Fill under Floroscopy

[courtneybnp 0]

Hello All. I was banded on June 28 without any complication. I have lost 28 pounds since surgery. I had my first fill last month, and even though my doc had a little trouble finding the port, she finally did and was able to give me a fill. I went on Wednesday for my second fill. So after being stuck like 8 times with the needle without success, we are now going to have to do the fill under floroscopy. I know some of you have had this done and was just wondering what the procedure is like. My doc thinks my port is tilted ever so slightly and that is why she is having trouble accessing it. I hope I don't need a port revision this early, but I guess that will be determined after my floroscopy fill next week. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

[BetsyB 9]

My doctor does all of my fills with fluoroscopy. My port is easy to access, so he uses it to assess fill rather than locate the port---but either way, it's a good tool.

I'll describe the procedure for you. I stand in front of the machine--this allows my doctor to view the port, etc. He inserts the needle, which is connected to the syringe by a couple of inches of tubing. After he injects a bit of saline, he lets the syringe kind of dangle (weird sensation, but not bad), needle still in place. While I drink a swallow of barium (which is radio-opaque and therefore shows up on fluoro), he watches its movement through the stoma. This helps him assess the degree of tightness. If I need a bit more saline, he then repeats---a little more Fluid, another swallow of barium.

The difference for you would be that your doctor would use fluoro to locate and assess the position of the port, which is also radio-opaque (and therefore visible under fluoro).

It's no biggie--just a tool that helps guide things so that they're not "operating blind."

[zeniada 9]

Good Info Betsy... I had a flouro done the day after surgery to see how the liquid was flowing and my doc does all his fills via flouro so i know they wont be going blind either...

[chubbynurse 0]

Yes BetsyB very useful info! My doctor fills under flouro too. That was one of my criteria when choosing a doc. I didn't want anyone poking around trying to find my port and inserting "guestimated" amounts of saline. Maybe you could suggest that your doc does all your fills using flouro since she's had difficulty acessing your port.

[AFmom 3]

My doc does all of his fills under floro too, but even with floro it can be hard or impossible for them to fill a tilted or flipped port. My port flipped and even with the image on the screen the doc could not get it, so it was fixed with a port revision last week. I had a totally easy and painless fill the next day!

My doc has us lay down on a table and the arm of the machine is above my abdomen. You can easily see the port on the screen and he uses a needle to inject the saline and watches the band fill, then he has me drink the barium with a straw (can be tricky while laying down) and then he either fills more or stops. My doc just uses a syringe in saline in it, there is no tube, but I don't know if that is a difference with the Realize Band or not.

Hope your fill goes well...

Michelle

[courtneybnp 0]

Thanks everybody for the advice. Hopefully this second fill will give me a lot more restriction. I've been in bandster hell for about a month now. I also meant to ask how long the procedure usually takes. I have to go to work afterwards and would like to give them a good guesstimate as to what time I should be back to work. Thanks again for the advice. I feel a lot better about it now. I think I will insist on my fills being done by floro from now on.

[mcgowberg 0]

Hi there. I'm getting my first fill today and wasn't told there were any eating restrictions prior to the floroscopy. Is that true? Thanks!

[CincyUdy 35]

True, I would eat light though like mushy foods, yogurt etc. I went in the morning and she say to just take it easy with yogurt or cottege cheese for Breakfast. It was all good.

[papoose 48]

My doctor uses flouro. I lay down on the table and he inserts the needle into the port. My dr. is good i only get stuck once to put the needle in. Then I sit up and stand up (with needle still inside of me) I swallow the barium, he watches how it goes down and then adds saline. I drink a little bit more and he decides if I need more or not, if not he just removes the needle. It is so easy, not even painful, just a little pinch. For the rest of the day I am on liquids.< /p>

[Whey ready 1]

My doc office said 4 hrs NPO before the swallow and that's what the floors say to do too...if u eat before the stomach might be moving or stretched and u won't get the best fill possible. And tell them u don't want the lidocaine...it makes u numb so u don't feel the poke of the fill needle but it burns/hurts so bad and u still feel the needle moving around its not worth it, a big breath and 3 seconds later the needle is in and no burning. Oh, make sure u take a big gulp of it too, I know...its against what they tell us to do...but if u take ltl sips it looks like the band is tight enough but ur really not so they don't give u a big enough fill. Hope that helps

[gotmyeyeontheprize 2]

My doctor does all of my fills with fluoroscopy. My port is easy to access, so he uses it to assess fill rather than locate the port---but either way, it's a good tool.

I'll describe the procedure for you. I stand in front of the machine--this allows my doctor to view the port, etc. He inserts the needle, which is connected to the syringe by a couple of inches of tubing. After he injects a bit of saline, he lets the syringe kind of dangle (weird sensation, but not bad), needle still in place. While I drink a swallow of barium (which is radio-opaque and therefore shows up on fluoro), he watches its movement through the stoma. This helps him assess the degree of tightness. If I need a bit more saline, he then repeats---a little more Fluid, another swallow of barium.

The difference for you would be that your doctor would use fluoro to locate and assess the position of the port, which is also radio-opaque (and therefore visible under fluoro).

It's no biggie--just a tool that helps guide things so that they're not "operating blind."

My surgeon does the exact same things with all of his fills. I wonder why any doctor would blindly fill someone. It seems easier to just do all fills under flouroscopy!

[54Shirley 105]

Only way to do it.