darn mic-key button balloons! (vent)
ok, what gives? we just had our third mic-key button balloon burst and we've only had the darn g-tube in for three months! what the heck is going on and why are we having such bad luck? getting pretty fed up with this. and, the medical supply company is now trying to blame us as we shouldn't be going through so many mic-keys. uh yea. . .we're doing this on purpose because we love trekking all the way to downtown los angeles in horrific traffic and spending our whole day at children's hospital getting it put back in and then xrayed for proper placement. really can't wait until the stoma track is properly healed and we've learned how to reinsert these darn things ourselves!
8 comments
violacjwInactivePosted 06-01-11Ben's ends up deflated about once every three months. His home health company delivers us one about that often, and we just switch them out. Takes about 30 seconds. You shouldn't have so many popping on you - I wonder if he has some serious stomach acid that's eating away at them or something?
- jPosted 06-01-11
I feel you! We have the same problem with the AMT Mini One. A good portion of them only seem to last us only a month or so. The insurance company tells me that they can only send one every three months and that they really should last at least that long. I assured them that we weren't changing out the bottons for fun and asked them what they suggest we shove in there when her next button falls out and we don't have a back up. Makes my blood boil! Anyway, it will be nice when you are able to just change out the buttons yourself...which is much easier than going to the hospital to have it done. So yeah, I have no advice, but fingers crossed that you get a button that lasts a bit longer!
- jPosted 06-01-11
I would talk to your GI or surgeon. Having that many balloons burst is not typical. Maybe they can help figure out why this keeps happening.
Advertisement | page continues below - lPosted 06-01-11
Y'know, sometimes there's bad batches. We're going through a bad batch right now I think. We got 3 at the end of last year, because I wanted to make sure we got all that we could get in a 1yr period, and so I always have a back-up. But because of that, they all have the same batch number and everything. Our reflex (or is it reflux? I forget) valve goes bad after about a month, and they leak food if the extension is in or it's not capped. Especially when DS has air in his tummy, I get sprayed in the face with stomach contents! yum! :D
But yours don't sound like the same batch, since you're having to go to the hospital and get them to fix it. I agree with the PP, talk to the GI or surgeon and get them to find a solution!! It's part of their job :)
- lPosted 06-01-11
oh, and I've had good luck actually contacting Kimberly-Clark (I used their Mic-Key facebook page) and they sent me a free button and a bunch of other 'samples'. They have to call them 'samples' because they can't give out Rx stuff.
- rPosted 06-02-11
recommend-
only checking the balloon if you see it leaking around the stoma or the button appears loose, checking weekly or often can weaken the integrity of the ballloon
Fill the balloon with NORMAL SALINE NOT water, the balloon is permeable but the NS actually stays in the baloon it doesnt float in and out.
- ePosted 06-02-11
We had the same thing happen to us a while back so we switched to the AMT mini ;)
- aLast edited 06-25-20My son had his mic key button for about a year and 4 months. During that time not one button popped, then one did so we replaced it then within the week that one did then we ended up going through about 8 buttons in 3 1/2 months. I can only get a new one every other month so he currently has his taped on. I contacted his home care and GI and also went into to see them. They recommended switching to the AMT brand. It’s so ridiculous and yes it feels as though you are being blamed. I have tried putting in less water I take real good care of it and it isn’t helping. Thank you for the post, sorry I have no advance , but it’s comforting to know that we aren’t alone.
