Just curious to know if any nurse out there that do thier own fills. I've accessed ports for years now as an infusion nurse and would have no problem doing it myself. Just never heard of anyone doing there own fills. Any input?

I have not got my lap band yet however, I am a Nurse Practitioner and would definately do it after a trained professional showed me. It would save be trips to Beverly Hills and some money to boot :sad_smile:

Edited June 25, 200818 yr by ocbreeze4u
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I am an infusion nurse too!! It is my understanding that some of the fills take place under fluro..I don;t think I would like to do it myself though..

I have a feeling that the reason Nurses who are trained to access ports have not been encouraged to do so is that it may be a threat to a very lucrative business , that being the fills after the proceedure. I would be anxious to know if the Nurses working in the surgeons office are trained to do fills or if not why not?

who Does the fills, the surgeon or his office staff?

The Nurse Practitioner does the fills in my surgeons office.

Believe me, I've seriously thought about it. Especially since the surgeon has been insisting on .2-.3cc fills since being pregnant. I've never had a fill under fluro, just me the surgeon and a large huber needle. :thumbs_up:

I'm just amazed at what some offices charge for fills especially when I know how simple of a procedure it is. What are we paying for??????

I'd say we are paying for the same thing we pay for when we see a Dr. for any other purpose.....his years of loans, and continuing malpractice insurance.

We have become such a litigious society, they have to deal with everything with a CYA attitude it seems.

My niece is a phlebotomist (sp?) and she does her Moms all the time.....and I do mean ALL THE TIME! That is one of the drawbacks I see, they overfill then unfill, she is in constant adjustment.

I know it is expensive and frustrating, but I truly believe in sneaking up on restriction, slow, steady, smaller fills, and not getting the overfill/swelling issues started.

I have a low profile deeply imbedded port. My fill Dr. is a surgeon who was going to do my surgery prior to insurance issues, and he does the fills himself always, but even he has trouble hitting my port---I would not trust anyone else to do it---even myself if I were trained!!! Besides the positioning of mine, it would be almost impossible, when he finally gets mine, I cannot raise up much to even see it. That might have changed since my TT----but it would not have been self accessible I don't believe.

I can physically feel and count each of my ribs now, but have to poke and push deep to feel my port----I would be a poor one to try it with!

I think I'll keep helping my surgeon to repay his loans!!! Or fund his next green fees!

Kat

I asked about this at my consultation appointment. I could do it myself, but I will have one of my co-workers do it instead. :thumbup:

I'm just amazed at what some offices charge for fills especially when I know how simple of a procedure it is. What are we paying for??????

A little off topic but regarding what we're paying for...I just noticed on my insurance company's website that my surgeon bill them $300 for just MEETING WITH HIM!!! omg $$

My surgeon does fills and he does them on mondays only lol

I haven't seen my surgeon since surgery. The RN at his office does the fills. I don't know how they can bill insurance, though, for a nurse doing it.

Thankfully, my fills are covered 100%, I don't even have to pay a copay. However, I'm all about sneaking up on restriction. I know that it's going to be a process...which fits my personality just fine. Everything has been a process...getting to be the weight I am...preparing for surgery...healing...losing weight. My husband could do my fills but I feel comfortable knowing that my Nurse Practitioner will get me to where I need to be over a period of time.

I have thought of this alot and was one of my 1st questions asked at the initial seminar. I was HIGHLY advised not to mess with the port or band. He said that it could be really bad trying to self adjust it and can harm the integrity of the band.

i do my own fills. I know exactly what to do and have no problem hitting my port and making sure it is adequatly adjusted.