Hello,

I have a quick question for those of you who have children that have a g-button - or if have one yourself.

Do you ever have a problem with the silicone balloons not working to hold the button in place? My son (10 months) has had a g-button since the end of February and we are going on our 4th replacement button. The first balloon separated from the post completely, and the other ones just got holes in them. It's just very irritating - this last one only lasted 2 weeks before the balloon started leaking, and our "insurance" only pays for one per month. We were told that they should last a few months at the least. It would be great if we were made of money :rolleyes: (haha) but those buttons are expensive!

Anyways - I guess I shouldn't complain about it since my boy is finally gaining weight and getting the nutrition that he needs, but it is very frusterating.

Hugs to all,

Aaryn & the Bear

Hi. My 8 yr old also has a button. He has had it for over 7 years now. We have also had problems with the balloon. Alot of the time it depends on how much acids are in his tummy. Does your child also eat by mouth? If so, things that contain alot of acids can contribute to the balloon wearing out quickly. Stomach acids break down the silicone balloon. My son loves tomato based foods, but because of the acid content we had to limit the amount he could have. We were going through 3-4 buttons every 6 months or so. Also, natural stomach acids can play a big part. If your child has reflux, that could be the culprit. Sometimes switching to a better acid blocking med such as Prevacid can be a big help. What kind of button is it? My son has almost always used the Mic-Key ones. There is one made by Ross as well, and I found that the Mic-Keys last longer. There is another kind, too, but I can't remember the name - I think it may start with a "b". It is held in differently than the other buttons and has to be placed only by the doctor. We have never used that kind, but I hear it lasts much longer than all the others. Hope this helped you out a bit! Good Luck! :)

Hey yall,

What is a g-button and what does it do? Just curious because my nephew has some sort of device on his stomach that his parents use to feed him with.

Melissa

Hi. It's just a G-tube, but instead of being a long tube it is a small "button". You just hook up an extention tube to the button for feeds, then disconnect it when done. The button looks a bit like the mouth piece on beachballs and rafts. Its a pretty cool concept! It's much easier and cleaner than the fixed long tube kind.

Hey PajamaMomma,

My son has the Mic-key also. It makes me feel better that we're not the only ones that have this problem! Just out of curiosity - when your son originally got the button, did they give you a time frame for how long he might have to have it? We haven't been told anything as far as what the docs expect. I'm just guessing he'll have it until he can consume enough by mouth to continue getting the nutrition and gaining weight. He only weighs 12 1/2 pounds - he's a tiny little guy, but he's a fighter!! He proved that to us the day he was born.

Hi! Nope, we were never given any time frame for how long he would have it. He first had it placed right after his 1st b-day. As an infant, he lost his sucking reflex and couldnt bottle feed. He also struggles with severe reflux. When he was about 5, he started doing very good... was eating great by mouth and started doing better with liquids (which was always his biggest problem). We had planned on having the tube removed, but after he had surgery for his hip, his reflux returned and he refused anything by mouth. So, we had to start all over again on learning to eat. He has also had 3 nissins (fundoplication) done. That surgery is most often done for reflux when the tube is placed. His last one was just a year ago... he also had to have the tube removed and replaced. After several years and him growing, the button was rubbing his ribcage, so it had to be replaced a little lower. Like you said, the length of time having the tube depends on when the child can take in enough my mouth. Unfourtunatly, my son continues to have alot of trouble with eating. His hip surgery (which left him in an almost full body cast) did a real number on him physically. It will probably be many years, if at all that he gets his tube removed. Your son is still quite young! Just work really hard on feeding by mouth now and you'll have a much better chance of having the tube removed eventually. The younger the child is, the easier it is to learn or relearn those feeding skills- so you still have a great chance at him eating by mouth! Best of luck to you and your son!! If you have any questions or concerns about your son, please feel free to ask! I've been doing this for 8 years now...lol...I'm practically a pro! Have a great day!! :)

Hi--buttons can be strange little creatures. My daughter has had one for 3 years. She has always had the Mic-Keys. Some last for 5 - 6 months and some 2 weeks. We have been on a roll since before Easter. I replaced it every 10 to 14 days for 5 or 6 buttons. FYI the manufactors of the Mic-Keys will replace free if something happens to it before a month. All you need to do is to keep the lot number of the button when you replace it and if it comes out within a month call the customer service and they will get you to the right person. At times they have ask me to mail the button to them. They mailed me 3 of the last 5 buttons that I have used, and they were free to me and the insurance. Good luck

Hi Andy!

