I am looking for a fill center closer to home. I had my surgery in Denver and have had several fills there. I feel they don't maximize my fill due to concerns with getting overfilled and being a long distance patient. Tell me about your experiences with Fill Management Northwest? Do they use ultrasound? Do they have you sip water to get the correct amount of saline? I would like to hear the good and/or bad about them so I can feel comfortable going there. Thanks!

My husband and my daughter have gone to them. They do not use fluoroscopy with barium, although you can arrange for them to do a fluoro to check your band placement. You sip water to determine how your fill feels. They are good people and my daughter and my husband have confidence in them. Especially since you are not on your first fill, I would think you would be fine with them.

I have used them twice and they are very good.

I have used them twice and they are very good.

Could I ask for more info - how did it go accessing the port? Did she have to poke around with the needle? Did you feel the fill was just right? - not too tight or not tight enough?? Thank you!

I went with my husband, and they hit it the first time and he was done in about 15 seconds. My daughter has never complained about their fills. I've heard good things from several different people who use them.

I had a fill with them in June. It was my 2nd fill total and my 1st with them. I had stopped in for info and they happened to have an opening so did it right then! They were both very friendly with good information but the fill itself wasn't what I expected based on the info on their website. They had a difficult time finding the port (but my Dr. said mine was sort of hard to get to), they did not do any measuring, and only had fluro available if I suspected a "problem" with the band. I don't know if they didn't measure and had a hard time with the port because it was last minute and their mindset wasn't right or not?

They aren't licensed for a barium swallow, and I believe their literature states that. They can use a fluoroscope for a general look at the band and stomach. I'm confused, what do you mean by "measure?" Every fill I have had ws done under fluoro and the doctor manually felt my port to get the right place.

Sorry, my "quick reply" was too quick! The info that they sent to me (and had posted on their web site at the time) said that they did fills under fluro & that during your appt they would do measurements to track weight/inches lost. It just makes me feel a little better (for some crazy reason) to have the fill done under fluro.

Could I ask for more info - how did it go accessing the port? Did she have to poke around with the needle? Did you feel the fill was just right? - not too tight or not tight enough?? Thank you!

She just put a little numbing cream on my port site, and I guess it was easy to find, because she held her fingers around it and it was pretty obvious. She then proceeded to fill me. I had this done with them two times, and am now to 2 cc in a 4cc band. It was a simple piece of cake, don't know what else would be necessary since I have only used these ladies. Also, I think at the time the fill was just right, because it was my first and second fills, and they worked just fine, and now its time for fill # 3. I did not do the flouro, did not want to, but could any time I need to...I am a simple person and prefer things as simple, cost effective, and quick & easy as possible. She seems to know her stuff. She is a lap band patient herself, and I like that ALOT.

I have never known them to use fluoro routinely. Their website at this time says they use it for inaccessible ports and band check. That is what I understood they have always done, although I don't know if the info on the website has been changed recently or not.

I like to get a fluoro about once a year to check my band to be sure everything is in the right place, and I was glad to have it for the first fill, but for subsequent ones I don't think it is necessary.

I had a couple good fills with them and then a few bad fill infills. They told me I had about 3.4 turns out I only had 1.2 which is wierd cause they put 2 in ( in a 4 cc band). They haven't returned my emails. Kitty (the main person) is no longer there. I think last time they unfilled me they took out way more than they realized. I am going to email them again to try to contact again. I ended up going back to doc ortiz in TJ. They are great in Mexico at the OCC.