Infected Band?

Leticia · May 22, 2008

Has any one has or have had this problem? and what did they do? did your band had to be removed?

This is what is happening to me right now. About to months ago I had a stomach virus so they had to remove all the saline from the band, since I was vomiting a lot, but the Doctor had a hard time finding the port and he had to pinch me a few times and after that, I had a pain in the port area to the point that I could not bend down, so I went to se my Doctor in Mexico and He had to removed the port because it was infected, that was three weeks ago, and everything went fine, but a week later, the wound started to drain this bloody Water so I went to see my family doctor here in Chicago and He put me in an antibiotic but it has not help at all. So I'm going back today to got a stronger one, just to see what happens and if this does not help, than my Doctor in Mexico says that is the band that got infected and it has to be removed. Nice Ha?

Any similarities? I'll appreciated.

Leticia

newimage · May 22, 2008

Leticia,

Sorry this is happening to you..(((HUGS))). Good Luck!!! Let us know what happens.

sheemac32 · May 23, 2008

i WAS BANDED ON THE 5TH OF MAY AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING GOOD UNTILL SUNDAY 2 OF MY STERI-STRIPS CAME OFF, HAD A LITTLE SCAB NO WORRIES BUT BY TUESDAY HOT TO TOUCH AND DRAINING SOME WENT TO THE DOCTOR THEY PLACED ME ON ABT'S AND I HAVE AN APPT IN THE AM NOT ONLY IS MY PORT SITE INFECTED BUT SO IS MY INSERTION SITE FOR THE BAND, YEAH..WISH ME WELL, GOOD LUCK TO YALL HOPE TO HEAR FROM YA SOON.:thumbup::blushing:

THANKS SHEEMAC

Leticia · May 24, 2008

Ok, here is an update. I went to the Doctor yesterday, and at the beginning He look at me and said... I think you should go back to Mexico and have that thing removed!! (I had my surgery in Mexico 2 years ago) but then He wanted to look at it, and He cleaned the area really well and got all this liquid out. It did not had any odor or dark color, so He said, well does not look that bad, so maybe we can try one last thing. He prescribed Levaquin 750 for 7 days once a days. After the second day, I must said, that is looking a lot better, however I don't want to get to exited but I do have faith that this will do it.

Leticia · May 24, 2008

Leticia,
Sorry this is happening to you..(((HUGS))). Good Luck!!! Let us know what happens.

Thank you, I need a miracle too!

Leticia

Leticia · May 24, 2008

i WAS BANDED ON THE 5TH OF MAY AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING GOOD UNTILL SUNDAY 2 OF MY STERI-STRIPS CAME OFF, HAD A LITTLE SCAB NO WORRIES BUT BY TUESDAY HOT TO TOUCH AND DRAINING SOME WENT TO THE DOCTOR THEY PLACED ME ON ABT'S AND I HAVE AN APPT IN THE AM NOT ONLY IS MY PORT SITE INFECTED BUT SO IS MY INSERTION SITE FOR THE BAND, YEAH..WISH ME WELL, GOOD LUCK TO YALL HOPE TO HEAR FROM YA SOON.:thumbup::cursing:
THANKS SHEEMAC

Sorry to heard this, I guess we all go for this never expecting any complications, but they happen. The only thing I can said, is that everything happens for a reason and we have to take it as it is.

You will be in my prayers.

Leticia

elle_NY · May 27, 2008

Did your doctors say if it was Band "erosion"? Sometimes that happens and they remove the band because it becomes infected....but depending on where you have your surgery, they may put a new Band in without additional cost. But it may vary depending on where you are.

sheemac32 · May 28, 2008

FRom the doctor visit last week said it was probably just cellulitis have been on high dose abt for one week and it is no better. the pain has increased, band is to new for erosion to happen but thank you for your reply and concern. I am scared what the next step may be for me tomorrow when he see it again.

Sheemac:thumbdown::sad:

Leticia · May 28, 2008

Did your doctors say if it was Band "erosion"? Sometimes that happens and they remove the band because it becomes infected....but depending on where you have your surgery, they may put a new Band in without additional cost. But it may vary depending on where you are.

Hi, I have actually not been tested on that. Since my Doctor is in Mexico I don't got to see him much often, but last time I was there it just look like the port was infected and it was removed. So far no one has given me a clear explanation on why that could happen. I have contacted a different Doctor on the matter but just over the phone and He mention that could be what is happening. In the mean time this has not stopped draining and it has been almost a month by now, so I'm planning on going back to my Doctor in Mexico on June 3 which is next tuesday, but all I have in my mind is that I want this out of my body, but lets see what happens.