Thanks for the info about the manufactors - I had no idea! The last one we had only lasted 2 weeks... had to tape it to his tummy so that he didn't yank it out (which has happened before in the wee hours of the morning! rude awakening! LOL)

PajamaMomma,

My little one had the fundo done when he had the surgery for the tube. Why did your sons' have to be redone? I was under the impression (from the docs) that once they did the surgery, it was permanent and wouldn't have to be done again. Just curious :) Drew Bear's situation was similar to your sons' - he was 4 months old, and he basically stopped taking any more than about an ounce and a half from a bottle. Two months later - with him not gaining any weight at all - the docs finally decided to do the tube - after much insistence on our part. He was just miserable all the time (he was starving!) and so were we. I'm so glad that he got the tube - it has been a world of difference!

aaryn drewbear - My son was also 4 months when the feeding problems began. It all started after he had a seizure that caused severe brain trauma.
Fundos are not permanent. The docs should not have given you that impression. I was told that it may not last when his first one was done.The 'wrap' can simply come loose or undone completely. I know of many children who have had to have the surgery more than once. Though, 3 times, like my son is not as common. Sometimes the fundo can last years, sometimes only months. It really depends on the child. My son tends to put alot of pressure on his stomach when he screams and cries, which is why we think he fundo came undone. His first one lasted for almost 2 years before it totally came undone. His second loosened or slipped after almost 4 years, so they went ahead and re did it since they had to change his tube placement. The hardest part about it being redone is that scar tissue developes inside the area after each surgery. When there is too much scar tissue it can make having the surgery again very tough or not possible. My sons last fundo was in May of '03, and we fear it has already come undone. We have an upper GI next month to check on it. If it has come undone again, the doc says that they will probably not be able to do the surgery again because of scar tissue. I hope I'm not frightening you! Your sons fundo may stay in place just fine, but there is always the possiblity of it coming undone. One way to try to help the fundo to last longer is to try keeping the "inside" pressure to a minimum. If your son screams and stresses and puts all of his energy into it when he is in pain (like mine), that puts lots of inside pressure on the fundo. If this is the case you can try gently massaging his lower chest and stomach during the crying to help eliminate some of the pressure. Also, if your son still gags some and still refluxes a bit, try hooking up an extention tube to vent him and hold it over a cup (to catch any liquids) when the gagging occurs. The venting will also help to take some of the pressure off. I hope that your son will never have to have the surgery done again. But, nothing is ever foolproof. I wish you the all the best! :)

How can you tell when the fundo has come loose or undone? Carli had a virus a year ago and now she seems to have some reflux again. The upper GI showed that the fundo was still in place. Should I still be concerned?

Hi. X-rays and upper GI's are the only sure fire way to know if the fundo is still intact. If the upper GI showed that the fundo is still in place and not loosened, then you shouldn't worry too much. If the reflux continues to get worse and shes vomiting frequently, then you may want to have it rechecked just to be on the safe side. The docs had told me years ago that they do not wrap it so tight that the child cannot vomit or spit-up if they really need to. The wrap just makes it harder to do so, thus helping to keep unwanted fluids from coming back up. From my experience with my son, I've found that it's a good idea to have x-rays done annually just to keep an eye on things. Especially if there is some reflux occurring. Hope that answered your question! Best of luck! :)

Hi,
My son has had a mickey-g-tube for 12 years. We have never had a bad experience with one and they some times last for years. He takes his food pureed and the tube is only used for medications.
madine