Doctor could not locate the center of port

[dre 0]

I went to get my second fill today and my doctor was unable to locate the center of my port. I have to go back and get xrayed and filled. Have anybody had this problem?

[Acadia 20]

Your Dr. should be doing them under fluoroscopy to begin with. If he's doing them without then he's doing them blind, so he can't see the band's position, how big your pouch is, how the restriction you have is impacting how food and liquid flow through, how the fill affects your restriction and much more.

I would demand all of your fills be processed under fluoroscopy.

[Momto3redheads 18]

I disagree -- my doctor does mine "blind" and I haven't had any problems....neither have any of the 6 people I know that also get them that way here. I think it is a doctor's preference on how they do them -- and it could depend on how long they have been doing it as well, I would think.

I have heard of others who have had that happen - where the doc couldn't find the port and had to go in under xray - but I wouldn't stress over it...I am sure it will be fine.

Kim

[forabetterlife 3]

Yeah sorry but I have to disagree with Acadia as well. My doctors office does EVERYONE'S "blind" as you call it unless they are having trouble finding the port. If you go in and they find it no problem they give the fill. Maybe thats why so many people on here complain that fills are too expensive because their doctors do it under xray which can be costly when in all reality they could just do it "blind" and cost 1/4 of the amount it does under xray. Anyway I have mine done "blind" everytime and have had no problems along with the over 300 patients that go to my doctors office.

[Acadia 20]

If your Dr. knows where your port is and is sure there are no issues then going in blind may be fine. But the first 2-3 fills should be done under fluoroscopy. It's the only way your Dr. will be able to see

But doing them under fluorscopy allows your Dr to see issues before they happen like port flipping, band twisting, band slipping, too tight a fill etc.

Considering how many times I've read on here, and heard from people, about their tubing getting caught up, about their port flipping, about their fill being too much, about their band slipping after an appointment, and on, and on, and on... doesn't it make sense to pay a little more to have the reassurance that everything is fine and you won't be paying for surgery to fix a problem or for an unfill? Or if you do have to pay for something you can find out before it's a huge issue.

For those with insurance there are ways that your Dr. can bill so insurance covers fluoroscopy completely.

[cduval04 7]

If your Dr. knows where your port is and is sure there are no issues then going in blind may be fine. But the first 2-3 fills should be done under fluoroscopy. It's the only way your Dr. will be able to see

But doing them under fluorscopy allows your Dr to see issues before they happen like port flipping, band twisting, band slipping, too tight a fill etc.

Considering how many times I've read on here, and heard from people, about their tubing getting caught up, about their port flipping, about their fill being too much, about their band slipping after an appointment, and on, and on, and on... doesn't it make sense to pay a little more to have the reassurance that everything is fine and you won't be paying for surgery to fix a problem or for an unfill? Or if you do have to pay for something you can find out before it's a huge issue.

For those with insurance there are ways that your Dr. can bill so insurance covers fluoroscopy completely.

I tend to agree with acadia, my office does all their fills "blind" even fill #1 and it does not make me feel confident. they should at least do fouro on the first fill to resolve questions like: did everything heal correctly in place? did the port flip? etc......I dunno, to me it's kind of like driving somewhere where you don.t know how to get to and not using a map/gps

I went for my second fill cuz I got 3ccs and was feeling nothing, and I asked my PA if it was possible the NP that filled me last time could have "missed" and she said "not probable, but possible" I wasnt comfortable at all with that answer......I had 2 more put in then and I am still feeling NOTHING.....sux

[honk 780]

My doctor's office does not use Fluro either. Their fills are already $400 so I can only imagine how much they would be with the xray.

[Knaroz 31]

Holy smoke 400$ with no fluro?!?!

[Acadia 20]

Yea, that sounds crazy high. Their only material costs are a syringe and some saline - total cost about $1.

I'd love to know how they justify $400.

Fortunately my insurance covers all of my fills.