My first fill experience was bad. I won't name the place but my experience should give those who have not had a fill yet the opportunity to ask some questions up front so that they can avoid what I went through.

I go for my first fill. I am weighed (20 lbs down from surgery date) and we discussed what I am eating. The nurse seems happy. When she asked me to lay down with my belly up in the air, I asked her where the Fluoroscope was. She told me they didnt have one and proceeded to assure me that she has never missed a port before. Ten minutes and two sticks later, after the needle had pulled, poked and sheared through my skin, she called another nurse to try. The new nurse assured me that she would be able to hit the port first time and that she had never missed either. She hit it alright, but but all we could hear was the needle hitting metal. (Not good; she thought the port had flipped). She was concerned and took me downstairs to the fill center, where they had a fluoroscope. If I had known about one side of the office being without fluoro and the other side have fluoro, I would have gone straight for the fluoro in the first place. Under fluoro, I hardly felt the topical anesthetic jab and when it was time to do the fill, the nurse hit the port the first time without any problems.

So please, make sure that at least your first fill is done under fluoro.

The port was not flipped over, so I am mystified about the sound of the needle hitting metal.

Yuk. I am sorry to hear this. Do you think there was any damage from their "misses"?

That does sound bad.

I've never had a fill under fluoro, and I've either been lucky or had good filler because they've always gotten it on the first poke. They do have you lift your legs up, that tightens your ab muscles and makes the port easier to feel.

My Doctor does my fills, its quick, easy and virtually painless? I have had two so far. 2nd one gave me good restriction. YEAH!!

What is a Fluoroscope??

I'm pretty sure the inside of the port is lined with a metal curve, to keep the needle from penetrating the back of it. Perhaps that's what you heard?

My surgeon is really good about hitting the port (I've never had a fluoroscope fill). Once he's needed me to hold a situp position to fid it (just when marking, not when poking) and once it took him two pokes. Other than that he drops right in and right back out.

When I needed an unfill about 2 weeks ago, he was out and a different surgeon had to take care of it. One who didn't have much experience. And I (as always) declined the local. That was about 10 minutes of laying there with a needle sticking out of my abdomen while he tried to line it up with the port. Line up meaning hes pulling the top part of my abdomen one way, and pushing the other part of it the other... confident he's found the port, but unable to get the needle to puncture the membrane. I had a few ouchies, but man - was I sore the next day.

Do nurses typically do the fills at your office? Does the surgeon not do them?

I go tomorrow for my first fill...I dont know how they do it there..they seem to be pretty confident about everything else, so, I am thinking no fluro...I will let you know..also WHAT AB muscles??? LOL>..geri