Be honest....

Have you ever done your own fill/unfill? Even in a pinch?

Scenario; it's late at night, your fill is too much, you are barfing your guts out, you can't even keep saliva down. You can't reach your doc (maybe he's not returning phone calls, perhaps he's in Mexico, etc.) and you are getting dehydrated. Many ER's don't have docs working that have a clue about a band.

What do you do? Or, what have you done?

BTW, this is a private poll, nobody will be able to see your response.

I'm a qualified nurse, I would hate to do it but and this is a more probable scenario.... If I was on hols in India or Africa (My favourite places to go)and got into trouble then I'd do it because the alternative doesn't bear thinking about!!

I have a fill needle and a syringe supplied by my doc for just such an emergency. I'd never fill my own band I would only ever defill.

I'm a qualified nurse, I would hate to do it but and this is a more probable scenario.... If I was on hols in India or Africa (My favourite places to go)and got into trouble then I'd do it because the alternative doesn't bear thinking about!!

I have a fill needle and a syringe supplied by my doc for just such an emergency. I'd never fill my own band I would only ever defill.

I have to admit, I have done it twice but I am a nurse as well. If I know sterile technique for a portacath, I decided I can do an emergency unfill. Both times I did it (last night, night before last) I couldn't drink Water and I barfed so much I was barfing blood due to irritation.

I removed 0.3ml the first night and 1.1 (the remainder) last night. Ahhh, it was so nice to sleep last night!

I probably should have added an option for medical professionals, I just realized that.

Let's see.. if I had non-coring needles on hand and I didn't care that the mfr could make all warranties null and void, perhaps.

This brings up a good question, what *are* the warranties on the band? I don't think port damage from puncture or holes in tubing due to anyone doing fills is covered by the manufacturer.

Anyone know? I'll have to research that.

I've done my own unfills in a pinch but I don't think I'd do my own fills.

Scenario; it's late at night, your fill is too much, you are barfing your guts out, you can't even keep saliva down. You can't reach your doc (maybe he's not returning phone calls, perhaps he's in Mexico, etc.) and you are getting dehydrated. Many ER's don't have docs working that have a clue about a band.

What do you do? Or, what have you done?

This is hard b/c my surgeon works with 3 others who are familiar with the band and one of them is always available, plus 5 of my local hospitals have ER staff who are familiar with the band.

But IF it happend, I truly would not consider it. I'm in no way qualified to mess with my port/band, and not willing to risk any complications. I have REALLY hard time feeling my port. The only way I can feel it is flat on my back, and in that position it's really hard for me to be able to push hard enough to really feel it. And then being able to blindly stick a needle in... there's just no way, I don't think I could physically do it.

If I were becoming dehydrated, I would probably go to the local ER (pretending they can't handle band issues) and tell them my situation, and request fluids and a pail or gauze or something so that I could either absorb or spit out my saliva (I've been so tight that saliva won't pass, and having to just swallow it sucked). In the meantime, I would have them try to call other surgeons and see if they could find someone to talk them through the procedure. I know that isn't ideal, but IMO it's more ideal than trying to do it myself.

The issue I was shocked about is the concept of "fill parties" where patients take turns filling one another. That scares the heck out of me. That's how people get MRSA in their ports and lose their bands. I can't imagine any sane person going to such a party. Geez... buy tupperware and get a fill all in one party!

If someone does not know sterile technique and have a solid understanding of various organisms, it's just stupid to do it themselves.

I live in the 5th or 6th biggest city in the country and three times now I have been unable to find an ER that had a doc that had any idea of how to do an emergency unfill. THAT is scary.

I talked to Inamed about this and they are aware of the problem. They are supposedly sending people around the country training ER staff in lap bands. I asked why my city, a HUGE city doesn't have an ER doc trained in this. They had no explanation.

OMG - there really are "fill-parties"?! That is just scary to me.

I agree, being so tight you can't get liquids in is scary, but I'd go to the ER, explain what is going on and hopefully get an IV to prevent more dehydration, then work on finding someone who can do an unfill.

Something else to consider. Some docs may see that someone is messing with the band between visits and refuse to continue treating you. I would, due to liability issues.

I called my doc and told him what I did. He wasn't thrilled about it but he also knows I am fully capable of accessing a port. His concern is fills, not as much unfills. I wouldn't do my own fills, I want that done under fluoro.

You bet I would do it if I had the fill needle. I am a nursing student and I figure if I know how to administer meds, draw blood, and sterile technique I could do an emergency unfill if necessary. I have thought about getting a syringe and needle for just such an emergency.

My fill doc charges $200 per fill/ unfill too which is a pretty significant amount of money to a student with small children!

You bet I would do it if I had the fill needle. I am a nursing student and I figure if I know how to administer meds, draw blood, and sterile technique I could do an emergency unfill if necessary. I have thought about getting a syringe and needle for just such an emergency.

My fill doc charges $200 per fill/ unfill too which is a pretty significant amount of money to a student with small children!

If you get a fill today and an unfill tomorrow, does he still charge $200 again? For a five minute procedure? Does he use fluoro?

I know enough to walk the er doc through the unfill! Most of us should, we know non-coring needle and we know where our port is located, and we should know that by lying flat and lifting our legs any medical provider should be able to find it and access it unless it is flipped (a diffrent matter entirely then)

I would never condone someone filling or unfilling themselves without direct permission from their surgeon! It is quite possible that your doc may fire you as a patient for doing this!

This is just nuts! Why would you even consider doing these yourself? Spend all this time and money... Just to screw around and lose your band? I don't understand. I would NEVER do anything that might put me or my band in danger.

Hmmmm....

Assuming that I KNEW I had a non-coring needle (but I dunno how I'd know that! LOL) that was unused/fresh out of the packaging, some alcohol swabs and a clean syringe, I would be willing to unfill myself in an emergency.

As for filling? Why not just go to the doctor?

I can easily see how, in an emergency situation/end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it sorta thing why you would want to give yourself a total unfill.

I cannot see needing to fill yourself up again w/out help.

Just my .02 cents.

This is just nuts! Why would you even consider doing these yourself? Spend all this time and money... Just to screw around and lose your band? I don't understand. I would NEVER do anything that might put me or my band in danger.

What about a nurse doing it? Nurses often times do fills/unfills in an MD office. I have an NP that does fills and does not work for a doc. If I can legally do it on others, why not myself in a pinch?

For non nurses I totally agree with you. It can be dangerous for a variety of reasons.

Hmmmm....

Assuming that I KNEW I had a non-coring needle (but I dunno how I'd know that! LOL) that was unused/fresh out of the packaging, some alcohol swabs and a clean syringe, I would be willing to unfill myself in an emergency.

As for filling? Why not just go to the doctor?

I can easily see how, in an emergency situation/end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it sorta thing why you would want to give yourself a total unfill.

I cannot see needing to fill yourself up again w/out help.

Just my .02 cents.

I'm not sure that alcohol is enough. Personally I wouldn't use "just" alcohol on myself or a patient.

The reason I got to thinking about this is that I actually found a person that sells fill kits. That, and I heard from Inamed that people have fill parties. While it does not surprise me that people do unfills on themselves, I was floored at the concept of fill parties. THAT is just freaky.

I voted "other" and I think that in a pinch my husband would do it. We would need the right supplies but I wouldn't have a problem with that and it would be very handy in an emergency. (like an illness on vacation)