Hi all,

I'm planning an extended abdominoplasty next month. I have a standard port. It doesn't stick out now, but I'm worried that it will be noticable after PS. The port is located on the left between waist and ribs and about 1 - 2" from center.

Did you have the port changed to low-profile or did your PS move it? I'm going to talk to both my PS and band surgeon about this and will ask my band surgeon if it is possible to get a low profile port to replace the standard one.

So what has your experience been with your port? If you kept the standard port did it stick out after surgery? Do wish you'd had it changed?

Thanks, Lucky

1/31/05

274/151 5'8"

I ca nfeel my port but it does not stick out My PS did not move it .he said that didnot need to .

My port is exactly where my doc put it 26 months ago, and it is still the same old "regular" port.

I can feel my port, but I cannot see it, despite my weight going down to 108lbs.

Talk to your surgeons, but if your port is well placed, there should be no good reason to move it.

Good luck!

Thanks Pat and Chickie. If you can't see it at 108 I'll check one more thing to obsess over off my list.

Pat, I looked at some of your other posts and it looked like you were able to go back to work at 2 - 3 weeks. That is also reassuring as so far, I'm having trouble getting as much time off as I want. Were you able to stand up straight and work a full day?

I tend to recover quickly, I was back at work full time 2 weeks after an abdominal hysterectomy. But I here stories of people not being able to go back for one month or more.

Lucky

I can see mine after my PS and I wish I'd had it changed out when I had my TT. I had the chance to and I didn't take it. In hindsight, it was the wrong choice. I was worried about messing with my fill level, which would happen as they have to take the fill out when they change the port. I'd read that even if they put the fill right back in, it's never exactly the same and that scared me.

Now though, I wish I'd had it done because I'm probably going to have it done in a separate procedure because it's really bothering me and it's visible to the eye both naked and if I have on a tighter t-shirt (most people don't see it but I do). Plus I hit it a lot and it's just bothersome. It even bothers me when someone hugs me.

I think everyone's anatomy is different so it's hard to say if yours will bother you or not. For what it's worth, I wish I'd changed mine out during my TT.

I weigh 134 pounds and my port has been sticking out for quite a while. With my first band the surgeon put my port down below my waist on the left hand side. I got rebanded by a different surgeon last summer after my first band slipped and he put my port much higher up. I was quite annoyed because not only did it protrude (you should have seen it before the swelling went down, TUMOR!), it clicked on my bottom rib every time I would laugh, cough, hiccup, do ab exercises, or move just the right way! Now, after having a lower body lift, the port still protrudes, but it has moved over to the right atleast about two inches. I asked the PS if he had taken it off and reattached it. He said no. It was still attached to the muscle in the same spot, but it had moved because he tightened my muscles up. Now the port doesn't click at all. I am wearing a bikini on vacation in a few weeks and it is not so bad that I am concerned about it. If anyone does notice it and asks what it is I am more than happy to explain. I know that some people don't want anyone knowing that they had lap band surgery or plastic surgery, but I don't mind sharing my story. I am just so proud of my accomplishments. If anyone had told me five years ago that I would someday wear a bikini, I would have never believed them!

Thanks,

I'm going to see if my band surgeon can get me a low profile port for my PS to change out if both are agreeable. I talked to the Inamed rep and right now the port can only be sold to a facility that does banding. He said that he it trying to work on getting the policy changed so they can sell replacement ports to plastic surgeons.

So, if they both agree, the challange will be to see if there is any way to get the port through my band hospital to take with me to the PS. I'm doubtful that they will sell me the port to be implanted elsewhere. My surgeon is at the ASBS conference this week so I won't be able to find out until next week. On my initial consult, my PS thought he could "pad" the port so it wouldn't be visible.

In reality, its not a big deal as I don't plan on showing my midriff much, I've NEVER worn a bikini, but I guess I'll be able to. It just would be nice to get the best result possible.

Lucky

Lucky, I went back to work after 2 weeks and I did work a full 10 hour day.I am a nurse working in doctors office. but to be honest by 3pm I was starting to get a bit sore. nothing that sitting down for about 10min didn't help. good luck with your surgery