Why so many port replacements?
Hi - I was just curious - I see so many posts where someone has had a port replacement. Does this happen very often and why does it seem to happen (more often than not)? I was just banded 12/30/10 go for my first fill 2/7/11 and hope I don't have issues like that too late in the game - with health care reform, and the fact that this type of surgery will probably no longer be an option (self pay if they - the government - will let you) is hardly an option as I don't know if I could afford it out of pocket...I've been lucky with my roux-en-y in 04 and this to have been covered by insurance and feel I've been given a 2nd chance and really hope this continues to work for me! :) I'm projecting, I know...but thought I'd ask! Thanks!
RNY 04/05/04
BOB 12/30/10 (Band over Bypass)
I can only speak from my experience. I just had my port replaced last week after 2 years of dealing with a leak. When my surgeon tested it during removal, there was a slow leak at the edge by the seal. I was told that with the port I had, that was a common problem. He replaced it with a different, low profile port.
I still feel like my surgeon filled too close to the edge and damaged the port. It was my 4th fill, but my 1st with him, and the first time I had a fill without fluoroscopy. He didn't place my band and had a hard time accessing my port and had to use several needles.
So whether it was a common issue with my original port, or an error made by my Dr during a fill... I don't know for sure. Never will.
I spent a long time being angry and mad. Wasted time. I wasted almost 2 years ignoring the issue and not fixing it. During that time I regained 60 of the 100lbs I lost.
A leak in the port or tubing, a slip, an erosion... all risks of having a lap band. Every surgery has risk of complications. I think the port issues are more common because the ports are accessed on a regular basis to make adjustments.
Congrats on your revision. Try not to think about the what ifs and give it everything you have!!
I still feel like my surgeon filled too close to the edge and damaged the port. It was my 4th fill, but my 1st with him, and the first time I had a fill without fluoroscopy. He didn't place my band and had a hard time accessing my port and had to use several needles.
So whether it was a common issue with my original port, or an error made by my Dr during a fill... I don't know for sure. Never will.
I spent a long time being angry and mad. Wasted time. I wasted almost 2 years ignoring the issue and not fixing it. During that time I regained 60 of the 100lbs I lost.
A leak in the port or tubing, a slip, an erosion... all risks of having a lap band. Every surgery has risk of complications. I think the port issues are more common because the ports are accessed on a regular basis to make adjustments.
Congrats on your revision. Try not to think about the what ifs and give it everything you have!!
01|17|08 lap band 08|12|08 gallbladder 01|17|11 port replacement
07|09|12 hiatal hernia repair & band repositioning
I don't know the scientific answer to your question. I just want to mention that members tend to post more often when they're having problems with their ports or whatever than when they're doing fine. So while it may seem like a lot of members are having port replacements, it doesn't mean that port replacements are common.
Jean
Jean
Jean McMillan c.2009-2013 - Always a bandster at heart
author of Bandwagon (TM), Strategies for Success with the Adjustable Gastric Band & Bandwagon Cookery. Bandwagon for Kindle now available on Amazon. Read my blog at: jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com
I asked my surgeon this exact question a couple of weeks ago , as I was noticing a lot of patients having port problems, flipped ports etc. His theory was some surgeon place the ports or the right side of the stomach area and he said there is more fatty and muscle tissue on the right side vs the left side. And after our conversation the ones that I know that had either bad port, flipped port the original port was placed on the right side. But again this is one surgeons theory.
Are there that many? Out of many hundreds of posts, I don't think i have read about an awful lot of replacements. And people are more likely to post when they have problems so the number of posts may not be a good reflection of percentages anyway.
As well as becaue of problems, ome people choose to have their ports replaced as the older ports tend to show rather a lot when you have lost all your excess weight and so people opt to get a new lower profile port.
kate
Highest 290, Banded - 248 Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.
Happily banded since May 2006. Regain of 28lbs 2013-14. ALL GONE!
But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,
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