Gastric band adjustment is a normal part of your follow up care after having a LAP-BAND or REALIZE Band inserted.  During an adjustment your doctor adds or takes out saline (sterile salty water) from the band. Because the band is hollow, adding or subtracting saline makes it tighter or looser around the top of the stomach.

The band is attached by a tube to an injection port that is placed just beneath the skin. Saline is added or removed using a special needle inserted into the port.

The first “fill” or adjustment of your gastric band usually occurs about 8-weeks following your surgery. This period may be slightly shorter or longer depending on your individual circumstances.

The first gastric band may make you a little anxious but there is absolutely no need for concern.  It is a minor procedure and there is minimal discomfort – just a small injection.

Occasionally X-ray fluoroscopy may be used to locate the port and ensure everything is working properly.

While your individual circumstances may require slightly different instructions, here are some general tips to make your band adjustments successful.

• Ensure you are maintaining your fluid intake at the recommended levels.
• Don’t drink cold fluids before the adjustment
• Don’t eat a big meal the night before your fill and no solid food for at least 6 hours before the adjustment so your stomach pouch is empty.
• Restrict your diet to full liquid for 24 hours after the adjustment, then soft foods for an additional day before resuming your regular diet.
• If you are traveling a long distance to get the adjustment, consider staying in Jacksonville for the night to ensure you feel okay with the adjustment before returning home. This is especially important for your first couple of fills.

Many criticize the decision to operate on children as young as ten years of age, worried that their bodies are still developing and are in pivotal times of nutritional need, which should not be deprived or tampered with, no matter how overweight the child is becoming. But some physicians disagree, stating that at a certain level of obesity the benefits outweigh the risks and that with careful monitoring and dietary counseling, the child or teen will be healthier than if left to their own devices.

Gastric band procedures such as the lap band surgery, which can later be undone if no longer needed, are now an option for clinically obese children, but only if all other options have been exercised. This surgery allows the child the possibility to reduce their weight and reap the health benefits of reaching a healthy weight and living a healthier lifestyle. Acting swiftly greatly reduces the odds of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Gastric band surgery and subsequent weight loss can help reduce some of the terrible torment for young people that can go along with being obese. Self-esteem tends to soar post surgery, giving children the chance to walk with their heads held higher.