Band Port Leaking

[GaryB 0]

Shell - you should ask your doc to do a fluoroscope to see if you have a leak. Easy procedure and my insurance covered it. 5cc's is a lot not to have any restriction.

[LuckyGirl 1]

Hi Gary,

Glad to hear it went well! I should have done mine in the office right away because waiting a few weeks may have given it too much time to travel. He said mine was a break too. Sometimes it can leak at the port or at the middle pin but I think mine was just plain broken in the middle. I will find out more when I get my fill in a couple of days. I have a 4 cc band and 3.25 was good so I am hoping he puts at least 2.5 in this week. I have gained like 5 pounds so I am ready for a fill!

I have been a freak about my port - not sleeping on it or anything... I do not want this thing to mess up again! Thanks for the update!

[GaryB 0]

Hi - just had my one week follow with the Doc since my port tube was repared. He didn't have to replace it but the tube did have a significant hole causing the leak. He put 2cc's in my 10 cc band last week. I need to go back in a month to get my next fill. I'm back feeling restriction which is great. Keep us posted on how your progress is going .

[LuckyGirl 1]

Hey Gary,

I had my follow up this week. All is well. I demanded a little more than he wanted to put in and found myself choking on my spit so I had to go right back in for a small unfil. It feels nice to have restriction again too! He said mine broke at the pin, by the port so he had to replace the section. I talked to him about sleeping on it and he said sleeping on it is fine - that the tubing is so deep in the stomach that rolling on it will not break it. I am just paranoid because I want it to stay good for a long time!

Glad you are well. I was talking to someone with a sleeve yesterday and was wondering if I had done the right thing - having to maintain this thing and get fills often but I concluded that for me this was the best option. I never want the opportunity to stretch my stomach or get back to my old eating habits. The band seems to keep me straight! Take care!

[TJ'sMama 0]

LuckyGirl,

I'm new to this site and signed up so I could find out more about your tube issue. I have had severe lower abdominal pain for the past month. To make a long story short, today my realize band doctor sent me to radiology to get a look at where I might be leaking. Like you, they discovered the band broke free from the port site and has been moving freely in my body...which explains all the pain I've been complaining about.

Was your band part of the recalled lot? How are you feeling since the surgery? Was there any damage to organs with this tube moving around?

Thanks for your time!

TJ's Mama

[LuckyGirl 1]

I do not have the realize band. I think I have the Lapband - is that made by Allergen... I do not know how these things break and we are supposed to be responsible...

[LuckyGirl 1]

Hi TJ's Mama,

Isn't the pain horrible?? I thought something major was wrong - like my appendix had burst! I feel great after surgery and there was no damage that I could tell. I think my doctors office thought I was lying about the pain but it was so intense I couldn't hardly move. It started on one side and moved to the other which had me all confused. I first thought appendix, then ovaries and because it was moving I thought colon.... crazy! Hope it gets better. No, my band was not recalled that I know of.

[TJ'sMama 0]

OM, YES! I first called my gastric band Dr.'s office and they said the pain I was having wasn't related to the band. So I call my regular physician and she tells me to take gas relief pills or heart burn meds and if it is still bothering me in a few days to come in. So, a few days later I come in. She runs all types of test and everything is normal except the c-reactive test. Took almost a week to get an ultrasound...I too thought it was ovarian cysts or appendix since I was told it's not band related and the pain was that bad. Go in for a fill and they can't get Fluid back out..uh oh better have the doctor see me. Wait another few days and uh oh - yep there is a problem. GRRR, I am so mad right now. Now I have to wait for them to get the paperwork to the insurance to find out if its covered. Hello, I can't sleep at night because I can't get comfortable...sorry, I needed to vent.

I am glad to hear everything turned out ok for you once they finally repaired it. How long did it take you to get surgery once they figured out what was going on?

Thanks for replying!

