42 replies to this topic

[Aimstar]

Hi everyone,

just out of curiosity just wondering who has what band out there.

i got my 2nd fill and asked how much was going in and they said oh 0.2ml and i asked why so little and my surgeon said you have a small band it only holds 3.5ml in total.

so all up i have got 1.5mls in there.

who has what band out there

[melissa_186]

i have no idea what specific type mine is lol, but it holds 9 mls and i had 5 mls put in in my first fill.

[Linny51]

I dont know what breed of band I have but I know it is a 10ml and that I have had 4 fills. 3ml then a month later another 3ml then followed a 1.5ml and just two weeks ago another 1ml so I have total of 8.5ml in 10 ml band.
My daughter who was banded quite a few years ago has a 5ml band with 3ml in it, just this last week her Dr took out one ml because he was not happy with her weight loss (too much lost)
she enjoyed her first hamburger in 5 years

[chrissy99]

Mine holds 10mls and is some kind of Swiss one. I keep thinking I have no restriction at all but this morning I was nibbling on some bacon I made for my hungover 19 year old son and that was fine, then I made my scrambled eggs with one piece of toast and could not eat it all, which preband I could eat eggs, bacon tomato and 2 slices of toast and still possibly more. So I must have some restriction there, it is 2.50pm and I have just had an orange and will not ahv eanything until tea time now for today.
Chrissy

[Darlin Di]

I have according to my doctor a SMALL AP adjustable laparoscopic gastric band, which is a 10ml band. I have had one fill so far - it had 3.5ml at the op and 1.5ml added so 5ml in all. I think I need a bit more yet - next fill is the 18th of June.

I feel it first thing in the morning but not by 2pm - although not that I get starving hungry - just s little hungry, but not that total disinterest in food I had for the first 2 weeks after the op - that's what I'd like again - I assume this is the "Sweet Spot"?

Di

[kazza]

Don't know what my band is called but it is apparently a 14ml band had 6ml at first fill then 2ml so a total of 8 ml with very little restriction going in tomorrow for another fill
Kazza

[RubyDoo]

I dont know much about my band, It is a 10ml band and has on my paperwork ASP. Thats all I know hehehe.

I have had 7 fills, 8 appointments - I didnt require a fill last visit but I am feeling hungrier now so I am thinking I will be due for a fill on June 26 - but I will take the advise of my Dr.

Bec

[Princess]

wow i must have the biggest band of all but maybe thats because i have a big mouth ha ha. my band is 16ml and i currently have 13.75ml and finally at my sweet spot. di you will know when you are at your sweet spot trust me, its not so much a sign but a feeling that you have that your band has enough in it. my last fill of about .3ml 3 weeks ago was probably .1ml too much and i had trouble for 2 weeks with food but 2 days before my appointment the band settled and is now great so no fill taken out but i just mentally knew that there was too much. lucky it settled down just like my surgeon said it would, now if it would stay like this forever i would be really happy.

denise

[luvmyband]

I posted this in The Bandit Lounge when I went for my first fill....under Whoo !!! Just copied and posted here under the topic...


I was curious of the type of band I had so emailed my dietitian (I thought it was the Hage heard it mentioned when I had my firest fill) but wanted to double check seeing I was doing a bit of research..
Hear is part of her reply...

Hi Marion
You have the HAGE band which is the smaller of the 2 Heliogast Bands. It has a 7ml capacity for fluid fills but we don't usually go to this level with any patients unless we are trying to establish if there is a leak in the 'system'.
I read the notes after Julie saw you yesterday so congratulations on going along so well. I'm glad you are getting into the exercise early on and not just relying on the band as it won't work on its own. Good food selection is the other area all patients must be aware of - but not in the sense of 'dieting' like you may have done in pre-band days.



P.SThen I did a little research on Bands ..

