Can't get a perfect lap band adjustment

by Lisa Schmidt
(New York)

I had my lap band surgery in Jan. 2011 and have lost 32 pounds, but I can't seem to get a good adjustment.

To my frustration, it took me 5 adjustments before I even felt any tightness. That wasn't until July. Life was good for 4 weeks, then I couldn't eat or drink anything.

I was told I must have got something stuck which created an 'incident.' They took all the fluid out to let my band relax for a month. Since then I've had it adjusted twice and need to go back now again - it's either too tight or too loose.

I feel like the doctor can't adjust it just a tiny bit, he always takes too much out or puts too much in.

Anyone else having the same frustration?

And would it be a good idea to search out another doctor that may be able to give me better adjustments?

Comments for
Can't get a perfect lap band adjustment

Click here to add your own comments

Perhaps your fills aren't small enough
by: Lonicera The Bandit

It took me 18 months to get the fill right - and you're just half that period of time into your gastric band.

There are so many reasons why you can feel too restricted one day and not enough the next, but the most common mistake is this cycle -

(1) You're either over-filled or you've eaten something which has gotten stuck, and in bringing it back up the movement's gotten too violent,

(2) So you go to the doctor and ask him to remove enough fill to get you comfortable, forgetting that the violent regurgitation has left your esophagus inflamed - so you have too much removed to make you feel comfortable straight away,

(3) Then your esophagus calms down, and oh surprise, you feel too loose, and you can eat almost anything,

(4) So you go back to the doctor and get a good fill.... and now go back to (1) above.

The sweet spot is achieved by patience and very small fills - 0.25 of a ml from now on. That gives your body time to adjust and your brain time to understand how much you can and can't eat.

There's also the factor that as you lose weight, your insides adjust accordingly, and the sweet spot has to be searched for again.

It probably took you a long time to get to where you plucked up the courage to have the operation - so now you need patience to get to where you want to go.

Lots of luck to you.

Lonicera The Bandit

lapband adjustments
by: Anonymous

thanks for the response, I have never been able to convince the doctor to give or take .25. He always goes no less than .50 and explains that.25 is too little to make a difference. And of course what do we know what they do, since we aren't the trained person doing it.

I feel like they treat me as though my questioning what they are doing is unjustified and am made to believe that they know what they are doing and my input is incorrect.

Yes you ARE the 'trained person'!
by: Lonicera The Bandit

...Because it's YOUR body and you understand from the inside what it feels like to have a fill of 0.25 versus a 0.50 cc. When it suits them the clinicians trot out the old chestnut "it's an art not a science", or they tell you "kindly" (huh) that they know best. Well they don't.

You're listening to your body, they aren't. At the private hospital where I had a 2-year deal, in the end I would go for my fill to the nurse who had had a gastric band fitted, and truly understood the usefulness of the 0.25 fill. We would talk as equals about it, and I so miss it now that the deal has ended.

You sound like you won't be messed around with, so I've no doubt you'll find your way - I hope you'll tell us how you get on.

Lonicera The Bandit

Doctors like that must be confronted
by: Beth (Who Hid the Donuts)

It sounds like you either need to come to terms with this doctor or you need to see if you can go to a different fill doc.

The fact is, when you get close to your sweet spot, a .25 fill can be the difference between too loose and just right -- just as you know that a .25 fill can be just a little too much.

Your doctor is being overly aggressive. Normally they should give decent fills in the beginning, but right NOW, you are near enough to your sweet spot that he needs to tread lightly. He needs to remember 1) that it's YOUR body, and 2) that this constant back and forth (especially if accompanied by PBing/vomiting) can dislodge your band.

I've known a few people who this has happened to. Since YOU'RE the customer, you should be the one to make the final decision that he take baby steps. My doc says a cc is about four drops (if memory serves). Yes, even that one drop in a .25 fill can be the difference between just right and too tight.

Related Pages:
- Analysis & Cost of Lap Band Surgery (?Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band?) & Whether It?s Right for You
- Gastric Lap Band Procedure

ajustments
by: karon

hi there i also had 5 ajustments and one that went terriably wrong , i woke up at night not swallowing my spit so i was infact choking, that sounds realy harsh but a fact, however when i went back to correct it, it never did feel right and i lived with the fact that i was sick and never realy knowing when i could eat what i could eat, my band seem to have a mind of its own, what i could have on a monday for instance would be different the next day but the same food ive never quite got the hang of my band but i learned to live with it now five years down the line i went for a check and found that my band has no saline in it im waiting for the doctor to get back to me will keep you all up to date when i find out what they intend to do

No saline in your band!
by: Lonicera The Bandit

That's astonishing! Yes, please let us know what's happening there. Sounds like you've had a difficult time. There are quite a few entries on this site of people experiencing problems with too much or too little restriction, please do read them, they might help - and keep in touch.

Lonicera The Bandit

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Weight Loss Surgery Questions

Did you find this post - or Bariatric Surgery Source in general - useful?

If so, please continue to help us help you. Spread the word to your friends, family and business associates by clicking the "Like" button in the top left of this page.

For additional research, search for your topic...

Back to Bariatric Surgery Source Home Page

Disclaimer: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified medical, dietary, fitness or other appropriate professional.

In the spirit of full disclosure: We proudly support this website through advertising and affiliate ("aff") marketing. In other words, when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we sometimes earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep the site up and running and to continue offering it completely free of charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or affiliate relationship. Click here for more info.

Use right scroll bar to view entire site map

Bariatric Surgery

Obesity Cause & Effect

Gastric Bypass

Adjustable Gastric Banding

Other Effective Procedures

Diet Before & After Surgery

Financing & Insurance

Life After Surgery

Risks & Challenges

Community

We Proudly Support...