Explanation of terms, pls

 I am still in the "investigation" phase of this.  I know it bands off your stomach, but I am confused as to what these "fills" are that you speak of.  I am not completely sure of the terms being used and I would prefer it in laymans terms rather than doctor speak..  

Here's a photo:




The band, when fluid is added, restricts more, kind of like tightening a belt.

Some people find they don't need fluid added, while others never find restriction even when the fluid is a maximum capacity. It depends on your physiology, I guess.

They use a Huber needle to inject saline into the port which tightens the inside inflatable portion of the band. If there is too much fluid, they use a needle to extract fluid.

Hope this helps!

 Thanks so much, that makes so much more sense now, I was picturing basically eating till you barf as a means to get full to "fill" it up but it didn't makes sense to do that to lose weight.

It does get a little confusing, all the jargon! 

It's important to know that you never want your band to be overfilled with saline. It's best to aim for moderation and take your time. 

I was one of the unlucky ones when it came to banding. If I got the band filled, even a minute amount, I would be unable to swallow even water. My stomach would simply swell like a balloon! It was very uncomfortable, to say the least.



You'll also hear the term, "PB" or "PB'ing" and that means "productive burp."  It's when the food that was "stuck" in the top portion of your stomach makes a reappearance, usually undigested because it never made it down into the digestive part of the stomach. Some foods you'll find intolerable and they'll pop right back up, usually accompanied by copious amounts of mucous and saliva. (Pretty, huh?!) 

 That sounds delightful.  Is there a place to go read up on all these terms or just learning as we go.  I have been overweight my whole life and I have a metabolic issue as well, mine is so slow I could work out for days in a row and barely lose a pound.  It gets agrivating.

If you have metabolic issues, you may need to look into a malabsorptive surgery instead of the band. Having the band is a lot like simply dieting. I've always thought it was more like aversion therapy... you don't want to throw up, so you stop eating. Or in  my case, eating solid foods caused horrible pain, so I just didn't do it.

I think you'll learn a lot just by reading here... check out all forums... including the Revisions, Failed, Complications, Regrets... just to know the possible outcomes. It's best to know what types of things are common with each procedure before you decide on one.

There is a site called "Lapbandtalk.com" that is all lapband info.  Be sure to read on the Duodenal Switch; VSG; and RnY forums for info, too.

I'm looking into a sleeve revision. After researching the past 5 years, I think it's a better restrictive only procedure, personally.

 I have to figure out which would be better with my medical issues.  I also do not have a gallbladder, not sure if that makes a difference or not.