Sooooooo, I was banded on 5-13-13. I went back 3 days later because I thought my port looked a bit red and angry. Angrier than I thought it should. They did not seem to be to concerned. I've been on two rounds of antibiotics and had 4 fills. I came back again today and spoke with my doctor about possibly removing it. He's saying that as long as there is no active drainage to just watch and wait. This is what he said on July 11th too. I came in today completely expecting him to schedule surgery except he said to just wait. He also gave me another fill. He said it could stay the same. Red, angry, itchy, painful and swollen and I would wake up one day with drainage and see my port sticking out or I could just gimp along like this for god knows how long. Grrrrr! I'm frustrated!

Two and a half months post-op I wouldn't be comfortable if mine looked and felt like that. Maybe time to seek a second opinion.

I'm no medical professional but that does not look good to me especially when you were banded in May. Are these pics from May or today?

I would think the redness and swelling would have gone down at this point. Is there another Doctor you can seek for a second opinion?

I agree with the others, I would get a second opinion if I were you.

Did they ever do a culture to find out what type of infection it is? Or a scan to see whether it's superficial rather than inside too? I would insist both be done asap.

Agree!! I would be very suspicious and would seek a second opinion. You have options: schedule an apt with your primary care doctor, utilize the services of a walk in clinic/urgent care clinic or perhaps even the emergency room.

Infection is nothing to mess with, your doctor shouldn't have given you a fill if you were showing signs of infection. I too have been struggling with my port site. You can see the attached photos. See someone else, this is something that can really do damage to your body.

Thanks for all the responses today. The pics are from last week but it's still the same. It's not getting better but it's not getting worse either. Yet. I truly hope and pray it doesn't either. I've never had drainage out of it. It's not that he didn't try. He did. When I went to my last visit on the 11th he squeezed it and I looked at him with THE look and he quit. I could have taken his head off! I work in the medical profession (I'm a receptionist in a doctors office for 19 years now) and I don't want to second guess him. I don't want him to be wrong. I keep praying that I will wake up one morning and my gremlin will be normal. I go see my pcp next Thursday. I had planned on talking to him about all this anyway. Oh, no x-ray has been done or scans or gi series. I did tell him about the rotten egg burps I've been having for going on two weeks now. He said it's stasis. Where the food stays in the pouch too long. I said, isn't that a bad thing? He said not always. Idk...

Sounds as though you may be a little too tight. Is food going down okay?

Yep, food is going down fine. I've only had one stuck episode. And nothing like what most described. I felt a full, pressure sensation in between my breasts. It lingered for a few days. What finally got it was something I'd read on here. I downed a tablespoon of melted butter and had my husband "burp" me and then I jumped off the steps a few times and it did the trick.

Gina, what you are saying dies not sound right and your port area definitely does not look good. I would seek medical attention, but not from him of course! Good luck and God bless!

Yep' date=' food is going down fine. I've only had one stuck episode. And nothing like what most described. I felt a full, pressure sensation in between my breasts. It lingered for a few days. What finally got it was something I'd read on here. I downed a tablespoon of melted butter and had my husband "burp" me and then I jumped off the steps a few times and it did the trick.[/quote']

Where did you learn that trick? That's the first I've read of it?

Sooooooo' date=' I was banded on 5-13-13. I went back 3 days later because I thought my port looked a bit red and angry. Angrier than I thought it should. They did not seem to be to concerned. I've been on two rounds of antibiotics and had 4 fills. I came back again today and spoke with my doctor about possibly removing it. He's saying that as long as there is no active drainage to just watch and wait. This is what he said on July 11th too. I came in today completely expecting him to schedule surgery except he said to just wait. He also gave me another fill. He said it could stay the same. Red, angry, itchy, painful and swollen and I would wake up one day with drainage and see my port sticking out or I could just gimp along like this for god knows how long. Grrrrr! I'm frustrated![/quote']

This does not look good ESPECIALLY since you are so long out. Go get a second opinion and DEFINITELY do not worry about second guessing him. This is YOUR body - not his. And what is it with the "egg burps" - all of this does not add up right. Please go get a second opinion and please do not wait until late next week. Like go tomorrow!

Looks like you are allergic to the stitches they used. Also wondering if they numb the area every time you get a fill. You may be allergic to that too.

I'm not diagnosing I'm just saying the look it gives me. I'm with everyone else, make yourself heard!

I was banded 3 days before you and my belly looks nothing like that.

Where did you have your band done?

My surgery was performed by Dr. George Lynch at baptist metabolic surgery center in Nashville. I did have a stitch that was irritated. It was on the other side but it never looked like this and it finally came out and cleared up. Personally, Im just confused as to why my surgeon would say "it`s either going to eventually manifest as a full blown infection and you will wake up on day and its open and draining and the port will be visible and it will have started eroding through your stomach. Or you'll gimp along like this in hopes that it will one day clear up". I think when I heard these words from a credible physician I just kinda freaked. Internally i'm completely in shock and disbelief and wondering how anyone, let alone a physician think and say this? He told me that he'd like to see me make it another 4 months and maybe by then I will have dropped another 25lbs and then it would come out. Odd as it may sound, I sort of kinda understand why he says that because I was borderline eligible for surgery to begin with. I'm 5`2 and I'm currently 174lbs. When I started I was 200lbs with a bmi of 35 and 7 co-morbidities. My journey began before I realized it. My brother and sister had heart attacks last year on the same day just hours apart unbeknownst to each other! The very next day I'm scurrying between two hospitals 45 miles apart trying to be with both. Our father had his first heart attack at 27 and died at 51. My pcp is the one that recommended the surgery. I have done all the diets and would go from 144 on fen-phen up to 268 without. Then continue the yo-yo thing with all the other diets as well. My first consultation with my wls surgeon, he suggested the sleeve. I said are you kidding? I don't want to go that drastic, i don't have that much to lose. The band will do me just fine. Ugh!!! Hindsight..... So I'm thinking he wants me to get to as close to goal as possible and then completely remove it. He said he can't do a sleeve revision because my bmi and weight has dropped. Well hells bells! It was supposed to! I'm just completely frustrated at this point. I see my pcp next Thursday and I know he will make the call to my wls surgeon to get the ball rolling. Its not that I want to incur anymore issues and complications, I don't. I just keep hoping (blind faith?) that my little buddy will get better.