Tubing kinked and emergency surgery in doc's office

[jegtlf 0]

Today I went to my doc for a routine fill, my 3rd actually. I was banded march 23, 2008 and have lost 78 pounds off the first two fills. The last one was in July and I have been pretty levelized for the last month or so not really losing but the same few pounds over and over again.

My doc does them under flouro. So we go back to the room and he gets me all prepped up and sticks me trying to get in the port. After several tries he asks me if he had problems getting in before. I said a little but not too bad. So turns out he is getting in the port but cant draw any Fluid out. He says that is odd and he doesnt understand why. He keeps trying to stick me thinking he hasnt hit the port after all but finally determines there is either a leak or a kink. So instead of trying to draw fluid out he tries to shoot some in. BINGO! He gets fluid in, but now its too much and he cant get it out. Finally gets some out and says it has to be a kink. So he xrays me and sees the fluid barely trickling through the band. Tries again to take some fluid out and draws out 1.4cc. looks at xray again and still way too tight. Tries to draw more out and gets a little more about .4cc so he asks if i think i can deal wiht that. So i asked him how much is in there and he says he doesnt know exactly. I was filled to 5.4 in july so i am guessing i have a couple more cc's in me at this point. So he sends me out to waiting room to see how it is in a little while as he is taking care of a few other patients. They call me back again and decided to try to take more out. I threw up the barium a little and he was able to get just a little bit more like .2 cc maybe. Sent me home to see how i handled it. within an hour of being home i was calling back and telling them it was too tight. So they tell me to come back in.

I get there and the doc is there just getting back from lunch and kinda surprised to see me and i tell him it is just too tight. I jokingly said i dont care what u have to do, even if u have to take a scalpel and cut me open and siphen out the fluid, lol. He says we may have to do something like that. I was just kidding.

So he jabs me and cannot get the fluid out at all. Then tells me that i have two options. I can go to ER and have them do surgery to fix the kink or he could numb me up real good and do it in his office. Naturally my first instinct is to freak out and cry. I called my boyfriend and asked him what he thought. He said he would just do it at docs office not go to hospital.

SO i tell them to do it and they cut me open on my port scar and tryi to just go around port (kink is right below port they saw it on xray) and move tubing with his fingers. So that didnt work exactly and they wound up having to remove port from abdomen wall and then move kink but they find another kink they cant get to. They get enough unkinked to loosen my band somewhat and sew me back up. Turns out I will have to have my port moved and they will not be able to do it in the office, i will have to have it at the hospital. Anyway just wanted to share. I am home sore as hell now and wanted to talk to soemone about it!

[Sue Magoo 71]

I checked out your blog. Tracy - I hope the rest of your lapband journey goes more smoothly. That was so brave of you to let the doctor do all of that in the office. I wish you well with getting your port replaced.

Best wishes.

Sue