Doing your own fills?

[bobby_hamrick 0]

My Ex-wife a Phlebotomnist??? Has done her own fills a couple times successfully. Whats the chances and whats the danger here...I need a little .5cc or less. I doubt I could ever do this but I wondered if anyone else evr done it?

[belle75067 0]

When I had my follow up with my doctor approximately 1 month after my surgery I had asked him about erosion of the band. He said he only had one instance of it when a nurse was doing her own fills and eroded the band due to her not knowing what she was doing. I will be fine with someone else doing my fill, thank you. I have no need for self infliction of pain.

[shaunaruder 0]

Although this sounds like a really cheap and easy way to achieve a good level. Just remember this. I have had 3 fills. Each time they fill me they mark my stomach with a magic marker then poke the needle in. SO in a way I have these little tattoo ink marks on my port site. They are all in different spots ranging about a half inch apart. That's enough to make me feel uncomfortable with doing it myself.

[Marimaru 7]

Honestly, it sounds pretty dumb to me. If you have your surgeon, or other fill giver giving you the fills, you have someone to talk to to help you decide if you need one, and whether it should be big or small. In my mind, when I think of people giving themselves fills, I think of people making themselves way too tight, and causing problems... or on the other side of it, there's one couple that I read about who would unfill themselves before vacations and whatnot, and then refill themselves when they got back.

I need a tiny tweek, and I haven't gone to get it because I really hate the idea of spending almost $300 on .1 or .2 cc's of Fluid, and because I don't really have that money to toss around. That makes the idea sounds good in theory, but I think in practice it's just setting yourself up for failure, one way or the other..

[Elisabethsew 50]

I am trained in accessing Inamed ports and am an RN but there is no way I would access my own port. I see the PA's at my surgeon's office every 6-8 weeks for a weight check and to have fills. They estimated on the last fill that I might need up to 2 additional fills before I am at optimal restriction and are now only giving me tiny fills. I am happy with their management and see no reason to doctor myself.

[*susan* 1,709]

I just can't imagine why you would want to. Having your trained, qualified physican do it gives you the opportunity to meet with them and discuss any problems or concerns you may be having. Oh, and did I mention they are trained and qualified to do fills? Additionally, what if you had some sort of complication. If you have insurance, good chance they would not cover a complication from you doing your own fill.

[leatha_g 4]

Even Inamed could refuse to back their band if an uncertified person is accessing it. Not that they pay for any complications anyway... but..

[Carlene 12]

My Ex-wife a Phlebotomnist??? Has done her own fills a couple times successfully. Whats the chances and whats the danger here...I need a little .5cc or less. I doubt I could ever do this but I wondered if anyone else evr done it?

You are a brave soul. Most men would not let their ex-wives anywhere near them with a sharp object.

[L8BloomR 1]

You are a brave soul. Most men would not let their ex-wives anywhere near them with a sharp object.

GOOD ONE, Carlene ----You made me REALLY laugh out loud with that!!!!

Karen

[Iluvharleys 15]

Not me! I would want someone that had a lot of experience doing mine!

[bobby_hamrick 0]

Thank u all and no I wouldnt let my ex near me with a needle. I was thinking solo. I have insurance and will keep up as I have. I dont need a fill I need to follow th erules and quit washing the food by my band. Thats what I need. Im afaraid any more and I would be too restricted. I wanted to see the response on this though...Thanks...

[EricBermudez 0]

Come to Costa Rica. The Fills cost $ 40 without Fluoroscopy ( barium ). And about $70 with it. You are able to take a vacation and still have the fill. This doesn't mean there are bad doctors, it is because labor is cheap. Band surgery instead is about $10,000 to $ 12,000, just like in Mexico. I had surgery in Mexico, doctors did not put lapbands in 1999-2001. They started doind lap band surgery in the 2002. Been doing fills and unfills for about 5 years and no problems.

I had unfill my band myself about 3 times, I had it so tight I could not even drink Water. It was 2 AM and thirsty so I tried to locate the port and did it. I am so skinny it is easy to locate the port. But that is not the point. If you do it yourself, you will start deflating the band everytime you want to eat.

[HarleyNana 10]

Yikes! So, what do you do once you puncture your tube? Sounds mighty easy to do, doing self fills.

[EricBermudez 0]

Well once I puncured the port, if you have a more than 2c.c., in my band thats half of the capacity, the syringe moves out by itself because of the pressure it does to make the band smaller. So I just take out a little of saline solution to make the liquid pass through. Remember the times I deflated the band was because it was so tight I could not even swallow my saliva, and it was at 2 a.m. The other times I just got tire of eating with restrictions, and did not want the doctor to find out. I'll never do this again for several reasons.

1. In my country is really cheap to do fills $ 40. it might be really expensive if I puncture the band.

2. May damage port. Some doctors use a special needle which causes less harm to port.

3. May get an infection.

4. Last time I deflated I gained about 30 Lbs. in about 2 months. It's been kinda hard to get use to the restriction again.

[TexasGirl12 0]

I know this is an old post but just thought I would chime in. Wanted to see if anyone else is doing their own fills. I actually am doing my own fills. I will go up no more than 0.5cc every 2 weeks if needed. I do use a special needle, sterile EVERYTHING, and sterile technique. I am a bachelor's prepared nurse and have years of experience accessing ports. I would not recommend it without proper training. I have not had any problems doing my own fills. But, again, I am trained in this and have all needed equipment.