Maybe a silly question?

[Kim2BSlim]

I was reading in Dr. Ortiz' book where he said some people do not need a fill right away or even for the first year. I had read elsewhere that the band has no restriction until you get a fill. My question is..after you are banded and before you get a fill, does food slip through your band? It seems to me that the band would restrict you in the beginning without a fill. Am I way off?

[angelamarie]

i wonder the same thing....

[magpel]

I also heard that you may never need a fill. It was told if you are loosing weight steadily you would not need a fill, the way the band was placed, it's already restricting how much food you can eat.

I'd love to get more info on this, too.

Peace,

Maggie

[Dolittle]

I was reading in Dr. Ortiz' book where he said some people do not need a fill right away or even for the first year. I had read elsewhere that the band has no restriction until you get a fill. My question is..after you are banded and before you get a fill, does food slip through your band? It seems to me that the band would restrict you in the beginning without a fill. Am I way off?

I think it depends on how much internal fat you have around your stomach. Everyone is different. But most people will require a fill sometime after the first 6 weeks. How much of a fill will differ from one person to another. As you lose weight, you lose that internal fat around your stomach, the band will become looser, requiring another fill. I think the average is 4 fills in your first year. You'll be able to tell, once you've experienced a good fill with restriction, you'll be able to tell when you need a fill. For an example, Dr. Ortiz placed the smaller 4cc band on me,, he makes that call when he's inside of you and see's how much fat there is around your stomach. I was tight from the get go. I waited 10 weeks after surgery to get my first fill and only required .4cc's. Since then and 4 fills total, I only have 2.3cc's in my band and down 90lbs. Some people will hit 2.3cc's on near that at their first fill. If you recieve the 10cc band at the time of surgery,, chances are that your not going to have much restriction when it comes time for that first fill,, being that its a larger band. It all depends on how much fat is inside of you and which band you have... So,,, to make my point,,, everyone is different.

[tootsie_lou]

Dolittle--you're AWESOME!! Thank you for explaining that!

[magpel]

Thanks for explaining that.

Would you mind sharing where you got the information? I've been looking all over the web for that information - band size, ect, and have been unsuccessful in finding anything.

Thanks again.

[dreamhappy07]

Hi,

As you can from my sig. I have only had two fills since my banding last May. The average first fill in a VG or 10cc band(which I have), is 4cc, but when I had my first fill on July 21st(two months later), I only needed 3.2cc because I still had some restriction. My second fill(6 1/2 mths. later), the doc started with 2.5cc and ended up taking out 1cc because my restriction was still good I guess, even though I could eat pretty anything, but never as much as before being banded. That is definitely and always a good thing. I have very good restriction now and am continuing to losing weight. She said I probably don't need another fill for another 3-5 months. Yeah, we will see about that, cuz I am good and restricted for now. As long as I am losing weight and can barely eat a full meal, I'm good! I waited too long between fills because I hit a plateau and then gained some back, but lost it again and got that second fill as soon as finances allowed.

Good luck and take care. Hope this helped you because everyone's experience with restriction is different. Just listen to your band and you will do great!

Peace,

Judy

[Kim2BSlim]

Thanks so much to everyone!

[mlgpdx]

thanks for that information.. I couldn't figure out how they knew what "size" band to put on you.. so now I Know.. well at least I know that we have no way of knowing until the Dr get's in there and decides.

Have a great day everyone

one love

[Thinkinthin]

thanks for that information.. I couldn't figure out how they knew what "size" band to put on you.. so now I Know.. well at least I know that we have no way of knowing until the Dr get's in there and decides.

Have a great day everyone

one love

I just recieved Dr. Ortiz's book on yesterday and man is it a very informative book!! I have found alot of the answers to the questions asked here on the forum right in the book. Personally I wish they would give the book to everyone who has scheduled surgery. It is like a "lap band bible"!!

I can't wait to see Dr. Ortiz and thank him for taking the time to write such a helpful tool.

Nancy =D> <' />

[Dolittle]

Thanks for explaining that.

Would you mind sharing where you got the information? I've been looking all over the web for that information - band size, ect, and have been unsuccessful in finding anything.

Thanks again.

Some of this info is from Inamed. Some of this info is from Lapbandforum members and their posts over the years.

