Have you had a leak in your port/tubing and had to have it replaced?

[dragonfly34 0]

I had to have my port/tubing replaced because my doctor thought I had a kink in my tubing...however when we got into surgery he discovered that my tubing had come unscrewed from my port so he replaced everything but the band itself...For me this surgery was more difficult then my original surgery on 02/11/09 more pain and soreness and I have taken more pain meds...I know some of it has to do with having my 2nd surgery less then a year later on 02/08/10 only 3 days shy of my 1st lapband anniversary but none the less a difficult time for me...I hope to never have anymore complications with my realize band but if I do and it requires surgery I'm going to insist my doctor remove my band/port/tubing...I would consider gastric before allowing anymore repairs on my band...Good luck to all on your weightloss journey!!

[freedom0702 0]

I had to have my port/tubing replaced because my doctor thought I had a kink in my tubing...however when we got into surgery he discovered that my tubing had come unscrewed from my port so he replaced everything but the band itself...For me this surgery was more difficult then my original surgery on 02/11/09 more pain and soreness and I have taken more pain meds...I know some of it has to do with having my 2nd surgery less then a year later on 02/08/10 only 3 days shy of my 1st lapband anniversary but none the less a difficult time for me...I hope to never have anymore complications with my realize band but if I do and it requires surgery I'm going to insist my doctor remove my band/port/tubing...I would consider gastric before allowing anymore repairs on my band...Good luck to all on your weightloss journey!!

Well, hopefully this will fix it for good. I had my revision in September and have had 2 fills since. I think I'm at my sweet spot, finally. Another plus is that they must have cut a nerve during the revision so now I can't even feel the needle when she does a fill. All in all, I think it was worth it. I'm having a hard time now believing that this actually going to work this time. I am feeling like, OK how long before it stops working again. I think I need to see someone for this kind of thinking so I can get my head back on track. I don't know what I would do if I had to have another band surgery. I try not to even think about that. Hang in there and I hope it will all be worth it for you too!

[dragonfly34 0]

Well, hopefully this will fix it for good. I had my revision in September and have had 2 fills since. I think I'm at my sweet spot, finally. Another plus is that they must have cut a nerve during the revision so now I can't even feel the needle when she does a fill. All in all, I think it was worth it. I'm having a hard time now believing that this actually going to work this time. I am feeling like, OK how long before it stops working again. I think I need to see someone for this kind of thinking so I can get my head back on track. I don't know what I would do if I had to have another band surgery. I try not to even think about that. Hang in there and I hope it will all be worth it for you too!

Thanks so much for your response...I hope your revision continues to go well for you as well...And I totally understand your thinking during this time and I do mean totally understand...I'm the same way and need to get out of that myself...For me it's pretty much starting all over...Everything leaked out of my band so now there is nothing in there but what my doctor put in there during surgery and I don't know the amount...My doctor doesn't tell you how much is in your band which by the way I think really sucks and I have argued with him about it but have yet to win that one, LOL! Thanks again for answering me and good luck!!

[confused 4]

My port and tubing was replaced July of 2009, all was well until just this January. My doctor's assistant went to give me a bump in Fluid and ended up overfilling me, so now I'm still not where I was before the overfill. The doctor was like all this poking of the port could cause this one to start leaking one day. I was like yeah you act like I overfilled myself, like you filled the needle and handed it to me to fill myself with it...if this one starts leaking you need to talk to your staff not me, I didn't do it.

[make33 2]

In January I suddenly realized it'd been a few weeks since I'd felt restriction (or gotten sick), so I had a fill under fluoro which only lasted about 3-4 days. On Tuesday, February 16th, I had an isotope fill under fluro, and yes, it's leaky tubing. :confused:

So I'm scheduled to have the tubing replaced (if possible to find the real leak) on March 3rd and if all else fails, my surgeon said he will replace the whole Band that day.

