I don't know if you guys remember me or not, but I posted about my port problems about a week ago.Thank you for all of your wonderful responses. Just an update (and short re cap) and throwing myself a little pitty party. I'm VERY sad and feeling a little overwhelmed right now. I'll be 4 weeks post op tomorrow (Wed) and from day 7 on I've had problems with my port incision. I woke up day 7 with blood soaked through my pj's. Basically,my incision had gotten infected and the fluid was finding the easiest way out. The Dr. opened it up on day 8 so that fluid could have a place to drain (can you say ouch!!) I've been packing my 'wound' now (it started out about 3-4 inches long and maybe a couple inches deep when he first cut it open) for almost 3 weeks 2 times/day. I've been in pain pretty much the whole time (not the wound itself, but an area about 2-3 inches wide all around my incision), although the last 3 days I've felt relatively great, and was very hopeful that maybe I had turned the corner. I went in today and the Dr. pushed around on my stomach and pus started coming out. He said that I should be well past the infected stage now and just healing, but I'm obviously not. A little bit of good news though, I guess he can give me a fill during surgery Friday and then cap the end of the tube. I'm a little nervous about this b/c if it's too tight I can't have an unfill without surgery as I won't have a port for a while. I trust him, and hope that he can find the right fill level for me. He's going to have me use a wound vac which he said will help me heal faster than just packing my new wound. I've never used one before, and don't know what I'm in for, if anyone has any experience with this I would REALLY appreciate you sharing it with me. After this wound is healed, I'll have surgery to implant a new port. He said he hopes to have everything healed and me with a new port by Christmas. Seems SO far away, but I will do what I have to do. I don't mean to discourage any of you pre ops. There's just a limited audience that has any idea what I'm talking about IRL, so you guys get to hear it. Any advice or similar experiences would very much be appreciated. Thanks again. Erin

Erin I am so sorry to hear about your port problems. Thank God for this sight and DeLarla. We are hear for you, good luck with surgery on Friday. Eventhough you will not have a port, you are still banded. Don't forget it and live like you are banded. I pray that you heal quickly.

I just KNEW DeLarla would have the right words for you. Listen to the voice of experience and contact her. She can walk you through it, and she will. Take care, Erin, and keep us posted!!!

Argh, what a pain! In more ways than one, too. Please take good and careful care of yourself and in time this will all be a memory. Good luck!!!

My prayeres are with you.. Please take care and I would ask those questions that Lisa posted..

Oh yeah one of the girls that works here had the Hemvac on her for a good 4 months with no problems and did her own packing. Gallbladder gone wrong surgery.. That is a whole other story

Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted. It is much easier to discuss these things with fellow bandsters. Celeste

I to had port problems mine had flipped the sutures pulled out and I had scar tissue where the tube comes out of the stomach muscle long story short they had to clear away the scar tissue move the port I ended up with an infection also my stomach filled up with fluid from the trauma and had to be on antibiotics which led to a yeast infection but it did heal and since I have gotten a fill it is such a pain I know but things happen and you never know who it is going to be good luck and I hope it works out for you

I've been banded about 1.5 years, and I practically NEVER had a port. The band alone offers a good amount of restriction. I've had two fills, and I was extremely lucky the Mexican doctor didn't overfill me. But he very easily could have! Flashbacks remind me how hard the Water was to get down when I was still on the surgery table. He shot in some saline, then had me sit up and drink. It took a minute for the water to get down, but he ASKED ME if I wanted a little tighter. I said YES. So he gave me more saline. This was way before I had so much knowledge. If I knew fills usually take a couple days to kick in, I would have passed on the extra fill.

Dr. Billy flat out REFUSED to give me even a drop of extra saline when he removed my last port. I practically begged, but that's why Billy has so many healthy Bandsters.

Where are you today? How are you feeling? Are you going to Mexico for the port removal?

Dr. Billy flat out REFUSED to give me even a drop of extra saline when he removed my last port. I practically begged, but that's why Billy has so many healthy Bandsters.

WOW!!! You're a Dr. Billy Patient? I had my surgery scheduled with him in 5'02 and then found out I was pregnant 6 days before surgery!! By the time I had my baby and started reapplying for insurance approval, he was no longer contracted with my Insurance Company. I was VERY bummed, but Heather helped me choose my new Insurance Company and find Dr. Sasse in Reno. I'm not going to Mexico for surgery, I'm going to continue with Dr. Sasse. I have 5 children of my own and run a daycare out of my home so just having surgery in town is hard enough. You mentioned having your 'last port' removed. How many have you had removed?! I was told that just because my body responded this way this time, does NOT make me more at risk than anyone else when they put a new port in. Is that not your experience?

