FrankTalk.org

Implanted on 6/18,& my pump has never inflated on the 1st squeezed quickly & firmly on the pump bulb. AMS states, “squeeze the pump bulb quickly & firmly” on their key ring sample given to me after my surgery. This has never occurred for me yet even after talking to the AMS Liaison Jamie on numerous occasions. Anyone encountered this problem? I see the surgeon tomorrow, so hopefully it’s not a defective pump. I always have to squeeze each end of the deflation block in order for the pump bulb to inflate. I also made the AMS representative Nelson aware of my problem. It deflates correctly. Sure wouldn’t want to replace the pump this soon.

From what I've experienced (and read here) AMS pumps are finicky. Mine sure is but it's getting better. First off make sure you are fully deflated. I start with a quick pump but that usually leaves the pump "collapsed" and SLOOOOWLY refilling. I then press and hold the deflate button for 4-5 seconds. This lets the pump bulb refill and "resets" the pump. I had to do this several times in the beginning before the valve would switch to inflate but now it switches after the first reset almost every time. Also make sure you are pressing the deflate valve in as straight as possible. Not sure if it's getting broke in or I'm getting better but it's getting easier to operate and more repeatable as time goes on. Hang in there and you'll get it.

The operating instructions AMS gives (with respect to the 4-5 seconds depressing the deflate button) is just plain wrong.

I don't know if the copy writers for the instructions do not understand the design engineers or what, but with my AMS valve body, I can hold the deflate button down for as long as I like and NOT flip over to deflate mode. I do this on purpose when I want to deflate a little, but not completely.

Here's how my pump works for deflation and I recommend you try this with yours.

Starting with the implant inflated 100% or near 100%. I press the deflate button ONLY until I feel the fluid flowing out of the implant (the vibration is easy to feel). Then I release the button and the flow stops. Press the button down again and the flow starts again and release the button to stop again. I can hold the button down for as long as I like and as long as there is pressure in the implant, the flow continues until I release the button. This allows partial deflation at will.

Alternatively, for full deflation, I press the button FULLY (by fully, I mean all the way to the bottom of its travel - and it does not matter how long I hold it there, but only that I feel a soft click when I reach sufficient depth of travel. The time to get there or held there is irrelevant.) After feeling the click, I release the button and I can feel the vibration of the deflation flow continuing.

Inflation goes like this:

With the implant deflated, I press the pump bulb and it is resistant, but I persist and get as good a squeeze as I can. I let the bulb refill. I press the bulb again and it is resistant, but then suddenly collapses. I surmise that this is the valve "kicking over" to inflate mode. Subsequent squeezes are fairly easy. As I repeat squeezes of the bulb, resistance increases in proportion to the degree of inflation of the implant. This continues until I reach whatever degree of inflation I desire.

If I go past a desirable degree of inflation, a shallow depression of the deflate button lets some of the excess pressure out of the implant back into the reservoir. (As I described earlier.)

This is how my AMS LGX implant (a 2017 model) works. How this contradicts or conforms to AMS Patient Instructions is unimportant to me. This is how mine works.

Thanks Lunatech & Lost Sheep, I’ll try both your suggestions. I appreciate your replies. Bailey

I guess I didn't get much in the way of instructions on inflate/deflate from my doc.
He's not a communicator.

My pump sometimes doesn't want to inflate and I hit the deflate button and feel fluid going into the bulb.
After that it works for inflation.

I've also never got an audible click when deflating.

tomas1 wrote:I guess I didn't get much in the way of instructions on inflate/deflate from my doc.
He's not a communicator.

My pump sometimes doesn't want to inflate and I hit the deflate button and feel fluid going into the bulb.
After that it works for inflation.

I've also never got an audible click when deflating.

The clickover to deflation mode is not audible as far as I can tell. But I can feel it under my thumb. It is a soft click.

Do you feel anything at all when you depress the deflate button, or does it just depress completely smoothly with no sensation, changes or hesitation at all when you get to/near the end of the button's travel?

Glad I have a Coloplast Titan! I want to pump it up I just start pumping, 12 - 14 pumps and I'm as hard as steel. To deflate I just squeeze the release and down it goes. Love it!!!

Lost Sheep wrote:

tomas1 wrote:I guess I didn't get much in the way of instructions on inflate/deflate from my doc.
He's not a communicator.

My pump sometimes doesn't want to inflate and I hit the deflate button and feel fluid going into the bulb.
After that it works for inflation.

I've also never got an audible click when deflating.

The clickover to deflation mode is not audible as far as I can tell. But I can feel it under my thumb. It is a soft click.

Do you feel anything at all when you depress the deflate button, or does it just depress completely smoothly with no sensation, changes or hesitation at all when you get to/near the end of the button's travel?

When I squeeze the deflate button, I get a vibration that I guess is the fluid going from the cylinders.
This morning when I inflated, it inflated with the first squeeze of the bulb.

tomas1 wrote:When I squeeze the deflate button, I get a vibration that I guess is the fluid going from the cylinders.

Yep

tomas1 wrote:This morning when I inflated, it inflated with the first squeeze of the bulb.

Sometimes I get inflation with the first squeeze, too. But usually it is the second. Might be my hand's pinch strength. Thumb basal joint arthritis.

Actually it might be a good thing in the long run. It is likely that the shuttle in your pump is a tight fit in the polymer. It should loosen up with time and perhaps last longer. Try pushing the deflate button a few times quickly before you squeeze the bulb smartly. It loosens the shuttle and often helps me to get mine on the first squeeze.