This is a stupid question, but is it possible to get a fill, but actually not hit your port?

I have a 10cc band, got my first fill 3 weeks = 1 day after surgery.

Dr. tried 2 X on the third poke, he said he got it, that my port had tilted a bit.

My husband was in the room and asked how the dr was sure that he got the port this time, and the dr said he puts a bit of Fluid in, and then if he can pull it back out, he has the right spot! Is that true?

So anyways, my fill was 4cc's. It has been 8 days since my fill, and I feel no restriction!

As well as, when I lay down and feel around to see where I can feel my port, it's a good inch away from where the dr had inserted the needle.

Theneedle was actuall put in about 2mm away, and in the middle of my biggest incision.

Does any of this make sense?

I know he is the dr and should know what he is doing...but is it possible to miss the port?

Oh,and the last thing is, I was under the understanding that I would be filled with saline, but when it came down to it, the dr said no, he uses some sort of distilled water!

Is that ok?

I am trying to get in to see my dr this week, so he can answer all my questions, but I want to try and put my mind at ease before then!!

Thanks for any advise!!

i have had the same issues and my nurse swears that when the needle and port connect that the saline, etc. is definitely going in. i asked the same question 2 weeks ago. i just know that after 4 fills i am not restricted enough or at all.

My physician's assistant puts the needle into the port, draws out all the fluid (to check how much is really there) and then pushes it back in along with the amount decided upon for the fill. Sounds like a similar process to me.....

I don't know anything about the distilled Water thing - I've never heard of it.

I also can't say whether or not your doc missed your port. You can find out by having him draw out the 4 cc he already put in at your next fill (he probably already does this) before adding more. If approximately 4 ccs come out then he hit the port. It seems like you would know if you were getting injected with something and it was going into your skin or muscle rather than the port.

I will say that a lot of people don't feel restriction after their first fill. I got 5ccs at my first fill 2 weeks ago and I really don't have much restriction at all. So you probably just need another fill.

If you have legitimate reason to feel that your doctor injected Fluid into your skin or muscle and did not hit the port, you should probably schedule a follow up with him right away.

every time i have a fill my surgeon draws all the fluid out of my band to make sure the correct amount from the last visit is still in there. then she adds the fill amount that i am getting at that visit. you should ask whoever does your fills to draw out all the fluid thats in your band to make sure that it is still in there at every visit. they dont remove the needle in the procedure they just draw the fluid into the syringe and then put it back in. its no big deal at all and very common. as far as why type of liquid is in my band it is saline.

When I go for my fills, I don't know if its the same with everyone, but when the nurse hits my port I can always feels a little pop when the needle goes through. So, I myself can always tell if they have it or not and usually I will tell her yea thats it because I can feel it. Next time you go for a fill try and concentrate on whether you can feel it or not. It should help put your mind at ease a little. I just got my 5th fill last Tuesday which puts me at 6cc's in a 10cc band and I can definately tell I had a fill of just 1cc. I have lost 11 pounds in less than 2 weeks. So, I would think getting a 4cc fill you should feel something. And I have never heard of using anything but saline, But I guess he knows better than I do. Anyway, Hope this helps. Good Luck!

I didn't start to feel restriction until I had 5cc in and I have a 10cc band also. My doctor told me that I had some scar tissue under a smaller incision that felt like it was my port but he found my port in the middle of my largest incision. I was starving when I just had 4cc's in there so I think what you're feeling sounds exactly like what happened to me. I don't know about him using Water though but maybe it doesn't matter. Saline is just salt water.

This is a stupid question, but is it possible to get a fill, but actually not hit your port?

I have a 10cc band, got my first fill 3 weeks = 1 day after surgery.

Dr. tried 2 X on the third poke, he said he got it, that my port had tilted a bit.

My husband was in the room and asked how the dr was sure that he got the port this time, and the dr said he puts a bit of Fluid in, and then if he can pull it back out, he has the right spot! Is that true?

So anyways, my fill was 4cc's. It has been 8 days since my fill, and I feel no restriction!

As well as, when I lay down and feel around to see where I can feel my port, it's a good inch away from where the dr had inserted the needle.

Theneedle was actuall put in about 2mm away, and in the middle of my biggest incision.

Does any of this make sense?

I know he is the dr and should know what he is doing...but is it possible to miss the port?

