SO SCARED, could I have a LEAK??

OK, so this is the story. I went to get a fill last week. My doc didn't have the right length needle, so she used a shorter one, and had trouble accessing the port because it was so short. She pulled out about 2cc's and that was all she could get. She put in 2.6cc's total (if indeed she was in the port) and I left pretty happy. I immediatley went to get something to eat to see if I had any restriction. NONE WHATSOEVER. I went back two days ago to get another fill. Same thing, longer needles hadn't arrived yet, and she tried to use the shorter ones again. She "thinks" she hit the port on the 2nd try. She tried to pull out the 2.6cc's but was only able to pull out .5cc. It had a little blood in it. So, can you pull .5 cc of liquid out of tissue??? I'm terrified that my band has a leak! She never was "quite sure" she was in the port with the shorter needle, so she told me to come back Friday, when the longer needles would be there, and she would try again.
She was using a 1 inch, right angle Huber non-coring needle. I'm also scared about this....could she have damaged the tubing, and CAUSED a leak? I'm thinking if she couldn't reach the port, maybe she couldn't reach the tubing since it is at the bottom of the port... Any ideas????
Thanks,
Donna


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Banded April 3, 2007
By Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana
www.obesitycontrolcenter.comBefore 247
Pre-op diet 234
Now 211
Total lost: 36 lbs.
Goal 150first fill 5/25/07 - 1.2 cc's
second fill 6/22/07 - .3 cc's
Third fill 9/15/07 - 1cc for total of 2.5cc's
Fourth fill 10/27/07 pulled out less than 2cc's (short needle) added .6cc for a total of 2.6, still no restriction!
Fifth fill 11/6/07 (short needle) only pulled out .5cc, no refill, waiting for longer needle!
Total fill - WHO KNOWS??- in a 4 cc band

__________________
Banded 4/3/2007 by:
Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, MX
Before 250
After pre-op diet 234
Now 183
Total Loss 67 pounds!

Oh my gosh Sparkette...... I kinda know what you are talking about..... But I would like to know what the out come is for you.

A couple of weeks ago I traveld the 4 hours to see my Dr. and get a fill. I was having little problems with my fills and didn't anticipate any problems in the futre. But when I went to get my fill he could't find the opening of my port. He poked and dug and it was painful but I didn't care because it was time for more restrictions. He could't get it and scheduled for me to get a floroscapy so he could see where my opening was and sent me home. The next day I went from little restriction to no restriction. I worried and thought maybe he had poked a hole in my tubing while digging for the port but I didn't want to worry about something I wasn't totally sure about. So weeks later I went to my appointment for the floroscapy and he found the port opening with no problem and filled my with 2.5cc's. That was a Lrg. amount to me considering he had done mine no more then 1cc at a time before this. I was pleased... I had restriction while drinking my water and was ready to start loosing again. Well once I made the 4 hour drive home I realised I was starving and needed to eat something........... So I did........... No restriction. I am terrified. I called the Dr's secretary. Explained everything and she assured me he would call me as soon as he was done with his patients that day and to wait by the phone. I am still waiting 4 days later.

What happend with you?

Thread Starter

Mine turned out just fine. Your's probably will too. The female doctor really poked around A LOT on me, on 3 different occassions. I was SO sure I had a leak. Well, when I went back to my doc in Chicago who uses fluoro, he said there was NO saline in my band at all. Basically she had pulled out ALL my saline, and then totally missed the port when she added the 2.6cc's. He said my port, and tubing was just fine. He added 2.25cc's (all I could handle) and I have restriction. Not a LOT but I've lost 4 pounds since I was there.

Don't worry too much. Before this whole deal, I had 1.5 cc's. I went back and he added a whole cc, bringing me up to 2.5cc's. I thought MAN, I'm REALLY gonna be tight now! It felt really tight while I was there. Got home, and had NO restriction AT ALL. It's weird how the band works. Sometimes you can get a big fill, and have no restriction, and sometimes you can get a tiny fill and have LOT'S of restriction.
Just try not to panic. I know it's hard...I worried myself SICK until I could get back, and get it checked out. It's a 3.5 hour drive for me too, so I know how that is!! It stinks!
Hang in there!

Donna

__________________
Banded 4/3/2007 by:
Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, MX
Before 250
After pre-op diet 234
Now 183
Total Loss 67 pounds!

Keep this in mind too. A lot of times a leak can be fixed by filling with Omnipak instead of saline, because Omnipak is thicker. Someone I know had a leak and has had Omnipak for over a year without a problem.

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BetsyJane
Yep. Kissing my pet deer, John Deer.
10/25/06 $100.00 1st mtg Dr. Spivak.
11/13/06 $15,000.00 Banded! 10cm/5cc band.
12/11/06 Fill 1: 1.6cc 1/12/07 Fill 2: Total 2.0cc
1/30/07 Fill 3: Total 3.0cc-Working! Osteoporosis gone.
3/07 Pouch dilation-->liquids 3 days & beh.chgs. Diabetes gone.
5/07 1/2 way home! 9/07 GERD-->11/13 minus .3cc!