Pain Question

I have a buddy who had surgery the same day as I did. She had lap band and I had RNY. She has a question. She went back to the hospital to have her first fill and it hurt so bad she had to ask him to stop. She said the Dr. told her that it was because her incision isn't completely healed and he was poking it with a needle. Has anyone else experienced this type of pain one month out?

4 weeks post-op is early for a first fill anyway - most are at 6 weeks! But the port is not usually under the incision scar itself. Mine is a good 2 inches away.

So this seems a very unusual situation! Or perhaps it is me and my doc who are the unusual ones! I don't know as I have never read of this happening before!

Kate

Gosh getting a fill isnt suppose to hurt and getting a fill just four weeks out that seems awful early to me .

My doc wont even touch you with a fill till you are over 6 weeks out.  Does  her doc give her a numbing shot first also ? Mine does and from what I heard it just feels like  a sweat bee sting and then you cant feel nothing else.

But like I said four weeks after surgery that seems early to me .  I would be saying it hurt also if I had one done that early :o(

Hi Koko!

YOU ARE BOTH 5 WEEKS POST-OP, RIGHT!  Not unusual to have a fill at this point - the most popular is week 6 for first fill.  There are some surgeons who prime the band with saline so some come off the tables with a fill in their bands.  There are some people who have bigger/fatter stomachs inside and so the band is snug on its own without a fill - so they don't need fills sometimes until much later as their stomach fat padding starts to decrease and the band loosens its snug fit/restriction.

The port area is the last to heal and very, very, very sore.  I've had that area operated on 3x's and each time it has been sore and last to heal.  I can imagine it being "very normal" to have pain when someone is proding that area with a big needle in a very sore area to begin with.

Your friend will survive this.  If she has internet access you should tell her to come on over . . . or not.  She will be fine either way.  NO WORRIES!

Best,
Leila

That;s interesting Leila - so was your port directly under your incision? I have only compared myself with a couple of other people and we have all found our ports weren't under the incision, in fact not even all that close to it! I assumed that was deliberate.

And your maths is right. I just took the OP's word for it being 4 weeks! As you point out it is longer than that and so closer to the recommended first fill time. Oops- no she didn't say 4 weeks - she said a month and I rounded it the wrong way!

Hi Kate!

Hope all is well.

Yes, my port was basically where my incision scar is.  Sometimes I can't believe it is gone! Funny  I could always grasp my port and my hosing - I mean really grasp it, it was weird though not a bother.

When I was revised to a new port and needed a desperate unfill the doc nearly killed me.  I'm exaggerating but still I am still traumatized. That doc was so green he could not even unfill me under fluoroscope.   

One of my best friends is banded and his "problem area" is his belly.  I feel so bad I am always telling him he looks great and he does but we all carry our weight in different places.  Anyways, the medical staff always had difficulty with his port.  Sometimes his doc (world famous) makes him get in all different positions  and well now he has a "low-profile port" luckily he can no longer get any fills .  He has lost a ton of weight.

Best,
Leila

Leila, how are you getting on? Kate

Tell your friend to request....no sorry request is not the word I want...tell her to DEMAND to be numb first, the numb needle in and out...the needle that is use for a fill stay longer because they normal withdraw all saline before adding any to see if any is missing.   Until I got used to that big needle, I got numbed every time.  My doctor would say "I really dont like to stick you twice" and I would tell him.."No, you really want to stick me twice, my hand has a mind of its own when I am in pain and I really would hate to accidently hit you".  After I grew up a little and talked myself into trying it without the numbing.....I dont need to be numb up but if you tense up....it will make it hurt first and it should not be so painfull that she wont go back to get the needed fill.

My first fill was a bit of an OUCH because I was still tender from surgery.

Since then, they've been no problem.. I don't even need any Lidocaine (aka numbing shot).

If your friend doesn't want two shots, she may be a candidate for the topical anesthetic that they sometimes use now for kids prior to immunizations.  I don't remember the name of it, and don't know how well it works, but a pharmacist would probably know what I'm talking about.

Reassure your friend that as time goes on and as she heals from the surgery, that fills will get much much easier.

Lisa,

That topical one works really well but the only downfall from that one is it takes a good hr for it to really kick in .

Now if you have to wait around to see the doc like I do because its first come first serve on fill days then that would be a great choice but not if you are in and out takes to long to start working .