I went in for my 6 month check up and 2nd fill and found my port has evidently flipped. My doctor stuck me 13 times -- I counted the holes when I got home! (And that sounds worse than it really was!) -- and bent 4 needles. He could get a good grip on the port (unlike the first fill when there was still so much fat over it he could only HOPE he was hitting the right spot!), but couldn't get a needle in.

So, just waiting for approval from the insurance co. and am tenatively scheduled for 2/10. He intends to relocate the port more towards my sternum where it's a little firmer territory than how squishy it is down by my navel.

Just curious -- how many of you who've had flipped ports fixed ALSO had them relocated...?

found out my port was flipped at first fill appt. Had Dr go in next day, and re-suture it back but kept the same location. This was done under local and I was back at work in a few hrs.

I also had a flipped port, I went into the hospital overnite and was under general anesthesia everything went fine and I'm doing great! good luck

My port flipped 4 months after I had my band. It was a very simple procedure to have it fixed, I was in and out of the hospital in a couple of hours. Mine was left in it's original location.

me me!

I never felt restriction, so by 5 months out they decided I had a leak.

Back into surgery, they realized the port had flipped 180.

It was right above my belly button.. they moved it to between my boobs (you can see the locations in the pics in my blog).

I'm much happier with it there honestly, no one but me & dh would ever see it, cause boobs canopy tops out, so even if I get skinny, it won't protrude. It doesn't move at all anymore.. I can easily feel the entire thing, which means my doc can get right in too. And lastly, when I move and do weird stuff with my body, my port is sitting in one spot, not jiggling and heaving with my stomach.

Of all the problems that can arise with the band...I think a flipped port would be the easiest to correct. Just an incision, grab the rascal and turn it around right.

Got lucky!

Leaks, slip, etc require more indepth surgery.

I guess I don't understand how the port flips... I know my surgeon stitches the port in place in the stomach wall -- not 100% sure why if the stitches dissolve. (I mean, they do, don't they?) Is that why the port can flip? How does it flip? I don't get it... and I just want to be better informed. I should've asked my surgeon in pre-op but I didn't remember to ask this one...

The stitches aren't dissolvable. The port has little holes at the base, for them to stitch it to your muscle.

My guess is when it flips, you popped a stitch (i would think at least 2 would need to be broken)and the port twists around.

In my case when he moved it, he said he 'put extra stitches'.

Thanks! I guess that makes sense. It sounds painful though. Do you know when it's happened??

I certainly never felt anything happen -- except, I had a BAD stomach virus about three weeks ago. Up and down all night on the potty and dry heaving (because nothing would come up past the band!) for about 10 hours!!!

ANYTHING could've happened then....might've flipped my liver, kidneys and pancreas, too!!!

Has anyone else has there port moved to this location? To me that seems like a better place to put it to start with but this is the first I have heard of it. Is it noticeable?

me me!

I never felt restriction, so by 5 months out they decided I had a leak.

Back into surgery, they realized the port had flipped 180.

It was right above my belly button.. they moved it to between my boobs (you can see the locations in the pics in my blog).

I'm much happier with it there honestly, no one but me & dh would ever see it, cause boobs canopy tops out, so even if I get skinny, it won't protrude. It doesn't move at all anymore.. I can easily feel the entire thing, which means my doc can get right in too. And lastly, when I move and do weird stuff with my body, my port is sitting in one spot, not jiggling and heaving with my stomach.

Due to my situation, my doctor now places all of his patient's ports in my 2nd location. I was the first person he's had flip the port, so as a preventative.

I have spent some time trying to decide when it happened. There's a couple ideas, especially since fills never worked, it means I flipped it early on!

The first couple days post-op, I pulled a muscle (was not takin pain meds, held my body in funny ways), and thought I had a blood clot. Went to the ER, and it was nothing, but in retrospect, this pain may have been when I popped my port out of place. Then shortly after I got married, and got food poisoning on my honeymoon. I was heaving something horrible (and was afraid my band was going to slip!). A fluro done afterward showed it was fine-- but fills weren't working. So I think it's one of those 2 times. It could have been something else, but I wondered the same.

Is it noticable in that location?

Due to my situation, my doctor now places all of his patient's ports in my 2nd location. I was the first person he's had flip the port, so as a preventative.

I have spent some time trying to decide when it happened. There's a couple ideas, especially since fills never worked, it means I flipped it early on!

The first couple days post-op, I pulled a muscle (was not takin pain meds, held my body in funny ways), and thought I had a blood clot. Went to the ER, and it was nothing, but in retrospect, this pain may have been when I popped my port out of place. Then shortly after I got married, and got food poisoning on my honeymoon. I was heaving something horrible (and was afraid my band was going to slip!). A fluro done afterward showed it was fine-- but fills weren't working. So I think it's one of those 2 times. It could have been something else, but I wondered the same.

My fill doctor showed me a port and the holes where the stitches go. He said some doctors just stitch it in one place, at the end opposite where the tubing goes in, and it is easy for the port to flip just like a yo yo twisting around on one string. He said that my surgeon stitches it on both sides of the tubing, and that usually is very effective in stopping the port from flipping. If you rip the stitches out through activity or nausea, then I would think all bets are off, though.

Laura, I would like to see your port but was unable to find it on your blog , can you help?? I went for my first fill under fluro and rad. doctor found my port to be completely flipped...although my surg. says no and we're trying again tuesday . If it is i want it easy to feel and get to... does it sit under your bra?? that might be a problem, thanks for any help..

Here ya go.

You can see what this is, my boobs up top, belly on bottom?

Right between my boobs, is the new location.

The bottom bandage is where it was.

It's RIGHT under my skin, so I can feel every detail of it. If I am laying on my back, and I run my hand over my body I can most definitely feel it. My DH says he can see it when I'm laying down and only if I point to where it is.. so It's not too obvious. Even if it was, I don't care.. my doc said he can take the port out when I get to goal, but I'm not interested. I'd rather be able to keep adjusting it throughout my life. I like playing with the port, it's neat.

So.. even if I was in a skimpy bikini (never happen), no one would notice it, no.

Oh, and yeah, it's right above my bra line. That was only problem for a few days post-op because it was sore and healing. Now it's fully healed and my bra does not hurt it, I don't even notice it. Actually going to take a pic real quick at work on my cell.. hope no one walks by :biggrin:

Here-- You can see the scar kind of under my left breast. (not the small one under the bra, that's from the first surgery lapscropic tool stuff).