TJ's Mama

[cajunmel 0]

Hey all,

Update: once we figured out it was leaking I was scheduled to have it repaired in office. I asked for a flouro so we could make sure we knew exactly where it was. It took 2 weeks for me to get the flouro and first they took a shot of my abdomen. Found that the tubing had completely come loose on one side and was floating around in my belly - like a snake. It was causing so much pain - poking me everywhere. I had to end up going in for surgery to repair the tubing. Insurance did not cover the repair - i had to come out of pocket quite a bit. sucks but hopefully this will be it!

[cajunmel 0]

I have several question, I have had my band since 2009 and the last year the port has had a leak. My insurance originally covered it but now will not since we changed companies. I have seen several people post that stated that they had their port changed in the office. Is there anyone out there that can tell me where you can get this done, my MD does not do that. Also I am in Louisiana, is there anyone in Houston, Orange, texas, or Louisiana that has had this done. Thanks for any help

[LuckyGirl 1]

Sorry it took so long to respond. What happened? Did you get the surgery? I had surgery 1 day after we figured out my band was loose. Let me know how you are doing!

[limahale 0]

Hi This is my first time on this site. I got on it to see if anyone else has the same experience as me and now I'm getting really concerned. I got my realize lap band on April 15, 2010. I have since lost 30 pounds but the first 11 pounds was with the 2 week liquid diet before my surgery. Anyways, since my surgery I have had numerous fills (8 - 10) and never really felt any restriction. I am up to 9.5 cc's. From the other messages on here that now seems like an awful lot. I was 211 pounds before surgery and now at 181. That doesn't seem like a whole lot with all my fills and I can still eat alot with no restriction. My doctor has checked me by pulling the Fluid out and putting it back and says its all there. I made an appointment for 28 December for him to do xray or whatever is needed to see if it has a leak or if it slipped.

Does all this sound concerning to anyone else? I will be grateful for any information or advice you can give me.

Thanks

[donnalemaster 4]

Went in for a fill today and they weren't able to pull out even 7cc's and I was filled to 9 last month. So. . . . .getting approval through insurance to replace port. Thanks for starting this topic. . .I really didn't want to have to be put under and it looks like all but 1 Doctor did it in office.

I have to go for an upper GI in the next few days and take my films in at the next appt. My band is a 10cc AP band. ANyone know anything about their history in regards to leakage? I dont know if they'll make me flouroscope before doing this, but it makes sense that they should so they can see if it's the port, tubing, or band instead of assuming it's one or the other.

Hope it comes out ok and insurance covers it al because we're still paying our deductibles from the initial surgery 1 year ago.

[donnalemaster 4]

OM, YES! I first called my gastric band Dr.'s office and they said the pain I was having wasn't related to the band. So I call my regular physician and she tells me to take gas relief pills or heart burn meds and if it is still bothering me in a few days to come in. So, a few days later I come in. She runs all types of test and everything is normal except the c-reactive test. Took almost a week to get an ultrasound...I too thought it was ovarian cysts or appendix since I was told it's not band related and the pain was that bad. Go in for a fill and they can't get Fluid back out..uh oh better have the doctor see me. Wait another few days and uh oh - yep there is a problem. GRRR, I am so mad right now. Now I have to wait for them to get the paperwork to the insurance to find out if its covered. Hello, I can't sleep at night because I can't get comfortable...sorry, I needed to vent.

I am glad to hear everything turned out ok for you once they finally repaired it. How long did it take you to get surgery once they figured out what was going on?

Thanks for replying!

TJ's Mama

OMG!!!! Who was your Doctor?????

[DaMomb 1]

Does your doctor say Ibuprofen is okay to take? Mine is adement about NO ibuprofen.

I found out Monday when I went in for a fill that he thinks mine is leaking too. The last two fills I have had he has put in 9cc's and when I go back he always checks and there has only been 7ccs in my band. I go in next Monday for a port a gram. He said if it is in the port then just have to have the port replaced but if it isn't in the port then I may have to have the entire band replaced.. Bummer