The comments and info I've gotten from you guys has been tremendous. Thank you so much! I'm honestly more nervous about things after having READ it, but I appreciate it, LOL :ermm I know I'm not alone, even though most of you have never/will never have these particular problems. Thank you for continuing to be a great support. Also, I don't know how to 'pm'. I don't have a LOT of time during the day, but try to check back as often as I can. I hope I haven't offended anyone! Erin

Oh you poor thing. I hope all goes well and listen to DeLarla! Get a second opinion.

Donali described the wound vac as well as it can be described without seeing it...it is a little pump that does what she described in regard to the fluids, and the suction also helps the tissue knit together and heal faster and cleaner. My mom had one while she was in the hospital. More importantly, good luck with everything, and take Lisa's advice (Delarla). She is the voice of experience. Cindy

Erin, my story is long and complicated so I'll try to make it easy:

- Got banded in May 2004 by my 1st Mexican surgeon. Port wound never healed and was just like yours, filled with Fluid, infected. Went back to Mexico and had my first port (Port #1) removed a month later by a 2nd Mexican surgeon.

- The port incision never healed (even though the port was out.) I went to Urgent Care, my veterinarian, primary doctors, local surgeons, etc. Nobody could figure it out why the wound was open. Urgent Care lanced and packed the wound, another surgeon tore the hell out of me "cleaning" the wound so it would heal. It never healed.

- Eight months later my original band surgeon agreed to see me. He misdiagnosed me as having "band rejection" which is why the wound wouldn't heal. He said I'd eventually reject the band since it's made of the same material. But he was very impressed with my weight loss and offered to give me another "temporary" port just so I could get a nice fill and lose the rest of the weight. I had to sign a waiver that I was aware the new port would most likely "reject" as well, but I wanted to lose more so I went for it. He put me to sleep, removed large amount of inflammatory tissue, put a new port in, and he sent me home.

-Within days, the new port site leaked. That's when I decided to stay in the US. I went to Billy, knowing it would probably lead me to bankruptcy. Billy said there's no such thing a port rejection. The reason I never healed after the 1st port removal was because Surgeon #2 left the tube inside me right under the surface of the skin, which prevented the wound from closing. He should have tucked the tube into my abdominal cavity so the wound could heal.

- So, when Surgeon #1 put the new port in, there was still small amounts of bacteria in the wound that had been open for 8 months - he passed the new port thru a "dirty wound" so Port #2 never had a chance.

- Billy put me to sleep, removed Port #2, removed a chunk of the area, left the wound open, did an endoscopy, a biopsy, a laproscopy. He cleaned me the HECK up and sent me home with a hole in my belly (there are pics posted here somewhere.)

- Billy told me exactly what to expect. Billy told me exactly what the problem was. Billy told me that even though he was 99% sure of the problem, he would not give me a diagnosis till he checked it out with the tests. Billy was 100% accurate when all was said and done, and HE is the one that finally fixed me.

- Now Billy says I'll be ready for a new port in November. No sooner! I'm pretty sure he said he wants me clean an entire 6 months. He explained that the tiniest morsel of invisible bacteria can still be present, and eventually it will multiply. Even if the area looks clean, it can still have a little bacteria. That bacteria WILL grow in time, and your new port will get infected.

Next month is November. But I'm not ready for another surgery. I'm suffering PTSD (Post Traumatic Surgery Disorder.) I've been through too much, and I won't get another port for a long time. Partially because the fear of erosion is too close. Infected ports can lead to erosion. But erosion is a slow process. Even if my band looks clean now, I'd rather give it a good year, then have another endscopy to check for erosion. I refuse to get a new port only to find out my Band is eroded. No thanks.

Keep your chin up. Maybe.. just maybe... your doc might give you a touch of a fill. I don't know if Billy would have given me any saline if he knew I never had any fill at all. I got filled during my first port removal, then I got a 2nd fill with the port replacement. So if you have zero fill, talk to your doctor. Heck, maybe since you were almost a Billy patient you could call Heather or Billy just for comfort.

You are lucky to have a doc here. Hook me up with his number and give me a rating on him. I need a local guy!

You are lucky to have a doc here. Hook me up with his number and give me a rating on him. I need a local guy!

Actually, here's some info I found on obesityhelp.com. I've heard Dr. Fisher is an excellent surgeon (and he's been doing the lapband for at least 4 years) although his bedside manner isn't that great. I don't blame you for thinking twice about having another surgery in November. I'm not looking forward to mine either. Is there anyway to email each other without it going to the board? Not that I mind, but it would be nice to email as well. Thanks for everything, Lisa. Hope this copy and paste job works!

Barry Fisher Las Vegas(702) 313-8446

Lap BandSurgical Weight Control Center

71

James D. AtkinsonLas Vegas(702) 313-8446

Lap BandSurgical Weight Control Center

13

hope you heal and that all goes well. You will be in my prayers. Take care.