The 9.75 cm and 10.0 cm LAP-BAND® Systems have a recommended maximum fill capacity of 4 cc’s. The LAP-BAND® VG and the LAP-BAND® APS have a recommended maximum fill of 10 cc’s and the LAP-BAND® APL band which has a recommended maximum fill of 14 cc’s.

How many fills a patient needs varies. Each patient will be different. It depends on who does your fills, how there done,, with fluoro or without,,, which band is placed around your stomach,, how much fat is around your stomach,, how much weight you lose as you progress. The average number of fills the first year is around 4,, but its not unheard of patients having 6 or more,, some with less than 4,, some have had fills and unfills. I posted a topic awhile back titled "How to get a good fill" I suggest everyone read it, it has a lot of good info.

[magpel]

THanks Dolittle,

I'll search for your topic!

[Kim2BSlim]

Thanks dolittle! =D>

[Dolittle]

THanks Dolittle,

I'll search for your topic!

There's been a lot of posts concerning fills. Someone sent this to me and I can't remember who, otherwise I'd give them the credit. If any members have any good ideas to add to this, send me a message and I'll edit it and add it to this post. Also,, Anyone that wants to, you can copy and paste this post and print it out for your convenience. This has a lot of good ideas and suggestions.

Here it is again,, its good reading material

Increase Your Chances of a Good Fill

The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill.

1. Be sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.

(Remember, water is your friend).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Bring some of those "to-go" packs of Crystal Light, they’re ideal! Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle, pop one in, and then you will have plenty to drink.

(Hint - If you flying in for a fill, while you're on the plane, grab a couple of those white barf bags.

It’s good to keep one in your purse or car, for "emergencies".)

2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc)

please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before.

In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours.

ANY food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro

3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink melt and hour before a fill,

and then you'll have room-temp fluids to drink right up to the fill time.

4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either.

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back.

6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they DO happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stoma to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out.

8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before!

9. Please don't get a fill if you are having ANY trouble with the current level of fill. This means ANY regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the VERY most, not able to get enough

calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids.

More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe.

10. First fills are routinely given at 6-8 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily.

12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will NEVER be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info.

A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied (NOT "FULL", but simply "satisfied, not physically hungry". for about 3-4 hrs.

13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on.

14. Learn to recognize YOUR "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should STOP eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the docs cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above.

It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart.

Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is NOT to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a GOOD fill later.

SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!

Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

[mistyband]

Thanks Dolittle for that information, I was banded on Feb 5, and I go for my first fill next Monday....What does restriction fill like? Can You feel it when your not eating?? I'm soooo excited to be going to get a fill....I've lost 25 lbs since Post OP and right now I'm just counting calories so I don't gain my 25 back....But, I'm so glad you posted that information!! Misty

[Pat in Washington]

There's been a lot of posts concerning fills. Someone sent this to me and I can't remember who, otherwise I'd give them the credit. If any members have any good ideas to add to this, send me a message and I'll edit it and add it to this post. Also,, Anyone that wants to, you can copy and paste this post and print it out for your convenience. This has a lot of good ideas and suggestions.

Here it is again,, its good reading material

Increase Your Chances of a Good Fill

The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill.

1. Be sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.

(Remember, water is your friend).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Bring some of those "to-go" packs of Crystal Light, they’re ideal! Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle, pop one in, and then you will have plenty to drink.

(Hint - If you flying in for a fill, while you're on the plane, grab a couple of those white barf bags.

It’s good to keep one in your purse or car, for "emergencies".)

2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc)

please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before.

In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours.

ANY food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro

3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink melt and hour before a fill,

and then you'll have room-temp fluids to drink right up to the fill time.

4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either.

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back.

6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they DO happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stoma to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out.

8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before!

9. Please don't get a fill if you are having ANY trouble with the current level of fill. This means ANY regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the VERY most, not able to get enough

calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids.

More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe.

10. First fills are routinely given at 6-8 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily.

12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will NEVER be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info.

A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied (NOT "FULL", but simply "satisfied, not physically hungry". for about 3-4 hrs.

13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on.

14. Learn to recognize YOUR "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should STOP eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the docs cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above.

It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart.

Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is NOT to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a GOOD fill later.

SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!

Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.