Lap band... pain near the port?

  • I had a Lap band surgery two Novembers ago. Recently, I've started having pains in my side, near the port. As I felt around it today, I noticed that the port seemed "lopsided" compared to how it used to be, and that pressing the skin directly above it caused a sharp stinging sensation.

    Is it possible the port has "torn loose" or shifted, and that's what's causing these pains?
  • Congratulations on your WL.. good job !!!

    Yes, it could be that the port shifted... if it hurts, call your doctor.

  • My port flipped a few years ago. Last year, I scheduled an appointment to have the port repaired and when the surgeons got in there, they discovered it was ready to burst. They had to remove it.

    I haven't had the port reinstalled yet, but I am planning on doing so. I feel so fortunate because my surgeons said that I was very close to having my port rupture. The surgeons said if that would have happened, I would have had to be hospitalized for several weeks on powerful IV drip antibiotics.

    Before I go back to have the port reinstalled, I am going to ask the surgeons about the liklikhood of this happening again. It may be that my body just rejects foreign objects and if that's the case, I do not want to risk having the port reinstalled.

    I still have restriction in my band (my band is still installed) because the docs left some restriction in the band. It just can't be adjusted easily now until I get the port reinstalled.

    My advice to you is that any time there is pain, redness or swelling in the port area AFTER the port incision has healed, RUN to your doctor.

    I could have been a statistic and died from this. It was only because of two very naggy men in my life that I went ahead and kept this appointment at my doctor's office. I'm so grateful to them for pushing me to go to the doctor. This was BEFORE I knew that my port was infected and ready to burst.