How to Drain an Infected Lap Band Port Area

Laparoscopic gastric band surgery is a procedure in which a silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to help a morbidly obese patient lose weight. A port is placed at a separate site so that the band can be tightened or loosened as necessary. As with any implant surgery, there are risks of complications. Most surgeons use antibiotics to prevent infection, but rarely, some patients may develop an infection around the port site.

Things You'll Need

• Surgeon
• Warm, soapy water
• Prescribed antibiotics
• Clean gauze dressings

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Instructions

• 1

  Follow postoperative instructions. Surgeons recommend allowing the wound to heal untouched for the first 48 hours (during which you will usually be hospitalized), and then keeping it clean with warm soapy water, as it continues to heal. Some redness or tenderness around the incision is normal, but if the incision begins to weep foul-smelling yellow discharge, it is a sign of infection and you must notify your surgeon. You cannot treat this infection on your own, and it may also indicate other complications.

• 2

  Take the prescribed medication, as directed. Most port-site infections drain naturally and clear up after a few days, but your surgeon may nevertheless elect to treat the infection with antibiotics.

• 3

  Keep your surgeon informed. If antibiotics are not effective, you may require further surgery. The surgeon will reopen the port site, clean out the infection and then order daily dressing changes while the wound heals.

• 4

  Keep all follow-up appointments. If the infection still does not clear up, your surgeon may find it necessary to remove the port altogether and replace it at a different site with a new, clean port.

• 5

  After re-operation, follow all postoperative instructions. Good wound care is critical to preventing infection, and you don't want to go through this process again.