Re: Vangaurd after french mid band

[Guest guest]

Hi, Beth - welcome! The French Midband is not FDA approved, so there

are very few in use in the US, and very little experience with them, so

I can't really compare them.

By " prolapse " , you mean a band slip, right? In a slip, the stomach

prolapses up thru the band, in technical terms.

All bands work basically the same, though.

The Vanguard band is not used in teh US either - the Vanguard is the 11

cm band used only in other countries. but many people (including docs)

mistakenly call the Inamed VG band the " Vanguard " , so i think the VG

must be what you have.

THis is one of the largest Inamed bands. It holds about 10 cc , but can

safely hold much mor if needed. It is meant for people of a 45 bmi or

over, as it is so big. If used in smaller people, it needs a very huge

fill, which is felt unsafe and a cause of the increased erosions with

this band in small people.

In the VG, The first 3.5 cc of saline simply fills the tubing, and is

not a real fill - as that does not expand the band's balloon. It takes

an experienced doc and patient patient to work with this band, as there

is so much extra room in there, it can be harder to get to a good fill

level.

for this reason, the first fill in this band is usually between 4-5.5

cc, UNLESS the doc putsome of the initial 3.5 cc of fill in at surgery.

This all i why this band can be a bit harder to get to a good fill

level.

Fill may safely be given only evcery 4 weeks - this is in the Inamed

guide. since fills often do not settle in for 1-2 weeks, a month's wait

to see how the fill is and THEN see how your new eating translates into

some loss .

Going too quickly with fills is an RX for disastrer.

With all the Inamedbands, people generally need 3-5 small monthly fills

to get to good level, and trying to rush is very unwise.

All the same requirments fotr loss are the same with all bands. all

require much better food choices, good eating technique, good fuir

intake, very good regular exercsie, and more.

you'll find all the general info for all band's needs in the " Band

Guide " in the file, if you'd like to learn more..

I'm afraid the same formula for weight loss applies with or without the

band - eat fewer calories than you need, add some exercise, and you'll

lose. The band simply makes it easier to be satisfied with less food.

If you stick to a very reasonable 2000 calories or so, get the good

daily exercsie we all need, you'll lose even before you get to a good

fill.

Good luck with this new band! Please stay in touch here, and we'll help

you learn more about what is needed to do well. How did you do with

yourmidband? /You're very lucky to get a second chance - i hope you'll

recommitt to doing what is needed to lose well again.

sandy r, BSN, MN

band educator

at goal> 4 yrs

>

> Hi

>

> I'm looking for any information from people with the vangaurd band. I

> had a french mid band for 5 years that hand to be removed last

> September due to stomach prolapse, it was replaced by a vangaurd. I am

> gaining weight, and am frustrated I have 4.5 mls of fill and go back

> nearly every 2 weeks for a fill. I guess my questions are do people

> lose weight with the vangaurd? and how much approximately do people

> have in their band before they have restriction.

>

>

> Thanks,

> Beth

>

[Guest guest]

I forgot to add that people can do as well with the VG band as with any

others, and that everyone ha a unique fill level need, depending on

many factors . What anyone else has , hasno bearing at all on what YOU

my need. all we can say is that you apparently need more than you have!

Keep going monthly for fills, and keep improving your part of the

success formula, and you can do just great.

Remember, tough, that the fill is only a part of what is needed - the

rest must come from you.

Sandy r

>

> Hi

>

> I'm looking for any information from people with the vangaurd band. I

> had a french mid band for 5 years that hand to be removed last

> September due to stomach prolapse, it was replaced by a vangaurd. I am

> gaining weight, and am frustrated I have 4.5 mls of fill and go back

> nearly every 2 weeks for a fill. I guess my questions are do people

> lose weight with the vangaurd? and how much approximately do people

> have in their band before they have restriction.

>

>

> Thanks,

> Beth

>

[Guest guest]

My second surgery was in the US, VG is the other name for it. My BMI

was 26% when I went in for emergent surgery. Now it's 30%. My doctor

here says that 5mls is average for optimal weight loss with this

band. The placement on this band is higher than the previous band. No

pouch. So I guess I don't really understand how it works. I was very

sick when I went in for surgery and didn't have much time for

questions. The only thing I really remember was that they could take

the band out and replace it or just leave it out. I was terrified of

gaining all my weight back, so I opted to have it placed. Now I'm

gaining my wieght back, my worst fear. Maybe my Dr is new to this,

maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know. I feel

like a failure, I did wonderful with the previous band, I lost 100lbs

and kept in off all this time.

> >

> > Hi

> >

> > I'm looking for any information from people with the vangaurd

band. I

> > had a french mid band for 5 years that hand to be removed last

> > September due to stomach prolapse, it was replaced by a vangaurd.

I am

> > gaining weight, and am frustrated I have 4.5 mls of fill and go

back

> > nearly every 2 weeks for a fill. I guess my questions are do

people

> > lose weight with the vangaurd? and how much approximately do

people

> > have in their band before they have restriction.

