Terrible 1st Fill - Flipped Port

[AFmom 3]

I went in this afternoon for my first fill. I was excited and not nervous at all...really looking forward to getting some restriction! Everyone said no problem, no pain, just a pinch. Other people ahead of me were in and out in just a few minutes.

Right after I laid down on the table they seemed to be having trouble finding the port...they were pushing really hard and it hurt! Even once they were using floro they could see the port but could not access it because it had flipped. The doctor tried to manipulate it manually, by pushing really hard, and then finally pulled the needle out. Then he used some local anesthesia and went back in...still lots of pushing to get it to turn around a bit. He did manage to get it in, and added 2cc. I was just so glad that it was over. I hope that it is not that difficult everytime!

Who else has had this problem? Did it get better or did they have to reposition the port?

Thanks,

Michelle

[mominkansas 2]

I had my port repositioned. I had so much fat when banded that there was no way to secure the port and anchor it. In the 4 weeks before my fill some of that fat burned off and left my port hanging so to speak. I had it resecured though I was told that it could have been manipulated , I didn't want to mess with it.

[clhendrix2 0]

I went in today after work for my first fill. I was excited and nervous at the same time, I was really looking forward to getting some restriction! I am alittle afraid of needles, but it has to be done.

So I laid down on the table, got a shot of local anesthesia, good and numb. Yea! She was all happy and taking to me,

then she seemed to be having trouble finding the port, well they found the port but was having problem getting the needle into the port. She was pushing and pushing, moving all around. She got out the ultrasound machine, took a look, said all looked ok, went back to the needle. She then administered more local anesthesia. So I asked is there something wrong? Did the port filp? She said no, its ok, just having a very difficult time going in. ?? So six sticks later and an hour, she decides that I need to come back in the morning to have Dr.Provost try. She kept telling me all was ok, this happens sometimes, and that I did nothing wrong. But I can't help but worry. Its what I do. Please, oh please Lord let me be ok. I cannot afford more surgery.

[clhendrix2 0]

*Update* I went in yesterday morning at 9am to see Dr.Provost. He tried with 2 needles to hit the port, but no luck. So he sent me across the street to the hospital where I had my surgery, to do the fill under flouroscopy ($100 by the way! ). I went over and as soon as they had a machine available they called him over. I was glad to see that when Dr.Provost came he brought his PA Chrystyna with him. I was glad at this point to see friendly, familiar faces, seeing as I was extremely worried at this point. And cold, that hospital was freezing! So after seeing my port on xray, its not perfect but maybe not completely terrible either. My port is sort of angled upwards, it is not laying flat as it should be, but it is not flipped over either, so no surgery to correct it is planned at this time. They still hope that it will lay down as more swelling goes down and I lose more weight. Dr and PA were there to see exactly how it is facing and how to manipulate it to flatten it out and get the fill done. So I got the fill, I am very, very sore and bruised! My tummy looks like I got hit with a baseball! :frown: The Dr wants to do my next fill in a little over 2 weeks. Wish me luck! I am feeling a little more restriction, now then I did. But no issues swallowing or vomiting! Yea! Thats a good thing.

[janeinnc 0]

Oh my - I do understand your frustration so well! When I went to have my first fill, they tried numerous times and finally determined that the port had indeed flipped. The next week I had to make another trip to the operating room to have the port flipped into the correct position and resecured. My doctor told me that the Allergan reps had given them a "new & Improved" procedure just before I went in for the original surgery to have the lap band installed. They have since gone back to the "tried and true" procedure (what my doctor referred to as "belt and suspenders") to secure the port. I go back next week for the next attempt at the first fill.