fills under fluoro?

Hi Amber-

In my practice I use fluoro whenever there is any uncertainty as to whether the band is "tight enough". This is often in patients who dont clearly sense the feeling of restriction or stuck in a fill-unfill-fill-unfill cycle where they are subjectively either too loose or too tight but never just right.

I also check fluoros whenever there is a spontaneous and abrupt loss in restriction. When accompanied by heartburn and regurg, this is almost always a slip.

Because slips are not uncommon and sometimes result form having an overrestricted band that has been too tight too long, I typically check a fluoro once we reach a stable and comfortanle plateau. This is usually around the 2 year point.

I also check fluoros when patients return for a fill after the 2 year point.

If you are doing great with a stable fill, no vomiting, no gerd then its not essential that you be studied. On the other hand, screening fluoros can help catch minor problems before they turn into bigger problems.

Bottom line: there is no right or wrong to the use of routine fluoro but I do find it helpful more often than not.

Hope that helps...

Jonathan Aranow, MD
Middletown, CT

Thanks everyone for the replies! I was just wondering if maybe something could be wrong with my band. The first year with my band I didnt really follow the rules and I did vomit alot! It took me a year to realize bread, french fries, and pasta wasnt really a good idea. But even in the first year I never really felt a lot of restriction. I finally made and appointment to see my surgeon and got a fill in september and he put in 1cc, well I couldnt keep anything down! everything felt like it was sitting on my chest. So two days later i had an unfill and he took out a little less than half of what he put in. But now im back to having no restriction. Its like I can take a bite and I feel it stop and then a few seconds or minutes later I can literally feel it pass through my band. My doctor said that meant I was getting really close to my "Sweet spot" but im just worried because now im having no restriction again. Can I mean just a drop really make a differance? I wonder if maybe be put like half of what he took out back maybe it would be perfect??? but like i said I dont know if that little of a fill would make a differance. So far I have only experianced wide open and to tight! Thats why I was wondering if maybe something could be wrong with my band.