Where is your sweet spot in a 4cc band?

[coolchick 0]

Where is your sweet spot in a 4cc band? And on average how much do/did you lose a month? Any foods that you can no longer tolerate now that you are at your sweet spot?

[stephleon 0]

I have a 9.75 CM band that holds 4cc. I have had 3 fills and am currenltly at 3.2 cc. This is my sweet spot (for now). I had my last fill just over 2 months ago and have been losing 2.4 lbs a week since this last fill. I am pretty tight and there are several things I dont dare to eat (breads, pizza, torillas, oatmeal, things like that). But I am very happy where I am and excited to see the changes every time I step on the scale and look in the mirror.

[justmel1957 1]

I currently have 3.8cc in my 4cc band. Havent had a fill for 6 months. Im thinking I might need the tiniest bit of a fill this month however. Will discuss with the doc tomorrow.

I can eat almost anything. Breads give me some trouble and I avoid them in public, but can do most anything else.

[mommakatx2 0]

I'm pretty close to full in my 4cc band, and I have yet to get "good: restriction. I'm very frustrated. My new doc (moved since surgery) was surprised that I even had a 4cc band...he told me that now they're mostly using the larger bands :thumbup:.

I'm working with what little restriction I do have. I try to avoid foods like rice, bread, and scrambled eggs because I know they get stuck. I can still eat Pasta if I chew really well.

[Alicia99 0]

I currently have 3cc in my 4cc band, and I am not at sweet spot. Some times of the month I can seem to eat anything and forget my band, while just last week, I was "reminded" that breads are out of the question. I am thinking that if I was always as tight as I am the week before my period, I would be happy, so I am going tomorrow for another fill. I am guessing she will fill me anywhere from .5 to .3, and I would be happy to give that a try. I am very bad about going for my fills and have had a hard time finding a local doc, but I have one now and am looking forward to getting on the "band" wagon. At this pre-sweet-spot, for my 3cc, I have only lost about 3 lbs in 8 weeks, which is not really weight loss in my book, but the next fill may just get me there. I am very interested in learning what other people have to say about the 4cc band. ...Also- I was advised by my doc that he did the 4cc in expectation that it would be harder to lose weight as I got closer to goal, because I started at "only" 100lbs over goal weight...not sure if that sounds right or not, but I have never thought the bigger band would have been more beneficial...plus, I have heard SOOOO many times that you can go up to 5cc in a "4cc" band.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

For all of you who replied I have these questions:

1) When did you have the 4cc band put in?

2) Did your surgeon tell you why he chose the 4cc over the newer AP Standard 10cc?

3) Did you know prior to surgery that this would be the size band used?

This band is not used much anymore. I had one put in in Sept. 2008 but was told I had a 10 cc band when I asked. When I developed problems with my second fill (first fill was 2cc's and second fill was 1cc) of pain, reflux and heartburn and had an upper GI my surgeon removed 1cc. I went for a second opinion and that is how I found out I didn't have the 10 cc band and that I had a slight slip. Because my surgeon initally blamed me (and not his overfill) for my problems and for not telling me the correct band I had, I changed doctors.

At 3cc filled I was still hungry despite having pain, reflux and heartburn. My upper GI showed slow esophageal motility and a swollen pouch. So, I don't hold out any hope of finding my sweet spot. I am relying on willpower and calorie counting. Weight loss might be about 1 pound a month, but I have lost 70-75 lbs. of which the band helped with about 13 lbs.

There are many who have the 4cc band and love it and are doing very well. That's great. But a newer, better model came out and I feel cheated that I was given an older model. It's like putting a black, rotary phone in your home. It will get the job done, but there are better touchtone phones. The newer AP standard bands have a scalloped pillow type inner tubing that supposedly allow less of the tubing to come into contact with the stomach, thus reducing risk of erosion.

