My leaky update

[DrewsLou 3]

After a couple of months of suspecting a leak.... it was confirmed on Monday with flouro. There is a leak in my tubing about an inch or so above my port. I will have to have my port replaced as it is attached to that portion of tubing. I am having that done November 2. Ironically, that is exactly 6 month to the day since I had the band placed. I am pretty frusterated (sp?) about this!!! We will send the tubing and port back to Inamed after it is taken out and they will determine if it is a manufacturer defect or if it was punctured with a fill needle.

Support needed!!!

Peace.

[barbara465 2]

Sorry to hear that you have to go through another procedure. What is your recourse if it is a defect or fill needle? Does the manufacturer or the doctor pay for the procedure? I don't recall that being something I signed off on as to their liability. However, probably did as nothing is free.

Let us know how you are doing.

[ND Mid lifer 0]

I found out six months after my surgery that I had a leaky port. How did your surgery go to fix your leak?

[wella123 0]

how do you know if you have leaky port or tubing. this is my second port as my first one had bad infection in it. i have infection now in new port and my restriction is gone. feel very downhearted about this as i have regained 7 lbs since restriction is gone, im wondering whats happened is my port or tubing leaking . i see the fill nurse :rain:saturday and i hope she can help. was banded in feb 2007 . lou patricia:tired:tired:tired

[peaches9 3]

Wow, so there are a current '3" of us on this thread.

I am having a Fluro Xray of my band Monday Jan 7/08 Then I suppose the next step is port replacement..

How are you guys doing? I feel "wide open" right now and can eat just about anything. I havn't had a PB in months!!

[Daisalana 33]

I was banded in April, and by September I had 4 or 5 fills and felt nothing.

So they did it under fluero, and when they filled me the saline just went SPLOOSH into my body.

So they thought I had a leak, and they said Inamed isn't getting back to them.

I e-mailed INamed myself from their website, and some guy called me back, we discussed the problem blah blah, he said he was sending my doc a packet to send information so they'd reimburse me. INamed really impressed me during all this. He gave me his direct line so I could call him anytime.

Anyway, so Sept. I went in for them to find the place of leaking and fix it (they said if it was the tube, they could just cut off that portion of the tube and re-attach it). The problem would be if the port is leaking..

Under the knife they realized my port had just flipped completely 180 degrees. So under the fleuro they couldn't tell it was flipped. When they were filling me, it was just bouncing against the back of the port and floating off.

Sooo.. they moved the port from my belly to between my breasts (Hard spot), and stitched it very well. Now it's right under my skin and not moving. It was going to cost $596 to replace the port, which INamed was talking about refunding. Ended up not needing it.. and my doc didn't charge me for the surgery. But the hospital & Anesthesia charged me $2,500 total to fix it.

[ND Mid lifer 0]

I found out last week that I have a leaky port. I think it has been leaking for some time as I have felt "wide open" for about six months. We are working on getting pre-approval from BCBS to fix the leak, though my phyician tells me that it is "ify" as to whether BCBS will pay or not.

ND Mid Lifer

[peaches9 3]

In Canada we have to self pay for this lap band surgery. Luckily for me though my surgeon and his staff cover the initial surgery, all fills for life and any follow up problems... plus nutritional counselling etc.

So this won't cost me anything more, except my time and travel to and from the clinic which is a considerable distance from my home... I've already had 7 trips back and forth for fills and now I go again next wk for a Fluro.. I am hoping that I'll get a top up fill as well to hold me for the interim until the leak is perm. fixed...

Sheesh, but as complications go I guess I am lucky with a leak, it is fixable and a lot better than having an "erosion" like I've read some few have.