Hoping for first fill on 9/10 - What's it like?

[Sue Magoo 71]

I'm hoping to have my first fill on 9/10. Can someone please describe the procedure and what it feels like?

Thanks.:confused:

[Wendell Edwards 73]

I'm hoping to have my first fill on 9/10. Can someone please describe the procedure and what it feels like?

Thanks.:confused:

It depends on whether or not your doctor uses a fluoroscope to do fills.

[Sue Magoo 71]

I don't believe he uses a fluoroscope. Can you please tell me what you know about fills?

Thanks.

[jnkntrnk 0]

Sue Magoo,

I just had my first fill on Friday, under fluoroscopy. It was the coolest thing. I drank the contrast, and watched the Fluid go down and stop, then trickle through the band. Then the doc inserted the needle into my port (I didn't feel it, maybe they swabbed a numbing agent, I thought it was alcohol); he moved the needle a bit to get to the middle of the port, then pushed 4cc of saline. I swallowed some more contrast then felt like it was going to come up (nothing too scary). Doc said I was too tight, the band wasn't allowing anything to pass, so he withdrew 2ccs. Then the Fluid passed through like normal.

I was on 2 days of liquid diet, then yesterday soft food, today normal.

I have read posts where without fluorscopy they simply have you drink Water. Be sure to be able to swallow normally with the feeling of throat still being full. I've seen that some people leave and are apparently too tight, they can't keep anything down, not a sickness just that it doesn't go anywhere and you feel like "tip me over and poor me out!".

I feel great, no problems. Good luck to you!

[jnkntrnk 0]

oops typo, be sure to swallow normally with OUT the feeling of the throat is still full.

[Wendell Edwards 73]

I don't believe he uses a fluoroscope. Can you please tell me what you know about fills?

Thanks.

Well, here is some information on fluoroscopic fills:

A fluoroscope, fluoro for short, is an X-Ray device with a TV set.

Instead of taking a still picture like an X-Ray, the fluoroscope displays a real-time X-Ray image on a monitor while the fluoro is on. ("Hot" in X-Ray terminology)

How it works for a Lap-Band fill is like this:

You go into the room where the fluoroscope is.

You get draped with lead barriers, just like for an X-Ray.

You either sit down in a fluoroscope chair, or lay down on an X-Ray table.

The thing that emits the X-Ray is positioned over your stomach.

The fluoroscope is turned on to locate the port.

The Huber needle is inserted through the skin, into the port. (It's a LOT easier to hit the port on the first try when the doc or tech can actually SEE the needle going in)

You will be asked to swallow a small amount of Barium, a radio-opaque substance that they can see on the fluoro as it goes down your neck and into the pouch.

If the stoma is open, the Barium will be seen as it trickles (For a tight stoma) or flows (For a loose stoma) past the band into the lower stomach, which is situated below the Lap-Band.

If the stoma is loose, saline will be added to the Lap-Band. That is what everyone calls a "Fill".

If the stoma is tight, either no saline will be added or, in the case of a much too tight stoma, some saline will be removed from the Lap-band. That is what is called an "Unfill".

If the upper stomach, (The pouch) is DILATED (Stretched out) it is immediately apparent when the patient swallows Barium.

If the Lap-band is "Slipped" (Band Prolapse) that will also usually show on a fluoroscope.

I hope that fully explains what a fluoroscope is, and how it is used for a Lap-Band.

The reasons that my Doctor, William Neal, M.D. quoted for using fluoroscope were these:

1. Easy to locate the port.

2. Increases likelihood of a one-stick fill.

3. Decreases the likelihood of puncturing the tubing.

4. Decreases the likelihood of tearing the septum, the thin membrane that goes across the port.

5. Verifies that the fill needle is in the port before saline injection.

6. Prevents saline injection into abdominal viscera.

7. Verifies the position of the port, and allows port flip to be seen easily.

8. Visually confirms lack of esophageal spasms.

9. Visually confirms lack of pouch enlargement.

10. Visually confirms an open stoma at the conclusion of the fill.

11. Allows tighter stoma because the tech can add saline until the stoma closes, then BARELY OPEN IT back up.

12. Allows checking for a slipped band, and verifies correct placement of the band with each fill.

Dr. Neal believes in fluoroscope so strongly he bought one when he opened his new office in Olympia, WA last year.

http://www.pacsurgical.com/

Quoting:

"We have nutritional and psychological counseling resources, scales (2) to 1000 lbs., an IV Fluid hydration suite, a fluoroscopy suite for band adjustments and a large conference room for informational forums and support groups, all under one roof."