[Alicia99 0]

Dear Cleo's mom, I had mine put in April of 08. You need to understand- this is a 9.75/10 CM band, and max fill is 4cc. They probably told you you had a 10CM band, but the fill volume is only 4 cc. Does that make sense? I was thoroughly advised about the size of my band, and was banded on the same day as another woman who was given the larger band, the one with an 11cc fill volume. I asked my surgeon why, and he told me that it had to do with the size of her stomach vs mine, he said she had more weight to lose, and he also said that she had a hiatial hernia. Unfortunately, due to problems with her hiatial hernia, she had to have hers removed. He advised that I would have better results with the 4cc band, because as I got closer to my goal, it would be more difficult for me, and I would need the 4cc band vs the other. There are many people who are good candidates for the 4cc band, not everyone is the same. There are many people who have lost weight with both kinds. It's not that one is a newer or better model. Lap band was never a guarantee from the beginning, and the fact that you have lost 75 lbs shows that things are working. I would like to advise you (kindly, gently) to be patient and stop playing the victim role, or you will continue to make excuses and nobody wins. You have had some really great progress with your weightloss, and I don't think you should downplay that. Minor setbacks are to be expected, but nothing you can't work through. Your body is an amazing thing, just take care of it and your band and have some patience.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Alicia: When I called Allergan to find out how to get a wallet card (with band info, etc.) they told me that I first had to find out what band I had - with letters AP or VG and when I called my doctor's nurse and she called back she said I had an AP Standard 10 - that is a specific band that hold 10 cc. My operative report says I had a #10 band and I assumed that meant 10 cc. When I got the second opinion the doctor there told me it was a 4cc band. When I got the medical records from my hospital with the serial number and catalogue reference number for the band, it was confirmed to be a 4cc band. So, there was no misunderstanding on my part. I was told I had a different band than I do.

When I went for a second opinion the doctor also saw a small slip that was missed by my former doctor. I was only my former doctor's 23rd banding. His inexperience showed in his aggressive filling of my 4cc band. It should not be filled with 2cc's then 1cc in two fills. It should be done in smaller increments. Again, either his inexperience or he actually thought I had a 10 cc band. Troubling either way. So, I was a victim of his inexperience and I then took matters into my own hand and changed doctors. But I am certainly not "playing the victim". And I'm not sure what excuses you thought I was making.

And my weight loss was on my own, then the 6 month pre-op diet and then the two week pre-op and two week post-op liquids only (who wouldn't lose on those?) and at this point I lost about 60 pounds. Since the band - about 13 more since September 2008. My former doctor was never happy with my weight loss. My new doctor is very happy and said I lost a year's worth of weight in 6 months. So, I do blame my former surgeon for putting a band in me that he could not fill properly and caused me problems with my esophagus and pouch that I can only hope will return to normal at some point in the future. The band is suppose to make you healthier not create health problems.

I am glad the 4cc band has worked out so well for you and wish you contined success. Thank you for your reply.

[coolchick 0]

Alicia99 I too have 3cc in my 4cc band and find that althought I at times get stuck I still dont feel full and as soon as the food goes down and gets unstuck then I find that I can usually finish the rest of my meal with no problem. Its like I was tight for the first few bites but then I loosen up when the food goes down. Does anyone else experience this? When I first got my fill I guess I was a bit swollen because I actually felt full after eating a small portion but then after 4 days it seemed to loosen up a bit and now I no longer get the full feeling that I first had with my fill. I am going for another fill June 3rd so hopefully they give me another .4 or .6 and that should do the trick. My weight loss so far has been very weak as well. Only about a pound a month.

[Alicia99 0]

Dear Cleos Mom, I am surprised that you didn't get any paperwork with your surgery, and you should have gotten your card too. But- just for your info, I got my first fills at the same speed as you have. You mentioned a minor slip, a few little problems, but nothing that has caused your band to be removed, really not too bad, and nothing you can't recover from. I have not lost much weight either, and I had my surgery before yours, but I haven't given up on my band, and I sort of feel like you are either giving up or getting close to giving up. I knew the fills would be difficult to get due to location and cost. (Thankfully I have a local fill doctor now and I go see her today!) I think you still have room for fills and I still think this band will work for you, and for me too. I also think your frustration is completely normal, and I have been fighting it as well, but we have to look at the big picture...until we reach this all-important "Sweet Spot" we aren't going to really see leaps and bounds of progress...but we all have to get there first. Another thing- by "sneaking up"

on our sweet spot, by getting there over time rather than jumping up to full, we are taking better care of our bands and re-learning how to eat, so the s-l-o-w progress may ultimately be better for us. Cleo, Coolchick, I think since we are all three in a relatively similar spot in our progress, I would really like to keep in touch on this. What are your thoughts?

