Emergency Room Unfills???

[extraonme 4]

I just called my Dr's office as I had a fill two weeks ago and I can not eat any foods, mushies don't go down either. At this point liquids have been an issues for the last 5 days and I haven't been able to keep down Water at times.

My Dr's office advised gme oing to the emergency room. I am fine with this, BUT my BIGGEST concern is when you go there do they unfill the whole band???

I DO NOT want a total unfill just a small one. I am 2 years post op so I know my band and my body very well so my concern is if I go they will want to unfill it all. I did call the ER and a Bariatric Dr is available.

Has anyone gone to the ER for an unfill and what happened?

Thanks!!

[Toddy 758]

I had this happen last week. My doctor took out 4 cc's of my total of 6 cc's. It opened my wide up and I could eat anything without any feeling of restriction. Fortunately when he started the refill this week, he did a pretty good fill, I'm not sure of the total, but it was enough to feel a little restriction again. Hopefully next month I'll get the rest back.

[kll724 3,055]

I can't say anything about an ER unfill. But I am surprised that that is the response you received from the office. My surgeon would have met me at his office or has been the oncall at the hospital. I have never had anyone else do my band except him or his assistant. Best wishes. Karen

[2muchfun 8,927]

Yeah to kll724. Why won't your doctor meet with you? That's odd?

tmf

[extraonme 4]

My Dr. is out of he country on vacation he is with Tampa General Hospital and the entire bariatic unit at the hospital is his back up so to speak. His actual office is across the street and he has 6 fellows, but no one can do any procedures while he is out. So the backup is the ER. I don't care who does it I am just scared they will insist on removing it all.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Well, I personally would rather have all the Fluid removed than have a slip and the entire band removed. Walking around with a band too tight one of the leading causes of slips.

You can always get the Fluid put back in.

[extraonme 4]

I was completely unfilled in November of 2011 as they were woried of herniation. He said slippage is very rare for me as how he sutures the band in place, however herniation could occur from constant vomiting. So he took it all out and then did all these tests and everything was perfect. So I am just back at the place I started in November. He only fills every two months and his fills are like 1cc at a time. Once unfilled it is like starting ALL over again. In June I was overfilled and they took out 1cc only and it was perfect. I got my next fill two weeks ago and it is too tight so I just need a small unfill.

[timetobefree 5]

I'm a day late to this, but in case anyone else is reading and wondering. When I went to the ER for an unfill, they insisted it was all or nothing. It was their protocol, although no one told me that until I waited all night for the bariatric surgeon to come in and see me in the AM.

I opted to wait and see my own doc a few hours later for a 1cc unfill.

[jennifer1 180]

I had to go to the ER for an unfill..but my doctor had called the doc and he told him exactly what to do.

[waiting&waiting 21]

Wow this is kinda scary news for newbies like me who are considering the surgery. BTW, when something like this happens, do you pay the out of pocket expense for the ER room visit and Dr. visit? or does insurance pay for it? I am paying for my surgery out of pocket, but I did wonder if something would happen down the road, like slippage, etc., would insurance pay for any type of emergency visit or surgery there after??

[kittyforet 50]

In April I was too Tight over Easter weekend and my surgeons office does not utilize any sort of on call or triage but they do tell me each time I see them that if I have a band-related emergency which ER clinic to go to. I went there not able to keep down Water. I didn't know ahead of time how much they were taking out and didn't think to ask until when he was doing it. He took out 1 cc and said that was the norm. I'm glad it was such a tiny amount but I'm now back to the amount I had when I was overfilled and don't have the same restriction. 8.3 in a 10 band.

When I got that 1 cc taken out it was like the band was completely gone. Now I know it's there And back to losing very slowly, not as fast as I did prior to the ER visit.

Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

[jennifer1 180]

I was self pay and because I went to the hospital my surgeon is affiliated with I didn't have to pay..oh they sent a bill but I took it to the doctors office and they took care of it...the doc who did my unfill does the surgery as well. I refuse to let anyone who doesn't do lap bands touch mine..

[lappyloo 16]

Wow this is kinda scary news for newbies like me who are considering the surgery. BTW' date=' when something like this happens, do you pay the out of pocket expense for the ER room visit and Dr. visit? or does insurance pay for it? I am paying for my surgery out of pocket, but I did wonder if something would happen down the road, like slippage, etc., would insurance pay for any type of emergency visit or surgery there after??[/quote']

I was self pay and five days after surgery i couldnt breathe well and i couldnt burp. I was in a lot of pain. My surgeon had me go to ER to have cat scan of chest and stomach to rule out blood clot. My insurance covered it. They don't know if it is band related, it was an emergency.