> >

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Beth

> >

>

[Guest guest]

So, I'm wondering what the thinking was of the doc to give me a VG (10 cc) when

my BMI was 38??

[Guest guest]

Beth, I'm afraid that much of this info is quite different than what

i have learned from the various docs i consult regularly for

information.

I don't see how a band can work without a pouch, and no fill can help

if here is no pouch in which to store and restrict food. if the band

is placed too high, i don't see how it can work at all in the way the

band was designed to. I don't know any doc who would band someone at

a BMI of 30 , especially with his particular band. No band,

especially th larger ones, were designed or tested for anyone this

low.

I'm afraid we just may not be able to help you much here, since

you're in a very unique situation in which none of us have any

experience or information.

what i would suggest to you, though, is to consult a very highly-

experienced band surgeon and let him/her guide you in this very

unusual situation. You're in very uncharted ground here.

You did just great with your midband, so you clearly learned some

excellent band lessons. if you continue them - eating no more thn2000

cal a day to maintain, daily exercise, adequate fluids, voiding the

emotional eating, etc - you should be able to maintain well..

I wish we could help you more... :-(

Sandy r

-

> > >

> > > Hi

> > >

> > > I'm looking for any information from people with the vangaurd

> band. I

> > > had a french mid band for 5 years that hand to be removed last

> > > September due to stomach prolapse, it was replaced by a

vangaurd.

> I am

> > > gaining weight, and am frustrated I have 4.5 mls of fill and go

> back

> > > nearly every 2 weeks for a fill. I guess my questions are do

> people

> > > lose weight with the vangaurd? and how much approximately do

> people

> > > have in their band before they have restriction.

> > >

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > > Beth

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Donna, the highly-experienced docs take other things into

consideration, too - the thickness of the stomach wall, your fat

distribution (apple-shaped vs pear-shaped) and much more.

The VG has some unique proreties that make it a good band for certain

smaller start-weight people too. You can always ask Dr k why he chose

this particular band for you! :-)

Sandy r

>

> So, I'm wondering what the thinking was of the doc to give me a VG

(10 cc) when my BMI was 38??

>

>

[Guest guest]

It was a replacement for the previous band which was swapped out in

the same surgery , I live in NY and had surgery here and my insurance

paid for it so there must be some precedence. My BMI was only 26 at

the time of surgery but already had the mid band for 6 years.

Thank you for all the inofmation, It has help a great deal,

Beth

> > > >

> > > > Hi

> > > >

> > > > I'm looking for any information from people with the vangaurd

> > band. I

> > > > had a french mid band for 5 years that hand to be removed last

> > > > September due to stomach prolapse, it was replaced by a

> vangaurd.

> > I am

> > > > gaining weight, and am frustrated I have 4.5 mls of fill and go

> > back

> > > > nearly every 2 weeks for a fill. I guess my questions are do

> > people

> > > > lose weight with the vangaurd? and how much approximately do

> > people

> > > > have in their band before they have restriction.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Thanks,

> > > > Beth

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

The catch, sadly, is that there are actually MORE erosions with the

VG, when it is used in very small people (below about a 35 bmi) since

it will then take a very VERY high level of fill to get a good

restriction, and this increases erosion risk. 3 low start-weight

people I know have over a 13 cc fill in this VG band and still have

inadequate restriction. There docs will not go higher, so they are

very stuck. One ios getting a smaller band put in at her own expense.

A certain MX doc used the VG in all patients, large and small, awhile

ago, and many are now having considerable trouble.

Sandy r

>

> > So, I'm wondering what the thinking was of the doc to give me a

VG (10 cc) when my BMI was 38??

>

>

> --

> " It's OK to be a little broken, everybody's broken in this life "

Jon Bon Jovi

> Dan Lester, Boise, Idaho, USA www.mylapband.tk

> Banded 4/27/03, Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana

> Started at 355, at goal in the 210-220 range for almost 4 years

> Ultimate goal of 195 Tummytuck in Boise and SmartLipo in Tijuana

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the update. I learn things every day, and this is one of

them.

It is unfortunate that some docs follow the " one size fits all "

approach. After all, we all know that doesn't work in clothes, does

it? :-)

I remember when labels on some things (particularly for women) said

" one size fits all " . Obviously they got complaints, since you don't

see that any more, so they now label more honestly " one size fits

most " . And we know who they don't fit.....

dan

Monday, March 10, 2008, 9:08:24 PM, you wrote:

> The catch, sadly, is that there are actually MORE erosions with the

> VG, when it is used in very small people (below about a 35 bmi) since

> it will then take a very VERY high level of fill to get a good

> restriction, and this increases erosion risk.

--

" It's OK to be a little broken, everybody's broken in this life " Jon Bon Jovi

Dan Lester, Boise, Idaho, USA www.mylapband.tk

Banded 4/27/03, Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana

Started at 355, at goal in the 210-220 range for almost 4 years

Ultimate goal of 195 Tummytuck in Boise and SmartLipo in Tijuana