Lap band® fills with fluoroscopy

Lap band fills with fluoroscopy

Lap band fills with fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopic way of grastric band adjustments

Lap band surgery is an effective weight loss procedure that use a gastric band to create a small pouch at upper part of the stomach. This small pouch works as new stomach for the patients. Depending upon the tightness of band and size of pouch patiences experience a filling of fullness while taking foods. This band is adjustable and reversible. Lap band fills is an important post surgery process included with this process. The process to adjust the band in order to tighten it is referred as lap band fills and every lap band patient needs lap band fills for further adjustment of the band.

Weight loss surgeons use different ways for lap band surgery fills but lap band fills with fluoroscopy is considered as most secure way for lap band fills. This procedure of lapband fills uses X-ray fluoroscopy and is performed by a radiologist. In this process the surgeons can see inside image of patients on continuous basis to see the changes that happens inside the body. It can also be recorded for further views using a CCD video camera. Lapband fills depends upon several factors such as degree of hunger, amount of weight loss and amount of restrictions.

Procedure of lap band fills with fluoroscopy:

Two fluoroscopy x-ray is performed for lap band fills. For first fill, patient is placed vertically before the machine so that moving image of stomach can be viewed on the screen. You can easily see your lap band fills. Patient will need a take a sip of barium that is a radioc ontrast agent and allow to remain opaque while X-rays is performed. You can see the flow of barium salphate inside your body. After that lapband fills is performed.

Now second lap band fills with fluoroscopy performed for post lapband fills. It is required to see the rate of barium sulfate flow inside the stomach. Depending upon the rate of flow, your surgeon adds more saline solution. It is also necessary to check the patience's feeling of fullness. However, if there is any complications like heartburn, swallowing or regurgitation then the surgeon withdrawn the fluid.

There are controversial facts available on the use of fluoroscopy. Some surgeons support lap band fills with fluoroscopy while some surgeons suggest to limit the use of fluoroscopy x-ray. In support of fluoroscopy, surgeons says that it is secure and more convenient way to perform lap band fills. While some surgeons limits its uses by saying that it cannot determine of real time of flow of food inside the stomach. If you go through lap band fills with fluoroscopy then it consumes more money in comparision of lap band fills without fluoroscopy.

However, any lap band patient must consult with their surgeon to get proper guidelines about the process of lap band fills. It is good practice to take opinion from 2-3 surgeons about the process.