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This is from the obtechmedical website.

FILLING THE BALLOON

a.. The balloon should be left empty for at least four weeks after the

operation.

a.. At the time of filling the balloon, a swab soaked in 5% chlorhexidine

spirit should be placed on the port area for at least 10 minutes before

injecting into the port, in order to ensure proper disinfection of the area.

a.. Use a Huber needle to inject into the port. Do not use a saline solution

but a water-based 200 mg 3-iodine solution diluted in iopamidol (Iopamiro 200 ®

, Astra Pharmaceuticals). This is an isotone solution with large iodine

molecules normally used for the x-ray of blood vessels which will not diffuse

through the balloon. For the first injection, no more than 4 ml should be used.

a.. After injecting into the port, the patient should remain at the hospital

and be given small amounts of water to drink. This is to ensure that the patient

tolerates the new restricted width of the band. Once this simple test has been

successfully completed, there is very little risk of vomiting.

a.. Four weeks after the first injection, another 1.5 ml Iopamiro can be

injected.

a.. Thereafter, the filling of the band will depend on the patient’s weight

loss, although no more than 1.5 ml Iopamiro should be injected at any one time.

The patient should not lose more than 1 kg per week, preferably 0.5 kg, in order

to maintain a feeling of well-being. There is no reason to rush weight loss.

The total amount of liquid solution that can be injected through the port varies

between 7 and 9 ml. The optimal amount depends on the patient’s comfort and

weight loss objectives, and should only be achieved at the earliest two years

after the operation. The risk of migration of the SAGB appears to be correlated

to the amount of fluid in the balloon, and increases slightly when the balloon

has a fluid content above 9 ml, and more significantly when this is above 10 ml.

a.. The rate at which the balloon is filled also depends on the rate at

which the newly created pouch increases in size. As the pouch dilates, the

patient will be able to tolerate more injections of a Iopamiro-type solution

into the balloon. The amount of time necessary for the pouch to dilate varies

between two months and one and a half years.