Be Honest....

[annieM 2]

I voted "other" and I think that in a pinch my husband would do it. We would need the right supplies but I wouldn't have a problem with that and it would be very handy in an emergency. (like an illness on vacation)

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Second, I have NEVER heard of an 'emergency FILL'....so THAT is not something I would ever consider...

I don't think anyone is talking about an emergency fill. The original scenario is:

>>Scenario; it's late at night, your fill is too much, you are barfing your guts out, you can't even keep saliva down. You can't reach your doc (maybe he's not returning phone calls, perhaps he's in Mexico, etc.) and you are getting dehydrated. Many ER's don't have docs working that have a clue about a band.<<

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

original choice: "I've been to fill parties where a non-medical professional has done my fill/unfill"

I'm clarifying the circumstance....

But the fill isn't an emergency.

As I wrote earlier, I've done emergency unfills but I would prefer fills be done by my doc under fluoro.

[TheCascadian 1]

I'm not sure that alcohol is enough. Personally I wouldn't use "just" alcohol on myself or a patient.

The reason I got to thinking about this is that I actually found a person that sells fill kits. That, and I heard from Inamed that people have fill parties. While it does not surprise me that people do unfills on themselves, I was floored at the concept of fill parties. THAT is just freaky.

Whenever I've had an IV or a blood draw, that's all they use. Why wouldn't it be enough?

Also, where can I find out more info? I'd love to have an "emergency unfill kit" handy, just in case.

[Doula Lea 0]

If you get a fill today and an unfill tomorrow, does he still charge $200 again? For a five minute procedure? Does he use fluoro?

He didn't use to charge the $200 for an unfill the day after a $200 fill, but since my last visit he has started. No fluro. In office visit. It really sucks.

[fabfatgrl 10]

I wouldn't do it... but I would consider letting my husband do it.. .as he's a surgeon.

[socalgal3 4]

I have never heard of a fill party and would NEVER attend one if I had! I also would NEVER do my own fill/unfill. If I was having the troubles you describe, I would go to the emergency room and explain the situation and I'm sure they could figure out what to do in a safer/ more sterile environment than my apartment! I have emergency numbers for my doctor and even though he is in Mexico, I am 30 minutes from his office.

[Marsene 0]

I am a registered nurse familiar with good sterile technique. I'de go to the ER. Unless I was on a desert Island with betadine and a syringe and then I would hope that my surgeon was on the island with me to give me an unfill.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Whenever I've had an IV or a blood draw, that's all they use. Why wouldn't it be enough?

Also, where can I find out more info? I'd love to have an "emergency unfill kit" handy, just in case.

An IV or blood draw is different because it isn't a "forever" implanted device. One is always more careful with an implant.

It's like a foley cath in a patient's bladder. There is no blood flow through the cath so if bacteria grow on/in the cath it is quite difficult to kill the bacteria. Sometimes you can only hold them back, you can't get rid of all of them. With a band it is similar to the foley. You have to be soooooo careful.

I don't know where I saw the fill kits, I didn't save the link. I'll look for it if you wish but you have to be SOOOOOOOOOOOO careful and I do NOT suggest you do this. You really have to know sterile techique quite well.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

He didn't use to charge the $200 for an unfill the day after a $200 fill, but since my last visit he has started. No fluro. In office visit. It really sucks.

Wow... that's just wrong! Can you find someone else that is a little more reasonable?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I have never heard of a fill party and would NEVER attend one if I had! I also would NEVER do my own fill/unfill. If I was having the troubles you describe, I would go to the emergency room and explain the situation and I'm sure they could figure out what to do in a safer/ more sterile environment than my apartment! I have emergency numbers for my doctor and even though he is in Mexico, I am 30 minutes from his office.

I had never heard of a fill party until I was talking to Inamed about something. He mentioned fill parties and explained the concept. I was pretty shocked.

I HAVE done the ER routine, they have no clue what to do. As for the environment... have you ever worked in a hospital? They are so full of virus/bacteria it is unbelievable. There was a study done a few years ago about patients entering an ICU. Within 20 minutes they could measure the effect of the bacteria as the patients were building antibodies within that time frame just from the new stuff they were exposed to.

I don't think people should be doing their own fills or unfills unless they know what they are doing. Just my opinion. However, I'm different! LOL!!! I really do know how to access a port and in a pinch, I'll do it on myself. Unfills, anyway.

Inamed invited me to their certification class, meaning if I go I would be Inamed certified to do fills but I have little desire to do them on a regular basis. I might be interested in anything they have to teach me but I wouldn't want to do them on a routine basis. Actually, I'm trying to talk Jack into going to the class. I think if a lot of Chiros started doing fills it would be mega fantastic! They know sterile technique, they know microbiology, they can be certified and if we could get chiros certified all over the country we'd have a better selection of fill docs. Don't know if that is something he is interested in doing but I'm trying to talk him into it anyway.

(Hope that was okay to say, Jack.)

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I wouldn't do it... but I would consider letting my husband do it.. .as he's a surgeon.

HA! Mine is a psychiatrist. They don't know anything and everyone knows that. At least, that's what I tell him.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I have heard of fill parties in Las Vegas. There was a guy there doing these things to make some cash. He also got his hands slapped pretty good if I remember correctly, and messed up some folks bands. Sounds rather arrogant to me.

Also, just FYI - if you should ever find yourself in an ER where the doc doesn't know anything, ask for any chemo nurse. They deal with ports on a daily basis.

So, where exactly does a person get a supply of non-coring needles for themselves? Just asking..

I wonder what he was slapped for. There are medical assts. with their own business cards, equipment, etc. doing them. I have their brochures. One does not need to be Inamed certified but it's a nice thing to have. I would dig my eye out with a rusty nail before I'd let a med asst do my fill/unfill.

Sad thing is, it does not require a medical license to do fills, one does not have to be Inamed certified. One does not have to claim to have a medical license of any sort to do them. In order to be certified you do have to work for a bariatric surgeon or have a surgeon say they will take over the patient if there is a problem. Those are Inamed's requirements to attend their classes. But it isn't necessary to go to the class to do the fills.

As for the chemo nurse, when I went to ER the first time I had problems I never even thought of that! I kicked myself later when that concept dawned on me though.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Im lost and confused I have seen people all over the site talking about fills. All the sites and the people Ive talked with have never said anything to me about "fills". I have looked around on here trying to find a thread about it. So I didnt have to bother anyone. But can you give me some info? As you can tell I dont have the Lap Band yet, Im just getting ready for my consult. Thank Alot

A fill is how they adjust the band. If you don't have a lot of restriction they inject saline into the port of your (future) band. It causes the bladder of the band to grow tighter around your stomach making the hole between stomachs smaller and food takes longer to drain into your bigger stomach. If you have too much restriction they remove saline, if you don't have enough they inject more in. It's a simple office procedure that takes 5-15 minutes. Not a biggie at all.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Thank you for the fast info that helps alot How often do you have to have this done? Alot?

Each person is different. One doc claims that 70% of bandsters don't need a fill for six months. I'm at four months and I don't need one.

Some need them often during weight loss and virtually none while they maintain their weight. Others need hardly any at all. It's unique to each person, nobody is the same.