I'm new here and i looked in the fill thread, but i'm a little confused on how a doctor fills you. I seem to be overlooking that... Do you just walk in and are able to walk out shortly after? i'm having a hard time picturing this...

When I have a fill, I lay down on a bed with a pillow under my loyer back, The Dr freezes the area and a few minutes later injects the saline into the port, puts a bandaid on it in case it bleeds and helps me sit up, Then I drink a glass of water to be sure I'm not too tight. Then i leave. No discomfort at all and I can eat right after. Different Drs do it differently and some people have to do liquids for a day or so after. Hope thar's some help.

The band has a sort of empty balloon lining its inner circumference. This is attached to some tubing, in turn attached to a port. A needle is used to peentrate the (self-healing) port and inject saline, which travels through the tubing and into the balloon, filling it, which tightens the esophagus.

When my surgeon does fills it takes a total of maybe 2 mins and goes like this:

Lay down, surgeon pushes around until he finds the port. Location is marked, surgeon gets the syringe (already filled with saline). Needle is poked through the skin into the port, saline is injected, port is pulled out, area is wiped down and a band-aid is applied. Then we're given a glass of Water to drink, to ensure we aren't too tight. It's quick, doesn't hurt, and you leave with a tiny needle mark and a band-aid.

The band has a sort of empty balloon lining its inner circumference. This is attached to some tubing, in turn attached to a port. A needle is used to peentrate the (self-healing) port and inject saline, which travels through the tubing and into the balloon, filling it, which tightens the esophagus.

When my surgeon does fills it takes a total of maybe 2 mins and goes like this:

Lay down, surgeon pushes around until he finds the port. Location is marked, surgeon gets the syringe (already filled with saline). Needle is poked through the skin into the port, saline is injected, port is pulled out, area is wiped down and a band-aid is applied. Then we're given a glass of Water to drink, to ensure we aren't too tight. It's quick, doesn't hurt, and you leave with a tiny needle mark and a band-aid.

thank you so much for you responses...the visuals really helped!!

My fills take about 2 minutes total. I sit in a chair that reclines, like at the dentist. He also raises it so he is closer to my port (he's standing). He injects a needle into my port, which can be felt through my skin pretty easily. They don't numb me and it feels about the same as any injection (and less painful than a blood draw) He injects the fluid which takes two seconds then has me drink water, leaving the needle in me (this is the only kind of freaky part for me!) If the water goes down pretty well he will usually inject a little more - he keeps doing this 'til I feel restriction when I drink. Then he sticks a bandaid on me and off I go. That's it! The pictures you guys posted on here were great and would be very helpful to anyone who doesn't 'get' what a fill does. Thanks for doing that!