confused and scared

emtbaby4 · March 31, 2006

this is for anyone who knows or has the answer. my brothers friend got his band in november of last year. and when he got his first fill he got a major infection and they had to remove the band. he said that he is doing good without it. what is the odds of that happening to me. can getting a fill cause a sever infection like that. anyone please respond. i am getting very scared about getting my first fill. i am due on the 14th of april. thanxs:help:

Anwyn · March 31, 2006

I'm not sure what the odds are for getting a port infection, but I believe it's the same as for the other complications (1 - 3%). I know it's scary when someone we know has a complication, but that doesn't mean that it's going to happen to you. And not getting a fill isn't going to guarantee that you never get a port infection either. Try to look at it this way - you have a band and yes, there's a possibility that you might lose it some day. So, use it to the best of your ability while you have it. A band without a fill isn't being used to it's potential.

March 31, 2006

I am a firm believer in that if you worry or stress out about something it will cause problems. What I mean by that is when you get stressed or worried it causes your stomach to get upset( in some cases can even cause ulcers) I am not sure how it all works but that is my opinion. I would stress out all the time when I was first banded and then with the erosions of some of the members on here I really stressed. I finally had to come to grips with the idea that if it happens then it will happen and I need to just focus on using to the best of my ability while I have it....and guess what my stomach pains and my port area quit hurting. I am not saying that it is that way for everyone but I know if I get upset then my band and port area will hurt for a few days.

So don't stress out about what will or won't happen. Trust your Dr. (as long as you have a good one)lol and just relax. hope this helps.

emtbaby4 · March 31, 2006

yes it does. and i do hurt if i get stressed or upset. so i try not to. once i calm down the pain goes away. i have a good doctor, but i have not spoke to him yet. i only found out about my brothers friend last nite on the phone

Alexandra · March 31, 2006

Emtbaby, the "odds" of that happening to you are something like one-thousandth of one percent. So don't worry. Banded people do have infections from time to time, of course, but I can't imagine how it could be caused by a fill.

There's more to your brother's friend's story, I'm sure. Something else may have been going on internally that he didn't know about beforehand. An injection with a sterile needle using saline solution can't possibly cause an infection all by itself.

MyKdsDad · March 31, 2006

I would think that you stand a better chance of being in a car accident on the way to getting your fill than getting an infection FROM your fill.....no facts or figures, just MHO.

emtbaby4 · April 1, 2006

he said that they had a problem finding his port. but anyway. like you said its slim. i will talk to my doctor about my fears. thanxs for all everyones help with this

Dody · April 1, 2006

If the same surgeon puts the port in that does the fills, how come he doesn't know exactly where he placed it? That part confuses me. I wonder if some people have the band and port placed somewhere else and then follow up with a different dr. for their fills and that could be part of the problem. Anyone have an opinion on this one?

Alexandra · April 1, 2006

Dody, many people end up with other people doing fills than the original surgeon. I imagine the majority of people who travel to Mexico have lined up someone closer to their home to do adjustments (at least, I'd hope so). And some offices have nurse practitioners or physicians' assistants doing the fills (it's not surgery, after all). So I don't think not being able to find the port is all that unusual, especially if it's being done without benefit of fluoroscopy.

But no matter how many times the person got jabbed, the result should be bruising, not infection--assuming proper care was taken with sterilization, that is.

PhotoNut · April 1, 2006

I would think that you stand a better chance of being in a car accident on the way to getting your fill than getting an infection FROM your fill.....no facts or figures, just MHO.

That's it - I'm not going back for another fill now! Thanks Randy :eek: *snickers*

Dody · April 1, 2006

It makes sense if you got banded in Mexico and followed up in the U.S. that they might have problems finding the port. I guess that is one benefit to having the surgeon doing the banding doing the filling. Each surgeon does things just a little bit differently, and I think if the same surgeon places the band that does the fills he knows exactly where that port is. You are right, getting jabbed many times probably would not cause infection, but it sure could be unpleasant. I was kind of hoping fills didn't hurt. :eek:

MyKdsDad · April 2, 2006

Well, having lost over 52 pounds in not quite 3 months, I wouldn't expect you to go for another fill any time too soon, Susan. WAY TO GO P'NUT!!!!! *wink*