My biggest question (to myself) is what caused the tubing to leak after 2 years and 3 months? :confused: (I hadn't had a fill since last August, so I'm ruling out the 'poking'). I asked the surgeon if it was because I had started concentrating on working my abs during my workout and he said that wouldn't have done it.

I'm back in the forum reading about all of you that have been through this, both looking for support and looking at pre-op diets, which I figure I'll begin next Wednesday, a week before surgery.

This forum sure saw me through my first two years--it's great to have people who are going through the same thing to emphathize with me.

Wish me luck...! :wink:

[ezzie5 0]

Hello everyone. WOW. I read four pages of your posts and all the horrible problems all of you have had with your port/band. I am a newbie and I have been so excited about this webiste. I have been reading posts every night after work for two weeks. Everyone's input is helping me and reassuring me about getting banded BUT now I'm not sure anymore. I was so excited that I finally could find a 'stop button" for my excessive eating. I feel I just don't have an off switch and the band was going to do just what I needed, help me stop. BUT with all the negative experiences, i.e., leakages, tubing coming apart, erosions, pricking until you can hardly bare it, incompetent doctors, incompetent NP, and heartless insurance companies - I am now not sure if banding is worth it. I will continue to read all posts good and bad and by May 2010 I hope I will know exactly whether I'll be a bandgirl or back to weight watchers. Thanks for everyone's honesty, and I truly hope and pray that you all get better and meet your goals.

ezzie5

[make33 2]

Yo Ezzie5: Don't even think that we represent the MAJORITY of Banders--we are indeed the MINORITY. As with anything in life, there is the chance there may be an issue to overcome--but that's just what we are doing. And the reason is that we all LOVE our Bands. The other option, gastric bypass, is just so very invasive.:thumbup:

For the six months waiting period I had before surgery, I too studied on the Internet and here about what my new life would be like. BUT the one section I didn't read was the "Complications"--maybe because I didn't want to admit I could have one.:wink2: Perhaps that was naive, but right now I wouldn't give up my Band for all the tea in China!

Our Band DOES stop the excessive eating issue we all have, but it does come with maintenance--I've actually had people ask me when my Band will come out--like it's a retractable device to be used for a while and discarded. And of course, the answer is NEVER!

I LOVE my Band and everything is has done for me that I couldn't achieve in 30+ years--so that's why I'm going to have it repaired / replaced.

And believe me, Ezzie5, if you choose this, you will see what 'quality of life' really means... :w00t:

[confused 4]

Hello everyone. WOW. I read four pages of your posts and all the horrible problems all of you have had with your port/band. I am a newbie and I have been so excited about this webiste. I have been reading posts every night after work for two weeks. Everyone's input is helping me and reassuring me about getting banded BUT now I'm not sure anymore. I was so excited that I finally could find a 'stop button" for my excessive eating. I feel I just don't have an off switch and the band was going to do just what I needed, help me stop. BUT with all the negative experiences, i.e., leakages, tubing coming apart, erosions, pricking until you can hardly bare it, incompetent doctors, incompetent NP, and heartless insurance companies - I am now not sure if banding is worth it. I will continue to read all posts good and bad and by May 2010 I hope I will know exactly whether I'll be a bandgirl or back to weight watchers. Thanks for everyone's honesty, and I truly hope and pray that you all get better and meet your goals.

ezzie5

You will be fine...because even though I have had to have the port and tube replaced, I just know I would be heavier then I am now, and that I am more then happy to have done it...not just the first time but also the second time. I can only imagine my what my life would be life without my band. I was a diabetic, with thyroid issues taking a bunch of pills...now I take nothing but vitamins...so I'm more then happy to have done the band, and to even have my port fixed...and if i need to i would do it again as many times as I have to.

[freedom0702 0]

ezzie5 - I agree with the others. I feel that my revision was just a "bump in the road" for me. I've learned thru this experience that I can't get/keep the weight off by myself. After my port got a hole in it and I had no restriction, I gained about 20 lbs back. Now that the port has been replaced, I'm back to losing. It's a great tool!