Oh,and the last thing is, I was under the understanding that I would be filled with saline, but when it came down to it, the dr said no, he uses some sort of distilled water!

Is that ok?

I am trying to get in to see my dr this week, so he can answer all my questions, but I want to try and put my mind at ease before then!!

Thanks for any advise!!

First off, there is never a stupid question! :w00t:

FYI -I am a design engineer in the bariatric field. Hopefully I can help answer some of your questions from a "technical perspective".

Q1a - Yes it can be difficult to locate and hit the port especially if the port has tilted. And the "target area" on the ports is usually around 0.5 inches in diameter. So if it is tilted, its gets really hard to hit!

Q1b - If the Dr. can insert and extract fluid, it is generally a very good indication that he has hit the port. Otherwise, the fluid would have been just injected into tissue and he would not be able to extract it.

Q2 - The 4 cc's injected into the band may not be enough to provide the restriction you need. However in order to reduce the risk of complete blockage and discomfort , it is common practice to gradually work up to the fill volume that provides the right amount of restriction.

Q3 - Injecting distilled Water instead of saline may be part of the issue with the lack of restriction. The Bands are made out of silicone rubber and if the fluid in the band does not have the same salt concentration as your body fluids, osmosis through the band can occur in which case the water will slowly leach out of the band into the body and hence reduce restriction. I would ask the Dr. to show you in the device literature (Instructions for Use) SPECIFICALLY where it says that it is OK to use distilled water instead of saline. If he cant, tell him you want saline!

Hope this helps! Congrats on your first fill! There is a whole list of FAQ's in this forum concerning fills. Start there, if you cant find the answer, post away!!

I responded before but I wanted to add.

1. Your doctor usually approaches your port from an angle. Additionally, the needle (called a Huber needle) is not straight but has a bend in it and that affects the angle it is inserted.

2. 4ccs? heck only a very few people truly experienced any restriction at 4ccs in a 10cc band. I know for sure I didn't!

3. And do you really know what "restriction" feels like? It's not like a tight belt or whatever. What you should really be concerned with is "satiety".....which is the feeling of having eaten enough to no longer feel hungry and it should last for at least 4 hours. Restriction PROVIDES this sensation with less food than it took before you were banded.

It took up to 6 cc's for me to feel any effect from the band. I went up in 1 1/2 increments. A 4cc fill is a lot at once!

Hi,

I had a strange situation happen to me. My doctor definitely doesn't extract any saline and then inject but when he put the saline in this time ( my second fill) it started bleeding a lot. My doctor let me leave and as I was walking out of he office I noticed my shirt was soaked with blood. That doesn't seem right if he actually injected me in the right place. Then the next day I had a huge bruise surrounding the port area . I don't think that is normal right? Not to mention I have 7 ccs in an 11cc band and still feel no restriction..... I'm pretty sure he accidentally injected the saline in to my skin..... Not sure if anyone can help. Thankfully, I'm going back on the 20th.

That's totally not normal. At least not in my experience. I've had no blood at all with my fills.

I have only had one fill but when he injected me with the needle and hit my port, i felt this release of pressure. it was a funny feeling. not sure if this happens every time or if it was because i had nothing in my band.

I had my first fill on 7/27 after being banded on 6/9. My next fill is next week 8/28. Doc put in 4.25cc in my 10cc band, as a first fill and nothing was in from surgery. He orignally put in 5ccs but it was a bit tight so he stopped at 4.25. I was tight the first day or 2, then back to normal.

Hoping that next week the fill will work for me.

I've not had any fills yet, but as a nursing student I do know that he should have extracted the fluid that was in the band to make sure he was in the right place and there weren't any leaks. As for saline vs sterile water I'd think saline would be best for your body. Saline is most like your blood and body fluids (slightly salty). Water would yank electrolytes like potassium out of your system. Just my 2 bits. Good luck to you!

I had my first fill today. There was 3cc in my band and I did feel some restrictions but she went ahead and put 1.5 more cc in there. I was sick, so she took it out and told me I am sensative to fill and will need to take Children's Motrin to get rid of the swelling and with any future fills will need to start the Childrens Motrin the morning of my fills.

Anyone else had these problems?

Banded 7/24/09

First fill 8/24/09,

Beginning 229/Now 204/Wanna be 140