I can feel a large lump next to my port incision. Is this my port?

kyethra · 04-06-2007, 11:19 PM

My port incision is located on my right side about midway between my belly button and the bottom of my bra. About an inch to the right of my port incision I can feel a large lump just running my hand over the skin. It hurts (a lot depending on how hard) if I press on it. Is that my port?

Is this normal? I thought we weren't supposed to feel it. I haven't felt it before. And since I still have so much weight to lose it sort of makes me wonder if I can feel it now, what will it be like later? Why isn't it under my incision? I had my surgery March 14th so all of this is still new to me.

**Jack** · 04-06-2007, 11:25 PM

The skin rather floats around a bit like the continents of the Earth upon the mantle....If you lay down in the position of your surgery, probably the bump is under that incision line. Try it and let us know.....

Your port is probably sutured down to a rib cartilage to keep it in place.

Sounds like nearly the same place as mine, though without the bra I'm not sure....compare it to "1/2 way between navel and nipple" and 'mid clavicular line' about 4" to right of midline....

They are a bit tender at first, but that goes away completely....

As we loose weight that lump will *seem* to become a bit more pronounced...no big deal IMHO....and watch to see where your fill needle goes....probably right in the MIDDLE of that lump.

kyethra · 04-06-2007, 11:43 PM

I am positive my port is on my right side because 1) I requested it specifically of my surgeon because I have an entrapped nerve ending in my abdominal wall on the left side. It can be overly sensitive at times (and will throw temper tantrums). So I had my port put on the right to avoid complications with the nerve ending. and 2) That was the spot that hurt the most by far when I was healing. My other incisions didn't hurt much at all. I figure the port would have hurt some.

No heat or redness. No problems except for the terrible nausea and indigestion I have been having lately. While I don't think that it is band related I can't really know until I follw up with my surgeon and he tells me its not.

I mean its mostly good if it is my port. It means it is not my gall bladder or something else sticking out. My port being palpable under clothing... little freaky. Other unknown things being palpable under clothing... super freaky.

faithmd · 04-06-2007, 11:47 PM

Sounds like your port to me.

A word of caution, though. Please make or get a medical alert card to carry with you mentioning not only that you have the Lap Band, but that your port is on the right side of your body. If (God forbid) you get into an accident and they have to do a laparotomy to repair internal injuries and stop any bleeding, etc., they do an incision down your midline, which would be right through your port tubing (which is why they usually place the port on the left, to protect it in case of any such incident).

CLARAJEFF · 01-24-2008, 02:26 PM

I had my surgury 12/7/07. I too feel a lump in the middle region between bottom of bra and belly button. I am going in for a fill Monday and will ask questions. It feels hard on the left side where the larger incision is located. Exercising is still uncomfortable. Its been 6 weeks and still I feel pressure on my left side when I exercise. Is this normal?

make33 · 01-24-2008, 02:38 PM

Yep, Clara, it is absolutely normal! I waited five weeks to go to Curves, which is mainly aerobic (the weights aren't heavy) but it was eight weeks until I returned to the YMCA for weight training.

After three sessions, I had this hard lump on my right hand side which was painful and felt like it was protruding, kyethra, and I was positive I had a hernia!

Nope, when the surgeon checked it out he said "Silly! That's your port!"

Needless to say, I've changed up my routine to eliminate the exercises that were killing my port (leg press) and reduced the weight on those that just agitate it (leg curls, leg extensions, bench press).

My port is on the right hand side, though and is just off my port incision--don't know if that's worse than being on the left--probably they're both the same!!