider having a fill without fluoro, as per my Dr.'s recommendation.

Best of luck to you :smile::smile:!

[brandyII 9]

Thanks guys, I wonder if they even have one in their office, they're kind of an offshoot of the hospital so I kind of doubt it. But my fills have been screwed up 3 times already (2 thinking I had the smaller band and giving me very little) and (1 thinking putting in an extra cc by mistake) so hopefully they won't give me any trouble when it comes to it. I'm starting to lose faith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Frangipani 1]

Thanks guys, I wonder if they even have one in their office, they're kind of an offshoot of the hospital so I kind of doubt it. But my fills have been screwed up 3 times already (2 thinking I had the smaller band and giving me very little) and (1 thinking putting in an extra cc by mistake) so hopefully they won't give me any trouble when it comes to it. I'm starting to lose faith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that's the problem Brandy with a lot of these docs, they don't have the equipment readily available to them, so they don't do it.

If you knew me, you would know that I'm not a "soapbox" type of a person, but I am really on a soapbox about this issue. If these docs are going to do bands, then they should do it right, which means doing a flouro -- if not every single time, then on a very regular basis.

If your doc doesn't have the equipment (probably not, as a fluoroscope is not a piece of equipment that is sitting around most doctors offices, plus this is a procedure that a radiologist usually performs), then I would insist that he/she do your next fill at a place where there is one, which would likely be the local hospital or a radiology clinic.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Having proper restriction is absolutely the key to success with the band, and if your doctor can't get you properly adjusted, then you should probably find another dr. who can.

[brandyII 9]

So far the only way they've really been able to tell how much was in me was by withdrawing all the saline in the band. There have been some mistakes made by the PA but the surgeon has done it twice. I've had at least 7 or 8 fills/unfills since 8/07 but I'll say something to the PA tomorrow and hopefully they'll agree to it.

I still don't know if my failure with the band is all me or partially the fill issue.

Thanks brandyII.

[Frangipani 1]

Brandy,

Not to backtrack on this issue, but one thing I should mention is that fluoroscopy is X-ray imaging, so every time you are having the procedure done, you are being exposed to a certain amount radiation, just as you would with any type of X-ray.

I'm sure that this is why some Dr.'s might not want to do it every single time or too frequently.

I just thought I would mention this. I'm obviously not a Dr. and this is obviously something that should be discussed thoroughly with a trained professional........

Good luck !

Yes, there is always room for improvement with our eating habits, but I would think that after nine months you would lose at least something!

[babedoe4 5]

Wow! My doctor's office never fills me under fluoror, except for the first time. I think I will ask for it on my next fill.

[brandyII 9]

Brandy,

Not to backtrack on this issue, but one thing I should mention is that fluoroscopy is X-ray imaging, so every time you are having the procedure done, you are being exposed to a certain amount radiation, just as you would with any type of X-ray.

I'm sure that this is why some Dr.'s might not want to do it every single time or too frequently.

I just thought I would mention this. I'm obviously not a Dr. and this is obviously something that should be discussed thoroughly with a trained professional........

Good luck :thumbup:!

Yes, there is always room for improvement with our eating habits, but I would think that after nine months you would lose at least something!

I lost weight on a 5 week preop diet, 25 pounds, liquid Medifast but after my first fill they thought I had the small band, 4cc one and I had the large 10 cc band and so my first two fills totaled less than 1 cc. So like I was taught before to chew chew chew I was doing that but then one day I found out that I had no restriction and didn't have to chew any longer. That's when I met with my surgeon and he withdrew all the saline and found the mistake and then put in 3 ccs and so I was full at 3.5 around Thanksgiving time. So for the first three months it kind of messed with my head thinking I had restriction then boom I had it. Then the holidays came and along that time Cookies and because I finally had restriction I'm pbing all Protein and finding out that Christmas Cookies and fudge go through the band.

So I put on probably 10 pounds from surgery through the holidays. So probably around January I go to the PA and I've gained 10 lbs so their reaction is to give me a fill. Come back in two weeks see how you're doing. Two weeks later I've gained five pounds, give her another fill she's gaining weight. Mind you I hadn't gone to the forum yet. That fill was a mistake somehow she put in one too many and wrote down the wrong amount and I now had over 5 ccs and that's when I was vomiting for 10 hours straight my own saliva and met with my daughter's surgeon who took out all the saline and looked at my chart and found the mistake and removed the one extra leaving me with 4 ccs. Since then I've gone from 228 to 248 and at my last appointment which was with my surgeon I begged him to take out 2 ccs so that maybe if I didn't have as tight a restriction I wouldn't eat the slider foods and eat healthier and start losing again!

He didn't want to but he did and so far I've been adjusting, haven't gained but haven't lost stayed stable. So now I don't know what to do. Tomorrow I meet with the PA, the one who gave me three bad fills and I'm going to ask for a fluoro, and thanks for the warning but it's one of those risks we take that we try not to think about, and I still don't know whether I should get a fill or a partial cc or not.

Sorry to lay it on you and you may have read this before but it's just been pretty frustrating. In some ways I wish there was something wrong with the band so they'd remove it and I could get an RNY like my daughter has!! I did want this to work initially but I just may have been the wrong candidate and these other mistakes just made it worse, who knows. But anyway you've done very well on your band so congrats to you and I wish you well and if anything comes of this I'll let you know, thanks brandyII.:thumbup:

[plain 12]

If these docs are going to do bands, then they should do it right, which means doing a flouro -- if not every single time, then on a very regular basis.

But the majority of people get their fills fine....so why do fluoro if it isn't indicated? That would just make getting fills that much more expensive. Now for people that are having problems, or are symptomatic of suspected band malfunction...sure, do the fluoro. But for people that aren't having any probs whatsoever...why screw with it?