Help.. My Port Has Flipped.

[DancingSupaStar 1]

I went in for a fill yesterday and found out that my port has flipped. How many of you have experienced this? I am having surgery on Tuesday. For those of you who have been through this did you loose much Fluid from your band? What was your recovery time?

Any thoughts, ideas, or stories would be appreciated.

Thanks

[BRathman 0]

I don't have an answer for you but did you know something was wrong before you went in or did the Dr tell you. Was just curious because my last fill didn't work and I actually have gained about 15 lbs back. I go in next Monday so hopefully I will get some answers. I will be sure to follow this post to see what other people have to say and to see how you are doing. good luck!

[DancingSupaStar 1]

Two fills ago my doctor had trouble getting into the port. So, I was taken down to radiology where they pushed and prodded untill they were able to get in and do the fill. He said it was just lying in an awkward position but not to worry. The last fill was just fine. Nothing fills different, I can still push on the port and fill it. So yesterday he was not able to get in again and I had to go to radiology again only to find this time it had flipped. I was aware that this is a possible side effect of loosing weight and becoming more active. I am not worried about the surgery just anxious.

[Bigboyjess 1]

My port has already flipped once and had surgery to fix it in 8/10 The dr says that the body rejects the suchers and they depend on scar tissue to help it stay in place. Well I went in for a fill a few weeks ago and the Dr. Could not find the port again. Did the floro x ray yesterday and it's flipped again. Dr's PA called me this morning and he said that my port is at a 90 degree angle and wants to see if he cann get to it now that he has seen the x-ray. I go back in on the 26 to see if I get surgery again or just remove the band.

[BeautyLarue 2]

I went for my first fill today and my port had turned. The doctor flipped it right there under the floro. It hurt so bad and I broke down crying on the table. The doc said that it should be fine. I knew something was wrong b/c I have been having the same pulling pain under my port since surgery and that was 5 weeks ago.

I was planning on joining the gym tomorrow but I think I'll give it some time to heal. If he could just flip it like that, what will vigorous excercise do. I'm scared.

[laddie1229 18]

Did your drs. Suture your ports to your muscle wall? Mine did, will that keep it from flipping?

[Cazzy 725]

My port is sutured to my breast bone so it rarely moves .. so i am told, but no port problems as yet !

[jennilamb007 10]

I was given a 10 pound lift restriction for 2 weeks and then a 20 pound lift restriction for 4 weeks to ensure that all sutures healed properly and I would prevent complications. I thought this was a bit much, but I guess not.

[jennylynn_14 0]

Lap band surgery 5/24/10 - 107 lbs lost as of 2/6/12. Had fill 2/6/12, and realized over last day or so I'm overfilled so I went back today to get some taken out. (Night coughs/reflux, unable to keep anything down, etc.) Went back today, already lost 7.5lbs - definte sign of overfill. Doc couldn't get into my port, after several tries he realized the port flipped, he seemed more upset than me. My port was sutured to my wall just like the majority of patients. No idea how it happened or why. Going sometime in next day or so to get it taken care of. Came on here to see if anyone could give details on the surgery to correct the flip, nothing found so far but see that everyone is curious about the flip. From my understanding this is a 10% chance thing of happening. Bumping into something could do it. I wonder if my hard vomiting did it. Friend tried to give me silver lining and say I'll hit goal weight in a month or so due to complication, love the energy he's trying to feed, but not situation. I'm pretty calm, waiting for it to hit me, but it hasn't yet. Just trying to go with the flow.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

My port flipped a few years ago. I had no idea it had flipped until my surgeon's NP started having problems accessing it for fills. I had one fill in the hospital radiology department which cost something like $1500 and took up an entire day for a stupid 2-minute procedure and decided to have it corrected. I had surgery to repair it and it's been hunky-dory since then. I didn't lose any Fluid from my band as a result of the flip or as a result of its repair. I suppose that could happen if the surgeon were careless and punctured the tubing, but since my port is about 12" away from my band, my surgeon would have had to make a major effort to get at it by way of my port site.

I asked my surgeon what could have caused my port to flip - could abdominal exercises have done it, or what? She said it could be the result of poor surgical technique by my original surgeon (long, long story), or stress on the sutures during exercise or lifting, or none of the above.