Banded november 06 Never had a fill. Started having problems 6 weeks after surgery with vomiting mushy food them liquids went to see my surgeon who removed fluid from the band but never had a fill. But my band is still filling with fluid which has been confirmed as being infected by bacteria. The Surgeon drains this fluid every couple of weeks but the fluid returns. A course of antibiotics has been taken with no effect. The Surgeon has carried out tests but the band is in the right place and no leaks that he can see. Can anyone help please because it has been going on for so long.

Clover, only your doctor can help with this situation. An infection can be serious and they MUST find the source. If one antibiotic didn't work there's got to be something else they can try. Don't give up--at the end you could lose your band so make sure you get this taken care of!!

Good luck!

The infection is inside the band's tubing so antibiotics wont work. But i still don't know how the fluid gets in their. My surgeon doesn't know how it gets in their nor the manufactures. In fact my surgeon said this has not happened before that he is aware of, has anyone else had this problem.

Has your doctor thought about replacing the tubing and the port? I never heard of this problem either! Good luck, and let us know how things go.

Get a second opinion! Have you had an esophagram or endoscopy? You might need IV antibiotics, a new band, or antibiotics instilled into the tubing and port. If you're not getting any better and the surgeon has not altered the plan of care, it's time to get a second opinion.

But my band is still filling with Fluid which has been confirmed as being infected by bacteria. The Surgeon drains this fluid every couple of weeks but the fluid returns.

:help:

When the fluid is drained is it within the port or from the tissue pocket around the port, ie. the port site?

I would suspect the latter. It sounds like you may have developed a post operative seroma, i.e. a fluid collection.

Do you have medical conditions that increase risk of infection that can be controlled, such as diabetes?

In some situations the port may need to be moved to another site.

I work in an infusion center and this is what we see every day. Infections in different areas and from different reasons. We administer iv antibiotics. Has the dr sampled the fluid in the band? Have culters come back with what is in there? MRSA -- STAPH -- it could be that maybe the actual band or tubing was not sterile upon implant. the best thing is probably to seek advise about having it removed. For now anyway. If the infection is within inthe band system, why would someone allow it to remain? Be sure cultures have been done and make sure which ever antibiotic they have placed you on is one that the infection is susceptible to.

The Fluid is inside the port and tubing. The fluide builds up over a couple of weeks so the band gets tighter and tighter so i can not eat. Then the fluid is removed the most i had removed was 7ccs in a 10cm band after leaving it for 4 weeks. I have had an endoscopy which all looked fine. All the Docotor does is keeps flushing it out to wash the band out.

Has anyone else had an infection inside their band which was treated successfully?

Boy this is almost inconceiveable. How could Fluid get into the Band, but not get out of it? How could there be some sort one-way valve that allow fluid into the port/band, but not out? I must not be understanding something here.

I think of it in terms of a bicycle tire. How can you have a leak that allows air in, but not out of the inner tube?

I assumed it was a matter of fluid in the tissue around the port, i.e. a seroma. So I think what you are describing is fluid around the port in the subcutaneous pocket where the port is located.

Thoroughly confused....

The fluid is inside the port and tubing. The fluide builds up over a couple of weeks so the band gets tighter and tighter so i can not eat. Then the fluid is removed the most i had removed was 7ccs in a 10cm band after leaving it for 4 weeks. I have had an endoscopy which all looked fine. All the Docotor does is keeps flushing it out to wash it out.

Has anyone else had an infection inside their band which was treated successfully?

The Surgeon thinks that the infection can make its own Fluid inside the band, is this true? Their is no infection outside or around the band.

History

Before they removed the fluid after leaving it for 4 weeks, i could not eat or drink liquids without vomiting, they did a barium swallow which showed the band was tight and the liquid was sitting on top of the band in the stomach. Then they removed 7cc of fluid from inside the band which was a muddy colour. Then i could drink liquids again. But i have never had a fill. So how did the fluid get in their? That is why everyone is so puzzled!

If this Fluid is truly coming from within the system then I would culture the bacteria, find out what antibiotic it was sensitive to, and inject some saline with antibiotic in it. Might not work but worth a try.

Dr. C

Cincinnati, Ohio

www.TheBandDoctor.com 877.442.BAND

DISCLAIMER: I am not your surgeon, any comments made by me are not meant to be taken as medical advice, just general guidelines. Contact your surgeon about your specific problem!

The Surgeon thinks that the infection can make its own fluid inside the band, is this true? Their is no infection outside or around the band.

History

Before they removed the fluid after leaving it for 4 weeks, i could not eat or drink liquids without vomiting, they did a barium swallow which showed the band was tight and the liquid was sitting on top of the band in the stomach. Then they removed 7cc of fluid from inside the band which was a muddy colour. Then i could drink liquids again. But i have never had a fill. So how did the fluid get in their? That is why everyone is so puzzled!

You were banded in November and started having problems 6 weeks later and now your surgeon is treating you for an infection that is not responding to antibiotics. Clearly, something was wrong with the band and/or the surgical technique. The surgeon needs to do a culture and sensitivity of the "muddy" Fluid and try you on a course of intravenous antibiotics. If THAT fails, it's time to take this band out. Don't be passive about this because you've been dealing with the problem since December and enough is enough.

Sorry i haven't posted for a while, they have decided to put antibiotics into the band to see what happens. i hope this works and the band will stop filling by itself.

maybe this will at least attack whatever seems to be "growing"

i am only 20 days post op, but had my fill on Tuesday and when the Dr. was done with me, i had Fluid coming from the needle site he used. i questioned him about this... it was mostly clear, but blood tainted. he said i apparently had a "pocket" of fluid around my port.... this fuild had not absorbed into my tissue yet. (maybe something like with you too) but i still cannot see how you have fluid in the port itself without ever being filled............

They thought at first that mine was a fluid pocket, but it was not, it was coming from inside the band.

oh really.......... thats nice to know... so how did they find it? do you feel sick at all? is it red or warm to the touch in the area? i work in an infusion center and this is what we work with all day long... but i myself have tried to keep my belly away from my patients for fear of some how coming into contact with what another person may have (staph, mrsa etc....) now you have me wonderingeven more about mine..