Just home from the hospital after being banded!

placyngreg · 03-22-2008, 04:03 PM

Got home last night, had to spend an extra night in the hospital due to a small complication during surgery, Everything else went fine.

My doc wants me to wait six weeks to the first fill, a little disappointed about that but she must know best.
I did loose 15 pounds in the last two weeks of pre-op diet, never thought I could do that. And now have to spend another three weeks on this wonderful liquid diet

. I really can't wait to at least start the soft foods part.
Funny, the doc told me that when the band goes on for the first time there is very little restriction without the first fill, but I noticed that when eating the same liquid diet that I was before the banded I feel much much fuller and that feeling lasts much longer. So, I wonder if in fact that the initial banding does restrict more then the docs say?
Anyway, would love to hear from some guys that have just had the banding and could give me some advice on what to expect in the next few weeks

.
Thanks a lot.
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**Jack** · 03-22-2008, 05:26 PM

We get different amounts of swelling, which makes postOp tightness pretty individual. I could barely drink water the first 5 days, taking all day for ONE liter!!!!

Restriction was very high from the first for me; went SIX MONTHS to first fill!!!

Yours may well be different.

Take it easy, relax and reflect on your blessings.

Welcome to BandLand

placyngreg · 03-22-2008, 09:01 PM

Thanks Jack, seams you know a lot about this stuff, any other advice would be nice for us novices hear in the "Men's Room"

Gordon C · 03-23-2008, 07:33 AM

Hi Greg - Hi Jack

I was banded on Wed 19th March and am just getting used to it. Starting to settle down now. My doc told me that my band was a "very snug fit" simply because of the size and anatomy of my stomach and the size and style of the band.

I'm coping with clear fluids and some yogurt mixed with orange juice (no bits variety) and milk seems to help ease my ongoing wind.

I guess we are all different and that no two bandsters will have exactly the same experience. That's certainly a statement I heard countless times pre op from the support team.

All the best guys

Gordon

Silverado1969 · 03-23-2008, 11:46 AM

Did anyone have a Catheter in when they woke up? That bothers me more than the surgery.

placyngreg · 03-23-2008, 05:54 PM

Yes Sir I sure did, I think we all did!!!!

Silverado1969 · 03-23-2008, 07:13 PM

How bad does it hurt to get it out?

pipes0000 · 03-23-2008, 08:16 PM

thank god i didn't get a catheter,,,man they hurt when they get removed

Fenton · 03-23-2008, 10:18 PM

I think that the catheter is very variable - I think most people DON'T get a catheter! Greg, because of his hiccup, may have been one of the lucky ones.

Jack's the veteran around these parts, and has lots of wisdom to dispense - just check out those weight loss numbers! But we all have our own experiences, as Gordon says, and we're all a bit different.

It took me five or so days for the swelling to go down. For the first five or so days, I had a slightly queasy feeling, and found getting fluids in pretty hard. I relied on clear premixed iSopure Zero Carb fruit punches - 20 oz fluid, 40 g protein. That 64 ounces a day is just a guideline, but it's a good goal to aim for. As Jack says, particularly in the early days it might be hard to hit, but just do your best to keep the water intake up.

The REAL secret of recovering from the procedure is to just keep walking. You might get gas pain in your shoulder or chest - when you get it, get up and walk for a little while, even if it's only up and down the hallway. Try gently raising your arms over your head as a kind of mini-stretch too. This will help move the gas around, and the pain will ease.

And it's hardly the worst pain in the world.

I didn't have much pain from the surgical sites - indeed, most guys don't seem to have a bad time with pain post-op. I didn't bother to fill the Vicodin prescription, I was fine with liquid Tylenol, which I took only on the first day.

I also got some muscle cramps, which eased iwth a hot pad. And I took hot baths; you're not supposed to let your surgical sites soak in the water, but I'm fairly heft and fairly tall, so even when I lay in my tub, my wounds were above the water line. I just soaked for a while, then showered normally.

Any questions you have during your recovery, just shout 'em out here - there's plenty of us here to share our experience with you.

And, brother - sorry about that catheter!