Thanks

Leticia

ManhBill · May 30, 2008

Hi Leticia,

I've been through a very similar process, although my infection never got as far as the band.

I was banded 10/6/07. The port site incision never healed properly and became infected despite taking enough antibiotics to kill every germ within 3 blocks. Anyway, on 1/2/08 I had my port removed. I had to wait until 2/25/08 to have a new port installed. Dr. Ren wanted to wait until the original incision was totally healed.

About a month after the new port was installed I returned to Dr. Ren in a great deal of pain. I had been on augmentin the entire time. She took one look and admitted me into the hospital where I spent the next 10 days. I had a staph infection at the new port site. The site had never stopped draining serous Fluid. When I was in the hospital, they did a CT to be certain the infection had not traveled up to the band. Fortunately it had not. After a week of IV antibiotics and not much improvement, they decided to do an endoscopy to make sure the band had not eroded.

Everything came up good, except for the stubborn infection. After 10 days in the hospital, the incision was still leaking slightly, but we agreed that I could try going home on heavy oral antibiotics. I was taking both Cipro and augmentin. About 2 weeks later, I developed an allergic reaction to the Cipro and had to stop taking it. Dr. Ren started talking about removing my second port and told me I would need to wait 6 months for a 3rd one to be installed. I convinced her to hold off on that and give antibiotics one more chance.

She changed me to Levaquin (750 mg)....and the incision started healing. I did 4 weeks on the heavy Levaquin and have now dropped down to 500 mg daily for almost 2 weeks.

My incision is almost totally healed now. I'm not having any more pain. We're keeping me on the Levaquin for a few more days just to be sure. I have a couple of ugly scars on my belly now. But I also have less belly....so the tradeoff wasn't too bad.

Obviously, you need to follow your doctor's instructions. But before they remove your band, ask them to do a CT to be sure the infection has traveled all the way up. In my case it was just a matter of finding the right drug. I hope it will be for you, too.

Bill

Leticia · May 31, 2008

Bill, thanks so much for taking the time to share your story. You are right this sound very similar.

Now this is what is happening to me. After 7 days in Levaquin 750, nothing happen, for the first couple days I thought that was going to be it, but no, two days later this thing started draining again so bad that I got a little scare, so I made plans to go back to my Doctor in Mexico this next Monday and hopefully He will have an answer to this by then. In the mean time, I went off the Levaquin yesterday so I'm only going to be out of antibiotics for two days. My family Doctor had prescribed them here, but He said that was it, since is the second one He does. He had mention before that I should have a lab test and them try to in a IV antibiotics but to be honest I'm not sure if I can handle this anymore.

I think that somehow I have been preparing my mind to have the band remove all ready, since the beginning I always new that this was not going to be forever, that's why I made the decision to have the band because it was reversible. I have no regrets however, it has been wonderful to loose 100 pounds. I would never be able to do that in my own so now it is time to probe to my self that I can do this with out the band.

What I forgot to mention is that my band has been totally empty for a while and all though I have not loose anymore weight I have not gain either, but I have not been able to exercise because of the pain.

Well good luck to you, I hope you feel better soon and congratulations on your weight lose, I saw your pictures and you look very good.

God Bless

Leticia

Leticia · June 10, 2008

Here I'm recovering from surgery last tuesday. The band had to be removed!!!

ManhBill · June 10, 2008

Hi Leticia,

I'm so sorry to hear your band had to come out. I know how disappointed you must be.

I'll be thinking good thoughts for your recovery.

Bill

Girlmoose · June 13, 2008

I'm so sorry to hear about your infections and lap band journey. :thumbup: My journey hasn't been what I expected either... I was banded 12-17-07 and did fine. In April, I started having some pain in my upper left rib cage. Then a couple of weeks later, I had pain in my port area. My port had flipped! :thumbup: I had my 2nd surgery, May 8, to flip the port back. He looked at my left side too and found LOTS of scar tissue! They removed it and cleaned everything up and flipped the port. They sent the tissue in and had it tested and found a low grade infection. UGH! I had a low grade temp. from 99 to 100 for about 7 - 10 days after my first surgery in Dec. but the Dr. wasn't concerned too much. He said if it were 102 - 104, they would be concerned about infection. After the 2nd surgery they did put me on antibiotics for 7 days. The Dr. says he always flushes the port and surgery areas with strong antibiotics too.