A couple of things I would suggest to you though is 1) try to find a support group in your area, maybe the surgeon you are considering has one. This way, you can meet and talk with people who have used the same surgeon you are considering and get a better idea if the band and surgeon are right for you, and 2) if/when you do get your band, be assertive enough to tell them if you feel something they're doing doesn't seem quite right (ie: I should have been more assertive when she kept digging around trying to find my port). Don't be passive like I was.

Only you can decide if this is right for you. I know it is a scary concept, but I feel this has been well worth it for me. I wish you the best with the choice you make!

Edited February 20, 2010 by freedom0702

[Artist 0]

I have had only 3 fills. After the first fill they stated abot 1/2 a cc "was lost", but not to worry about it. The last fill kept pretty much all the liqiud. I am concerned though...Why does it take these nurses a couple of sticks to find the port. I can feel it so easily and my tummy is not that big. Plus they see the port on the screen. I don't appreciate the doublesticking, because I am worried about puncturing the tubing, besides the discomfort of course...

Are most of you bandsters experiencing this or do they hit your port on the first stick??!!

How has your experience been on a whole with Dr. Neal and staff? I think I will be seeing him when I am approved for my band.

[make33 2]

Well, everyone, I'm scheduled for 7:30 AM tomorrow~wish me luck! :thumbup:

They don't know where the leak really is coming from, so if they can't just replace the port and tubing, I'll be getting a whole new Band, which is sad because my old Band did me so much good--never slipped and is like an old friend now!

I'm a little scared, but am praying it will just be the outpatient port/tubing deal.

Will write in again by the weekend--thanks friends... :thumbup:

[Freckles 0]

Hunny you'll be fine, i had my whole band replaced a year ago, and was only a little sore in the port area after surgery.

I now have 10 scars instead of 5, but i dont care cos I'm too old to wear a bikini anyway.

This new band is excellent, I am so glad I had the surgery over again.

btw we are the same age.

Good luck xx

Edited March 2, 2010 by Freckles

[make33 2]

OMG, Freckles, what a virtual lifesaver you are for me! All the posts I've been reading have been so absolutely negative and although I haven't shown it outwardly to anyone, I was terrified of what would happen tomorrow. :thumbup:

You have made all that dissipate, especially since we are the same age! Wow--I will now go into the surgery tomorrow morning confident that it will all work out fine.

I simply cannot thank you enough for taking the time to post and subside my fears--again, thanks so much... :thumbup:

[Freckles 0]

You my dear, are very welcome. I was quite terrified myself, and had nobody to ask, so i understand.

There's nothing to be scared of, as I said my port area was quite sore, this was because the surgeon had to cut the band away from some muscle that the band/port had attached itself to.

It was only a burning feelng nothing unbearable at all, and I am one big baby.

Let me know how you get on sweetheart i will be pleased to hear from you and keep smiling xxxx

[make33 2]

Hi Freckles, I'm back to the Land of the Living!

Surgery was yesterday and I was so very fortunate--turns out the tubing was ripped where it goes into the port, so my surgeon replaced the tubing and gave me a smaller port! Yesterday was a haze, since I slept a lot (and I forgot about the nausea!) but today I'm feeling terrific! (Not even taking pain meds--have decided to try to forego them as long as I can).

Just as you said, my port / abdominal area is very sore but my surgeon was able to put back 4cc and so I don't even have to wait for a fill--yippee! Will stay on 'mushies' for a few days just to build up.

I think you're from Great Britain--wanted to tell you my mother was a war bride, and my aunt and her two cousins live in Kent (Sidcup, Bexleyheath, and Petts Wood) with another cousin in East Sussex. The world really is a small place after all!

Again, thanks for the boost--you honestly helped in alleving my fears!

Edited March 4, 2010 by make33