Gordon C · 03-24-2008, 11:26 AM

No catheter for me - I guess it depends on your surgeons preferences

MikeBceo · 03-24-2008, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by placyngreg

My doc wants me to wait six weeks to the first fill, a little disappointed about that but she must know best.

The band I have is the AP-Large band from Allergan. Their instructions state:

The initial postoperative adjustment should occur at six
weeks or more, and usually 3 - 4 cc of normal saline
would be added.

http://www.allergan.com/assets/pdf/lapband_dfu.pdf

Your doctor is probably just following manufacturer's directions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by placyngreg

Anyway, would love to hear from some guys that have just had the banding and could give me some advice on what to expect in the next few weeks

I'm just a little ahead of you. I had my surgery on March 13th, so I'm 10 days post-op now. The first few days after surgery were pretty easy - I wasn't hungry and the protein shakes kept me satisfied. After the 3rd or 4th day, my hunger started returning, although I'm sticking to the doctor's orders and only consuming liquids (both clear and full).

I've read too many horror stories about band slippage because of patients eating solid foods too early. The reason for the liquid diet is to let your stomach heal with the band in place. The band is held in place by just sutures now, but as your body heals, scar tissue will help hold the band in place. If you eat solid foods too early, your stomach will churn to digest the food, hindering the formation of the scar tissue. Even worse than this is if you vomit - the violent action of the stomach may cause the band to slip.

If you think slippage is a rare event, it isn't. In Allergan's clinical studies, 11% of all patient had band slippage. It was the most prevalent serious adverse event (versus erosion, dilation, etc.).

Good luck,

Fenton · 03-24-2008, 02:51 PM

Thanks for posting that, Mike. I have a large APL band - I don't know if it's the same as the Allergan band - I may have just misheard the doc.

I'm 2 1/2 weeks post-op. I was graduated to purees last Monday, 1 1/2 weeks post-op. This weekend, I had solid food on both Saturday and Sunday - not a lot, but I'm not going to do it again until I get my fill. My doctor fills at 4 weeks out, although I'll be getting mine at 5 weeks, thanks to timing.

I guess I've played it a bit fast and loose; I don't THINK I've screwed anything up, but I'm going to cut right back and stay on the soft food straight and narrow. Thanks for mentioning the horror stories!

Fenton · 03-24-2008, 02:52 PM

Googling provides the answer: it's the AP band, and it comes as an APS (small) or an APL (large.

MikeBceo · 03-24-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenton

Thanks for posting that, Mike. I have a large APL band - I don't know if it's the same as the Allergan band - I may have just misheard the doc.

AFAIK, there are only 2 band manufacturers approved for use in the United States - bands by Allergan (formerly Inamed), which holds the "Lap Band" trademark and bands by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (an operating company of Johnson & Johnson) called Realize bands.

Allergan Band
Realize Band

The Realize band was just approved for use in the US in the fall of 2007. In June of 2007, Allergan's next generation band was approved for use. The band is called the "Advanced Platform" or AP for short. It comes in 2 sizes - the large (holding 14 cc) or the small (holding 10cc). They are sometimes generically referred to as AP-S and AP-L.

Prior to the AP bands, starting January 2004, Allergan sold a band called the Vanguard band (referred to generically as the VG Band - and sometimes (unfortunately VGB). This presented some confusion as there is a bariatric surgery procedure called Vertical Banded Gastroplasty which is sometimes called VGB - hence, the confusion. Vertical Banded Gastroplasty is sometimes called Stomach Stapling. Other than being prescribed for morbid obesity, the similarities with laparoscopic adjustable banding techniques ends there.

Prior to January 2004 and the VG bands, there were 3 bands available in the US distributed by Inamed and they were distinguished by length - the 9.75cm, 10cm band, and 11 cm band. Each of these bands held 4 cc.

There are a lot of references describing the differences between the bands. My surgeon started using the AP band in late 2007 and uses Allergan bands exclusively. I was fitted with an AP-large.

HTH,

Fenton · 03-24-2008, 09:14 PM

Looks like you and I are rocking the same band, Mike.