Lap Band Doctor Cannot Get Fill To Go In

[mwtullos 0]

Please help. I am almost certain that I have a leak in my port. (Have already had one allergan port replaced due to leak in port) But my doctor went to put in a fill....could not pull out ANY Fluid or put ANY saline into the port. The center that I go to is very well known.....he has never seen this.....where none will even go into the band when it is empty. Has anyone ever had this problem?

[gencs2000 1]

HI - I'm sorry to hear this - I don't have that problem but for my first fill my dr. had a hard time finding the port. He thought he round it - injected the saline and off I went. I went back 6weeks later complaining of no restriction no diff nothing!! Turns out he injected the saline into my body and not the port! He said if he has a hard time finding it this time I have to go for an exray so he will know exactly where the port is. I didn't have any problems (I make him drain the Fluid each time so I know he's in the right spot and also to make sure no leak bc I'm crazy lol).

maybe you need that? Can the dr possibly be missing the port all together?? My dr. thought he had it and he didn't so maybe suggest the xray to your dr and she what he/she says.

Best of luck!!

Please help. I am almost certain that I have a leak in my port. (Have already had one allergan port replaced due to leak in port) But my doctor went to put in a fill....could not pull out ANY Fluid or put ANY saline into the port. The center that I go to is very well known.....he has never seen this.....where none will even go into the band when it is empty. Has anyone ever had this problem?

[Mimilou2004 13]

It actually sounds like there is a kink in the tubing somewhere along the way.

Good luck because I have never read that it can unkink itself...but that doesn't mean it is impossible.

Best wishes,

Mimi

[mwtullos 0]

First of all....thanks so much for taking time to respond! Do you think that I could have a kink that let all my saline out and then it kinked even more and a couple of months after that it was kinked so badly that no saline could even be injected into my port?

[Mimilou2004 13]

I have read where such things have happened....sometimes the Fluid will go in past the kink but not out.

I truly hope you get a diagnosis soon. There might be your last fill still in there.

Mimi

[mwtullos 0]

Well......bad port. Dr. thinks that I had a kink that let all my fills out and leaked out all the saline. Well, when then went to put more in......it had kinked more and would not let any even go in....all said and done....i have to have yet another port replacement. UGH! Last time I paid 1900.00 total for everything. This time....my dr. office is trying to help with costs! Hopefully I will hear something in a week or two.

[leighanns520 1]

I had the same problem. Last year my Dr. could not add or remove Fluid. He was pushing so hard on the plunger of the syrenge that his hand was shaking. He said that my port was not functioning properly. The dr. replaced my port. Two months later, the same thing happened all over again. I had another port replacement. I have had fills without difficulty. I had gotten another fill may 17 and had no restriction at all. I normally had decent restriction after an adjustment, but not this time. Today I seen my dr for an another adjustment and the dr. added one cc and then he made me drink to see how my restriction was. I drank 32 oz . The dr said I should have felt the liquid in my chest and I did not. He then pulled all the fluid out and I only had 4cc. In Feb I had 6cc and then got two more fills which would have had me at 8cc. Today only 4 cc in band. The dr was concerned about a leak and sent me to xray. He could not find a leak. When he puled the solution out of the band that he had to use for xray he had no difficulty getting it out. When he went to add fluid he could not get it back in. He was pushing as hard as he could and nothing. He then started pushing around my port and it finally went in. He said it seems my port was twisted. Thank God he got some fluid in as I was so afraid he would not be able to and then back to weight gaining until this could be fixxed. Well now I am at 4.5 cc and am having restricttion tonight. YAY!!!! My dr is hoping that when I go back to see him in the future that the 4.5 cc is still there. I am unsure where my other fluid went and am hoping no leak as he said I would have to have another surgery. I did read in posts just a bit ago about adhesive added to plug the leak, my dr said surgery is the only route. I have a fabulous dr that is very experienced in the lapband. I hope everything works out and there is no leak for you.

[jillrenee15 0]

I had the same problem over the weekend, the tech could not get any Fluid out of my band, and I've not been able to get solid food down since last tuesday, and barely any Water. He tried twice, and I'm sure he got in the port, you can just tell by the pressure and such. Don't know what will happen now. Still no solids for me! I only have 5cc and have been there for at least a year, not losing much anymore, but not gaining either, so happy with it.

As an aside, I really would not recommend for people to have the doctor take all the Fluid out, then add to it when having a fill. I personally am very very sensitive to the change in restriction with the band. When the one surgeon does a fill on me, he does this, and I am so tight for a week from swelling. When the other surgeon does a fill, he just adds to what the chart says, and I am fine. I finally figured out this is what the problem was after a couple of fills by different people, and different reaction to each. Sometimes I was so tight and swollen I would have to come back the next day and have it all back out again.