My first fill was UNSUCESSFUL! Surgeon couldnt find my port and stuck me over 25 times!!!!! I cried the whole way home and still have swelling and pain in the port area!! I am so discouraged. Question: If he wasent putting the saline in the port, where was it going when he injected it in my body? Doc wants to schedule an appt. in two weeks to do the fill under floroscopy. At this point panic has set in and I am worried that my port may have flipped or is angled in such a way that a port revision surgery will be warranted. I am so depressed!! Havent excerised and losing motivation to eat right!!! Has anyone else had a first fill horroR? Is this common? What do I do next? Helllllppppppp!!!!!:(

I'm so sorry that you are in pain. The swelling and pain will go away in a few days. Even with hitting the port on the first try, I am bruised and swollen after a fill. The bruises are about the size of a silver dollar and stay for about two to three weeks. If you are allowed, take some tylenol, it will help with the swelling and pain.

Under floroscopy your surgeon won't be able to miss the port so that is good news and when they get in there and see what is going on they will be able to better fill you. I know easier said than done, but don't worry about things that you can't control and that may not even be a problem. Worry about what you can control, your diet and exercise. Watch what you are consuming and try to fit in some form of exercise, even walking will help. You put yourself through a surgery to help you lose weight, if you don't follow an eating and exercise program even with the band in place you won't lose weight. Take control of what you can and things will fall into place in time.

The nurse gets the needle in on the first poke with me -I never get bruises. Make sure you have a good doctor. Sorry you are going through this.

My port was also so deep, I could not get a fill the first time and left in massive pain and no fill. It has happened to several people--your port, like ours, is so deep, you cannot access at the surface sometimes except through floro. When I went back, my weightloss had helped and he could now feel the port so I didn't have to do floro. The floro fill will be even better. It seems discouraging--I cried a little too, but with this journey, patience with my body is a must. Hang in there. I just stuck to the same eating and took being done under floro just makes it easier!

IMO he should have never stuck you so many times. What a horrible experience for you to have especially on your first fill! As for your question about the saline...I don' think he injected any...the sticks were to find the port which he obviously did'nt. After they get in the port then the saline is added. I don' know how large you are but I am a BIG girl...started at 441lbs (360lbs now!!) and have never been stuck that many times. I would question the skill of this person and maybe think of going somewhere else. In any event try not to let this horrible experience scare you away from getting fills..under floro it will be alot easier.

IMO he should have never stuck you so many times. What a horrible experience for you to have especially on your first fill! As for your question about the saline...I don' think he injected any...the sticks were to find the port which he obviously did'nt. After they get in the port then the saline is added. I don' know how large you are but I am a BIG girl...started at 441lbs (360lbs now!!) and have never been stuck that many times. I would question the skill of this person and maybe think of going somewhere else. In any event try not to let this horrible experience scare you away from getting fills..under floro it will be alot easier.

From my understanding it is not size per say, but body shape/make-up. My friend larger than me, same surgeon, had no problems. My surgeon has experience and a bandster himself. We are in that rare few on these boards who have difficult ports. My second fill went fine as my body shifted to allow better access. To the OP do not sabatoge yourself:thumbup:

Be that as it may...noone should be stuck 25+ times. I know my Dr had trouble one time and after sticking me 4x said "If I don't get in this time I'm gonna stop and do it under floro." What he did to her was excessive and should have never happened. Not only did he tramatise her but she is bruised and sore. I agree there are some difficult ports but over 25x?? Not good

Wow that is terrible. I also had my first fill day by Dr Michael Nusbaum (he is a saint) when I tell you did not feel a thing, he numbed the area first and 30 seconds later he said ok your done. I didn't even know he had done it! I think you need another docter that is criminal what he did to you. Obviously he does not know what he is doing. I live in NJ and this doc is the best he has been doing it for over 7 years with about 100% sucess rate. I would recomend him to anyone. Infact my daughter is also going to have the surgery done by Dr. Nusbaum. Best of luck to you and I hope you find a better surgeon... let me know what happens.

