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Lap Band Fill-the most important part for the success of lap band surgery

Lap band fill

One of the advantages of having lap band surgery is, it is adjustable according to the need of weight loss. With the lap band you can optimize your weight loss rate and feeling of fullness after meal. With the lap band fill surgeon change the size of stoma i.e stomach outlet which is created after placing band around stomach. With the adjusting of band you can either decrease or increase the quantity of food intake. Band itself doesn’t provide any restriction whereas it is required to be filled to expand its diameter for restriction. It is filled with saline solution through needle. Lap band fills is important part to make lap band surgery successful. Depending upon the condition of body and requirements of weight loss, lap band fill depends.

First fill lap band surgery

Normally at the time of surgery, band is left empty. No saline is introduced in to band. Probably four to six weeks are allowed for healing from surgery and then after your first fill lap band start. Some surgeon introduces small amount of saline at the time of surgery for small restriction. You first fill depend on how your healing process is going on. Additional adjustment will be schedule after first fill but is recommended to keep two weeks distance between them. Follow up visits are generally schedule for every 6 weeks during the first year and then for next two years every three months. During this visit surgeon will monitor your health and weight loss rate and depending upon the result it is decided whether to go for lap band adjustment or not. After this it is decided right amount of fill. Many factor affect on fill like your degree of hunger, rate of weight loss, restriction amount, and hydration, your eating habit and metabolism. Lap band doesn’t completely fill at first fill.

Before lap band fill

There are some preparations you need to do before lap band fill. For the good fill you need a good preparation before going for lapband fills.

There should be NO food in the upper pouch when a patient arrives for their fill. It is suggested that only liquids be ingested on the day of the fill procedure to flush the stoma and ensure that there is no food remaining in the pouch.

1. You must be hydrated on the day of fill. You should maintain hydration of your body. Drink plenty of water, especially 2 to 3 days before a fill.
2. No food should be in upper pouch at the time when you go for fill. Only liquid is required to take at the time of surgery.
3. You should not eat any solid food for at least 6 hours before the fill. Try to make stomach pouch totally empty.
4. An hour before fill, avoid COLD fluid because there may be possibilities of shrinking of stoma due to cold.
5. Avoid lap band fills during or few days before your menstrual period.
6. After fill, stay at hospital for few hours to make sure you are felling all right.
7. If you are going somewhere else for fill then try to stay there overnight to see, is there any problem with fill or not.

Lap band fill procedure

Fills are performed under fluoroscopy. This helps surgeon to see the placement of lap band before and after fill. Left side, just below the skin of the abdominal wall there is a Port which is connected with band via tubing. With the fine needle, saline is introduced through the skin in to the port to fill lap band. Lap band fill procedure is generally painless and requires only 15 minutes. Adjustment procedure is done either to remove saline or to add saline. If saline is added then you will feel more restriction over food and when it is removed then you will feel less restriction. All depend on your weight loss rate.

Lap band restriction after first fill

After first fill, you are asked to drink some water. If you are facing problem in drinking water then consult with your doctors. Now you have to follow a full liquid diet for a day or two after a fill. Drink protein shakes, cream soup, broth, thin cream of wheat sugar free pudding, low fat yogurt, and sugar free jello. For more information you can ask to your doctor. After couples of day you can move to the soft food for two days before resuming to your normal diet. It’s really important to follow diet plan decided for post fill to adjust new restriction. It may take couples of fills before you get the right amount of restriction. But lap band restriction after first fill is quite normal. Only small amount is introduced.

Lap band fill cost

Actually cost of lap band fills of first year is included at the time of surgery by surgeon. But somewhere it is not included. You have to pay every time when you go for fill. Lap band fill cost depend upon many factor like surgeon, facilities, you will pay less at the hospital your surgery has done, But if you go somewhere else for fill then you have to pay more and insurance coverage. Average cost is $100.if fill done under an X-ray fluoroscope then there is actually an additional cost of $100-$200. Some of the insurance companies cover fills but some not.

If you are going to other countries then search experienced lap band fill center which provide good facilities. If you feel any problem while drinking water or reflux your lap band fill too tight. Consult with your surgeon about this. You may face lap band fill complication if your band is tight like vomiting, difficulty swallowing etc.