Pain near port site :( Possible slip??

Hi everyone,

So Ive recently been experiencing some pain near my port site for the past couple days...It almost feels like that feeling when you drank water too fast and you get like a side ache...Im concerned...I had a fill last week and felt awesome restriction...Finally thought I got my band under control...But could it be possible that I didnt chew my food enough that it created a blockage?? Or is it possible that it has slipped?? What are some symptoms of a slipped band?? Im just trying to find some answers from others who may or may not have experienced this kind of pain before I go to the doctor...

Thank you in advance...

If the pain is near the port, it is not a slip. The distance between the band itself as it goes round the stomach is quite large, the connecting tubing length depends on the type of band but can be as much as 10cm. Chewing, or lack of it, is not going to make the port area sore.

The usual sign of a slip is extreme tightness, so that swallowing anything becomesa painful or even impossible. Occasionally, if the band was not sutured in the first place (and that would be surgical error) it can slide upwards and go round the oesophagus and then you would lose all restricition.

People who get pain near the port site often find it is a pulled muscle. Also, because the port is hard, as we lose weight and there is less fat, we can bump it and make a bruise! I've done that several times.

Rarely (and this really is rare) is that the port site becomes red and inflamed (not connected to the surgery and healing) and this is serious as it may be a sign of erosion. Infection develops round the stomach and travels along the band tubing (exterenally, it is a sealed unit). But erosion really is unusual.

But if you get any unexplained pain which does not go after a day or so, always ask your doc.

Kate

When was your surgery? I assume it was in November/December 2010 from your "member since" date? If so, you are right where it's expected to be feeling some port pain. It's just part of the healing process. I remember 2 months after my surgery all of a sudden I started feeling pain in the port area and posted about it. Most people recalled the same experience.

Hi, I have just read this and am so relieved.  I had it about 8 weeks ago and was going into hypochondriac mode.  Do you know why this happens?

Your band (and esophagus and stomach) are nowhere near your port. You probably just irritated your port area during exercise.

The symptoms of my band slip were: constant heartburn and reflux,chest pain, difficulty swallowing, PB's & sliming every time I tried to eat. The slip was cured by a complete unfill, which relieved the symptoms immediately.

As far as I know, the only band problem that could cause discomfort at the port site would be band erosion with a secondary infection traveling along the tubing to the port. You would be running a fever and your port area would be red, swollen, and hot to touch.

Jean

Port pain would indicate a port problem, not a band problem. It's totally normal for a port to hurt after a fill. It's also totally normal for your port to twinge every now and again. You could have bumped it or all kinds of things.