LAPAROSCOPIC ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING:
SLIPPAGE RATES OF HELIOSCOPIE HAGA™ VS
HAGE™ BANDSDr. Harry Quach, Victorian and Sydney Obesity Surgery Centre
Aim
Band slippages are the most common problem arising from LAGB requiring reoperation.
We sought to see if using a gastric band with a smaller inner diameter (ie.
HAGE™) would reduce the slippage rate.
Method
LAGB was performed on 486 patients between 5 Jan 2005 and 24 May 2007. All
bands were placed by the same surgeon using the HELIOSCOPIE HAGA™ and
HAGE™ bands via the pars fl accida approach. Between 5 Jan 2005 to 25 March 2006,
HAGA bands (with 27mm inner diameter) were used exclusively. After this period,
HAGE bands (with 26mm inner diameter) were placed routinely for all females. No
HAGE bands were placed in males because of concerns that the band would be too
tight. A total of 330 (68%) HAGA bands and 156 (32%) HAGE bands were placed.
Results
29 band slippages (5.96%) occurred with the HAGA band while only one slip (0.2%)
occurred with the HAGE band. All slippages occurred in female patients except
one. 80% of slippages occurred in those with BMI between 30 to 50. Band slippage
occurred varyingly at from 6 months to 23 months post-operatively.
Conclusion
Gastric bands with a smaller inner diameter produce a more snug fi t around the
proximal stomach. Such smaller bands (eg. HAGE™) have resulted in minimal
slippages so far. Smaller bands should be used routinely on females

No accurate number of adjustments required can be given. However, an average may be estimated to be between three and five fills (where saline/isotonic solution is inserted into the band via the subcutaneous port) for a person to reach the optimal restriction for weight loss. The amount of saline/isotonic solution needed in the band varies from patient to patient. There are a small number of people who find they do not need a fill at all and have sufficient restriction immediately following surgery. Others may need significant adjustments to the maximum the band is able to hold. Bands come in several diameters and sizes and can hold a total of between 4 cc (ml) to 12 cc (ml) of fill fluid depending on the design. Band size is usually determined by personal preference of the surgeon who places the band together with what s/he is either able to use (e.g., specific bands approved in country of surgery) or what s/he believes to be the most appropriate. In Europe, for example, it is possible for the surgeon to use many designs. The size of the band used is determined by the surgeon during surgery based on the size and thickness of the patient's stomach.

It is more common practice for the band not to be filled at surgery—although some surgeons choose to place a small amount in the band at the time of surgery. The stomach tends to swell following surgery and it is possible that too great a restriction would be achieved if filled at that time. Clearly, this is undesirable.

[rosmay]

My band is a- Allergen Lap Band 9ml, the doc put 3ml in during op.
(Although i can eat anything,and have done so,i eat way less and get full Quicker, but looking forward
to a fill after oz holiday.)

[trimkim]

I have a 7ml midband with 2ml of fill which was placed during sugery. Although Im not going back for seconds and thirds, I can still eat a fairly full plate of food so there's not much restriction as yet-i'm really looking forward to my first fill. I havent really lost any weight since surgery but have maintained my optifast loss. My doc says the midband is more flexible than the lapband and there are less problems with erosion etc as it doesnt need stitching in. I think Helen has a midband so she may post some further info for you about her experience.

Kim

[luvmyband]

I just wondered if the newer Bandits knew what type of band they had or even bothered to ask the surgeon which band he planned to use ..I never even thought to ask but if I were to do it again I probably would, and ask why they were choosing that particular band for me...

Marion

[Stripey23]

Think mine is a large (he said) and when asked how much I think he said 14 ml and that we may end up putting as much as 11 in there but will do so only very slowly. Have had 4 fills and now at 6mls. Have had the port flip over so not sure if next appointment will be able to get any fill or just a pre-op appointment. I will look for the card he gave me as to the brand - good idea I think.

[Rosieroo]

I have a 10mL band, and I have 5mL in it after the first fill. I need a bit more in there, but slowly, slowly will win the race.
Interesting topic - thanks for resurrecting this one.
Rosie

[IzzyBelle]

Thanks for bouncing this thread back up ... this is now on my list of questions for the doc next Thursday at my first fill

Izzy

[ahealthylife]

I have no idea what size mine is, but I know it's an Allergan band.

[DP0267]

i'm getting the band 3 weeks from today. When i asked the Dr the size of the band he was going to use he said there was a big one and a smaller one and he generally decides at the time of surgery which he will use.
I said "Ooookkkkaaayyyy"
He sounded faily casual about the whole thing. (think i'll check when i'm banded). Like a lot of people I like to know exactly what's in me.

[tawney008]

I have the 7 cc (assume thats same as 7 ml) MIDBAND..... I even have a little plastic card they gave me in hospital with the name and serial number of the band.... like a credit card... to keep in my wallet Thats the only reason I know what I have hehe

Kristy

[IzzyBelle]

AHHH didnt think to look at that .... Lap-Band AP System Small. Hmmm that doesnt tell me much. I might google it and the reference numbers

[southern_rogue]

I asked my surgeron after my surgery and al he said was it was a 'small one' lol (my gosh its had to wrangle any extra words outta that man!!!)