Be that as it may...noone should be stuck 25+ times. I know my Dr had trouble one time and after sticking me 4x said "If I don't get in this time I'm gonna stop and do it under floro." What he did to her was excessive and should have never happened. Not only did he tramatise her but she is bruised and sore. I agree there are some difficult ports but over 25x?? Not good

Not saying that he was not excessive--I agree with you--just reasurring that her port has probably not flipped and I can had the same tramatic first fill with an experienced surgeon. Just want the OP to be encouraged and not let a bad first fill deter trying again. Indeed I would find a surgeon who, I guess I can give credit to now, realized after a few sticks, the area becomes so swollen, it just makes things worst to keep trying and quit and said will have to do floro next time. I was stuck over 5 times and my stomach mashed hard several times repeatedly--I was in pain so I cannot imagine 25 times being stuck. He was experienced, so I was extra baffled. I did go back thinking floro will be better and to try and work with my surgeon before I tried and switch, but guess his experienced did kick in, bedcause he did it without floro.

Edited April 24, 201016 yr by shadst8

I can't imagine getting stuck that many times either..poor girl. I just had a fill yesterday and was stuck only twice and I'm still sore..lol BTW good job with your WL I was banded in May of last year and just hit 80lbs this week!

My first fill was UNSUCESSFUL! Surgeon couldnt find my port and stuck me over 25 times!!!!! :cool: I cried the whole way home and still have swelling and pain in the port area!! I am so discouraged. Question: If he wasent putting the saline in the port, where was it going when he injected it in my body? Doc wants to schedule an appt. in two weeks to do the fill under floroscopy. At this point panic has set in and I am worried that my port may have flipped or is angled in such a way that a port revision surgery will be warranted. I am so depressed!! Havent excerised and losing motivation to eat right!!! Has anyone else had a first fill horroR? Is this common? What do I do next? Helllllppppppp!!!!!:eek::wink:

Hey...who is your doctor?! I'm in Baltimore County and I've chosen Dr. Singh in Catonsville. I've only heard good things about him, though so hopefully this isn't him...?:thumbup:

My first fill was UNSUCESSFUL! Surgeon couldnt find my port and stuck me over 25 times!!!!! :cool: I cried the whole way home and still have swelling and pain in the port area!! I am so discouraged. Question: If he wasent putting the saline in the port, where was it going when he injected it in my body? Doc wants to schedule an appt. in two weeks to do the fill under floroscopy. At this point panic has set in and I am worried that my port may have flipped or is angled in such a way that a port revision surgery will be warranted. I am so depressed!! Havent excerised and losing motivation to eat right!!! Has anyone else had a first fill horroR? Is this common? What do I do next? Helllllppppppp!!!!!:eek::wink:

Hey...who is your doctor?! I'm in Baltimore County and I've chosen Dr. Singh in Catonsville. I've only heard good things about him, though so hopefully this isn't him...?:thumbup:

stay strong and keep positive... when I got banded along with 7 other people they all went home the next morning except me. I had excessive swelling and had to stay in the hospital for 7 days hooked to a IV no food or drink for 6 days...it sucked. The doc stuck me quite a few times then wiggled the needle around to try and find the posr...I was in tears..I had to go down to get xrayed then the tried to xtract fluid from the band... All turned out well now...but I was scared sh*t and all these thoughts wer going thru my head...more surgery, more pain etc etc..you always think the worse......just try and stay motivated and stay on top of your eating....just keep thinking about the end result and all the things you want to do when you loose the weight...ggod luck Carmine

I haven't had any fills yet as I'm only 25 post op, but I just wanted to say that I was sorry to hear you had such a rough time of it. Please hang in there. I will pray for you!

25 times? Really?! Yikes.

Thanks again guys for your kind words of encouragement and wisdom! I wish I had a chance to reply to each one of you guys individually, but time does not allow. I am slowly realizing that even if I got stuck 100X's, the lapband was somthing I chose to have and no matter what I just have to role with the bunches.....(but this is easier said than done, trust me!). I am now going to start being more assertive when I get my fills, and I am demanding that they be done under fluroscopy and only by the surgeon. I will also not passively sit by and let them stick me so many times. If they cant get it on the third time, Im outta there! I have even been looking into other doctors and fill clinics in my area. The nurse practitoner was just too rough!!! Im willilng to fight for my life....even at the cost of becoming a human pin cushion again!!! I AM SO DETERMINED TO SUCCEED!!!!!!!!!!! Stay blessed yall!!! Smooocches..........