[Alicia99 0]

Alicia99 I too have 3cc in my 4cc band and find that althought I at times get stuck I still dont feel full and as soon as the food goes down and gets unstuck then I find that I can usually finish the rest of my meal with no problem. Its like I was tight for the first few bites but then I loosen up when the food goes down. Does anyone else experience this? When I first got my fill I guess I was a bit swollen because I actually felt full after eating a small portion but then after 4 days it seemed to loosen up a bit and now I no longer get the full feeling that I first had with my fill. I am going for another fill June 3rd so hopefully they give me another .4 or .6 and that should do the trick. My weight loss so far has been very weak as well. Only about a pound a month.

Coolchick, I get my fill today..I was thinking anywhere from .2 to .4...but I will let you know what the Dr decides. One thing- I really think that if I felt every day like I feel on my pre-period, I would be happy. When I am like 4-5 days pre-period, my band is perfect and I have that control that I like. Its the other 25 days I need help with! I have experienced that same thing- take a bite, get stuck, then able to eat the rest...One day I ate an entire Bratwurst! I had the last bite, then remembered- I have a band, should not have been able to eat this! :thumbup: But, if .2 or .4 does that for me, then my sweet spot is not too far off. Until then, I am Holding on to the Hope!

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Dear Cleos Mom, I am surprised that you didn't get any paperwork with your surgery, and you should have gotten your card too. But- just for your info, I got my first fills at the same speed as you have. You mentioned a minor slip, a few little problems, but nothing that has caused your band to be removed, really not too bad, and nothing you can't recover from. I have not lost much weight either, and I had my surgery before yours, but I haven't given up on my band, and I sort of feel like you are either giving up or getting close to giving up. I knew the fills would be difficult to get due to location and cost. (Thankfully I have a local fill doctor now and I go see her today!) I think you still have room for fills and I still think this band will work for you, and for me too. I also think your frustration is completely normal, and I have been fighting it as well, but we have to look at the big picture...until we reach this all-important "Sweet Spot" we aren't going to really see leaps and bounds of progress...but we all have to get there first. Another thing- by "sneaking up"

on our sweet spot, by getting there over time rather than jumping up to full, we are taking better care of our bands and re-learning how to eat, so the s-l-o-w progress may ultimately be better for us. Cleo, Coolchick, I think since we are all three in a relatively similar spot in our progress, I would really like to keep in touch on this. What are your thoughts?

I didn't get any paper work or card when I got my band. As I said, my surgeon was a general surgeon who maintained an active general surgery practice and had only just gotten into the bariatric surgery - almost "on the side". My mistake was going to him in the first place. I don't think he "gets it" about follow up care or how the band should work or has realistic goals for weight loss.

I don't consider my problems to have been "a few little problems, not too bad". They were bad enough that even my former doctor called me in right away the day I got my upper GI to do an unfill. He saw how significant the esophageal dilation and swollen pouch were. Nothing was going through. In addition - just for your information - when food, acid, etc are in the esophagus and this happens over time, cellular changes can take place. This can lead to Barrett's esophagus which can lead to esophageal cancer. I know this because my husband died of esophageal cancer almost 4 years ago from many years of GERD. And he had yearly endoscopies and it was caught early. Didn't matter. It is nothing to take lightly or dismiss.

All that being said, I did not say I was giving up on my band. I'm not sure where you got that from either of my posts. What I am saying is that I think my surgeon should have given me the newer, 10cc band. I think he should have filled this band less aggressively and when I developed problems immediately after the second fill he should have known it was overfilled instead of blaming me. And I also believe that since I was still hungry and not satisfied at 3cc but had all those problems, I don't hold out any hope of finding a sweet spot that will allow me to eat the amount of food that both satisfies me, keeps me from being hungry for hours and allows me to lose weight at about 1 pound a week.

I am hoping my new doctor will offer some suggestions as to where he wants me to go from here. When I had my follow up Upper GI last month, he said there was some improvement and offered to remove the rest of the fill. But since my problems were gone, I didn't see the need. I meet with him again next month and will be anxious to see what he thinks about everything.

[Alicia99 0]

Cleos Mom, sorry if I misunderstood you. Good luck with your new doctor, I hope you reach your goals!

[Alicia99 0]

Also an update after my fill: I was told by my prior fill RN's that I was at 3cc...I just had a fill, and my new fill DR pulled out all of the old saline, turns out I was only at 1.6. She filled me to 1.8. I am actually relieved to have more room to go than what I thought I had. Now, I still have 2.2 room left. Yay!

[coolchick 0]

just an update I just got another fill and I am now at 3.5cc in a 4cc band and finally I am starting to lose some weight. I eat small amounts and I feel there is hope once again.