My Port also may need a revision

[quatro]

Hi All, Just like Jess in the previous post I went to have my first fill on 3/7/07 and my surgeon was unable to put a fill in. He said he thought my port had flipped. I went to hospital that afternoon to have it looked at under fluro, and they told me that it was tilted and moving around freely. The port had come away from its stitches.
They lay me on my side and were able to put a fill of 1ml in.
I am going back to see my surgeon next week, and he thinks I will need a revision. Oh man! I was only banded in February.
I was aware that you can have complications with the lap band, but I was not expecting it five weeks out!
I so do not want to have the revision.
Will know what the go is next week.
Susannah

[kebsa]

sorry to hear you may need the revision, none of us want to have to deal wth more surgery or anyother complication from the band but it is a problem that is easily fixed. It is not as big an operation as the original surgery or having the band itself revised.
I'm well over 5 yrs post band and have quite a few complications, some were not easy to diagnose or deal with BUT all of them have been far smaller issues than the potential complications from morbid obesity- I know that wth out WLS i would be bigger still than I am and my diabetes chronic pain, ms etc would be far worse than they are ( my diabetes is basically in remission). One of our ex prime ministers was quoted as saying " life wasn't meant to be easy" he was not popular at the tme for saying it and it can sound heartless but it is bascally true. You are stll better off than if you had not been able to get banded in the first place. I actually think the things we struggle for abit are the things we come to value the most. You have one additonal hurdle at the moment but you will succeed

Just realized you are from Aus, you would recongnise the malcolm fraser quote!!

[tattooedsuess]

So sorry to hear. I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do.

[PhotoNut]

So sorry to hear this. I'm sure you're very concerned and dreading more surgery. If it's any help.. everyone Ive talked to that have had the revision, or even replacement, are amazed at how simple the proceedure is. My surgeon's nurse had hers replaced recently due to a leak, and she said it was only a quick morning thing, she was home within a couple of hours and back to work the next day.

Keep us posted ok? *hugs*

[JDru]

Sorry to hear about that! Please keep us posted...

[NotSoFunny]

yes pleased keep us posted!! I hope that your doc and you can come to an agreement on the best course of action!

[quatro]

Hi, Thanks everybody. I will keep you all posted on what the go is when I find out next week. Susannah

[Jachut]

That's one of those things that are small but would piss me off big time. I mean you spend a year healing up your scars and getting them to the point that they dont look disgusting and to have to have one opened up again would make me MAD.

If you look on the bright side, at least the scars are barely healed, and you're not making the big one any worse.

So sorry this has happened already, do they have any idea why this happens? Like was it not stitched properly in the first place or do people do something htat causes their ports to flip?

["Just Jess"]

ohhhhhhhhhhh girl do i feel your pain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as you know (i think it is me you're referring to above as the "previous post") i just had a port restitch. it was titled the first time and i had to get my fill in flouro - the 2nd time he scheduled me automatically for flour - but could not hit the magic spot.

let me rest your fears --- the procedure was NOTHING! seriously! and i a BIG baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they put me in a twilight sleep and i was in and out of the OR in 45 minutes. apparently, they just recut the port incision and stictch it back into the muscle wall - so it won't move and then you're done!!! i was awake before they left the OR room. i was in recovery for about an hour - then had to sip some cranberry juice - they made sure i could pee pee - then they let me go! :) hehe

i TOTALLY could have gone back to work that day! i had ZERO pain. he sent me home from the hospital with roxicet (liquid narcotic) and i didn't even touch the stuff. i couldn't sleep on my belly that night - but the next night i could.

so, susannah - like i said - i feel your pain. it sucks having this JUST done and having to go through that. but like i said - not such a big deal. don't work yourself up like i did to myself!!!!

good luck - keep us updated and if you have any questions or anything, let me know!!! i'm here for you!!! :)

hugs, jess

[quatro]

Hi Jess, Thanks so much for your kind words. I guess I knew that complications from banding were possible, but I thought I wouldn't be in that 1% of people having problems. You have reassured me a little bit that it is a routine procedure, and that was good. Thanks.
Jacqui ,Mr Crosthwaite said sometimes the tissue surrounding the sutures can just give way. I will never know if it was something I did. I work with children and pick up toddlers etc all the time. Anyway as always he was very kind and caring. I will see him next week, and will know what the go is then.
Be Brave Susannah.
Susannah

[Goannabanda]

That's too bad Susannah - and just as you were recovering so nicely. Never mind, you have a wonderful surgeon to assist you, and from what others have said, a port restitch is not as painful as the placement first time around. Keep us posted.

[NotSoFunny]

If he does restitch you make sure you get someone else to do all the lifting for a few weeks after. this is more than likely what caused it to pull away. my doc told me no lifting of my kids for 2 weeks.

[quatro]

Hi All, I forgot to give you an update! Sorry! I will not need to have a port revision for now! YAY.:nod: My surgeon was able to put a 1.5 ml fill into my band when I last saw him. Apparently the band has moved back to the upright position for now. He did tell me that we will need to keep an eye on it, and I may still need a revision if it fully flips in the future. Man I was happy.:nod:
I am having pain in my port area everytime I eat though. What could that be?
Susannah

["Just Jess"]

first of all - sorry to hear of the pain that is still occuring, i hvae no idea why, except to guess that maybe it is due to it's shifting around????

secondly - so glad he was able to get a fill in for you! hope it stays facing the right direction!! :)

[A1ikou]

Hi Susannah and congratulations on not needing the revision. I agree with Jess that one reason you still have pain in the port area is that it has been moving about and may be slightly irritated. Other than that, sorry don't have any ideas.

[flowerlady]

Hi everyone,
Continuing on this subject. I was banded 2/23/07. My surgeon is very conservative- will not do 1st fill until 8 weeks post op- I am scheduled for a fill on Mon 4/23/07. Couple questions- I had considerable painless swelling in my port area at 10-14 day post op. I had expressed a concern to my surgoen, that when I walk or exercise- I feel a sense of "jiggling" there- it reminds me of flipping a plastic poker chip over in your fingers- slightly rigid, uncomfortable, very aware of this sensation, but not to the point of pain.I own a florist and routinely bend over all day- filling buckets, lifting buckets, processing flowers. I have wondered if I have (1) popped stitches loose on my port or (2) possibly even flipped my port after reading the 2 above post? Did you know that your port had moved? I am not in any pain, but really surprised at how aware I am of my port everyday. Gardening is awkward- when I bend wayyy forward- I feel my port. Any comments/feedback? Anyone else aware of the port, to this degree? I am glad I am seeing my surgeon on the 23rd....
Thanks,
Sheila

["Just Jess"]

personally, i had no idea that my port had flipped or tilted... i only found out when the doc could not access it during an attempted fill. what you're describing certainly does not sound right!!!! call your doc's office and get in there to see him. if you've ripped a stitch, you could be doing more damage by waiting -- you know?

good luck!!!

[flowerlady]

Thanks Jess- it just has not seemed right to me. I can ever feel it when working on my BowFlex. I had illusions of being oblivious to the port....
After reading your posts and Susannah- it sure got me wondering.
When I mentioned it to my surgeon the 1st time- he kinda blew me off- I will definitely follow up.
I'm glad you are up to 3 fills now. Are you feeling restriction? I am sooo ready to begin fills.Thanks for your feedback,
Sheila

["Just Jess"]

i haven't tried anything that would really prove that yet... sticking to mushie stuff for right now. but i will let you know!!! :)

[kujayhawk]

I am so sorry that you have to go through this. Like you I am having port problems as well. I go into my doctor Thursday to see what he tells me.