I felt GREAT 10 days after my second surgery. NO pain on the left rib cage area... NO pain by the port! :w00t: About 4 - 5 days after that, I was in HORRIBLE pain! :thumbup: Worse then ever. If I wasn't afraid of the emergency bill not being covered, I would have been there!!! The Dr. worked me in and we went through all the options and things it could be and decided to do an ultra sound (instead of the expensive CT scan) on 5/23, and he gave orders if there was Fluid for the Radiology Dr. to remove it while I was there... Sure enough... FLUID! :thumbup: The Radiology Dr., while using the ultra sound to guide him, removed 30 C.C.'s of... this is gross... bloody, yellow infection!!! :thumbup: The good news is... They numb you up (instant relief... YIPEE!) and it took a whole 5 minutes for the procedure. The Dr. put me on Cephalexin 500 mg every 6 hours.

I started feeling so much better! About May 27th or 28th, I noticed the incision area around the port looked a little inflamed, warm and pinkish red. I decided to sleep on my right side since I wasn't having pain there and just see if something would happen where it might open up... :crying: About 4 in the morning I woke up to a soaked shirt! :thumbup: It was continuously rolling out of this area in the incision that was 1/2" long. Maybe a little longer. A yellow watery infection... At times, it was a thick yellow discharge. The first 24 hours to 48 hours, it was heavy. It has been seeping ever since then. The last few days it has really slowed down and trying to get a scab now. A couple of band aids hold it now for the day. I'm letting air get to it now and the color of the incision is good now and it isn't inflamed.

I've been on strong antibiotics for severe infections since May 22. Clindamycin 300 mg every 6 hours. My options are to finish up the antibiotics next week and the Dr. says if I can go 1 to 2 weeks with no infection problems there, I'm out of the woods. He said the infection blooms 5 days out from stopping the antibiotics and that is exactly what happened to me before. The 5th day off of antibiotics after my 2nd surgery, I was in horrible pain from the infection. They ran a bunch of test and grew things in the lab on the 30 c.c. of infection they removed. It only came back with a Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph) Infection. It is the normal kind of Staph that is on every surface... Not that type that is dangerous or contagious or unresponsive to antibiotics.

My other options in this case is... 1. If I don't think this infection is going to heal and stop seeping, I can do a 3rd surgery before the antibiotics run out. Remove the contaminated port, wash that area out and flush with antibiotics and close the area up for a few weeks. Then have a 4th surgery and put in a new port on the left side (now currently on the right side). OR 2. Do the 3rd surgery as above but go ahead and put in the new port on the left side, so I only have one additional surgery... Which is what I am going to do, if I have to go in for another surgery. I see no signs that the infection is anywhere but this right port area. OR 3. Remove the whole thing... :thumbup:

I don't want to remove the band because I love how you don't feel hungry and not fighting with dieting and guilt about eating.... My cholesterol has gone from 220 - 240 over the last 10 years to 180! YIPEE! My trigs have gone from 280 to 120! My blood pressure is down from really high to the normal range! :thumbup: I've had so much success even with all this crazy and abnormal stuff... I'm usually a fast healer and never have problems like this... It's so discouraging and I hate to think of the added expenses of these surgeries too... :smile: but I don't want to give up. I guess I can be as stubborn as these infections can be.

Bill, I'm so encouraged that you were able to overcome your infection. I feel like I'm in the same boat... My Dr. is trying to give me every opportunity to fight this off before deciding on another surgery. He told me I have less then a 50/50 chance because antibiotics work through the blood stream and it is very hard when your dealing with a foreign object, to treat it with oral antibiotics... :thumbup: I'm hoping to be one of those that are lucky enough to beat the odds... Sorry this is so long but if it can help anyone, I guess it is worth it. GOOD LUCK to all those infection fighters!!! :thumbup:

Edited June 13, 2008 by Girlmoose

ManhBill · June 14, 2008

It does sound like we've been through a similar journey with the infections. Don't discount the staph a. infection, though. That's actually what put me in the hospital for 10 days. Even though it's normal on the outside of your body, it can do nasty things inside.

I don't blame you for not wanting to go through two more surgeries. I felt the same way when Dr. Ren told me that my 2nd port might have to come out. Although, she didn't give me an option to have another put in immediately. She was going to have me wait 6 months just to be certain everything was totally healed. It appears that won't be necessary, but I'm still watching it very closely. I've been totally off antibiotics for 1.5 weeks now. So I should be past the major danger point.

Your weight loss so far is really impressive! I'm finally beginning to lose a bit again. I'm hopeful that I'll begin dropping pounds again now that I can get to the gym.

Keep us posted on how you're doing. We'll all be keeping good thoughts for you.