Narrowing of the Opening?

I've been battling nausea and dry heaving several times a day. I don't throw up, but my body goes thru the complete motion of throwing up. It's awful. I saw my surgeon and he thinks it something called narrowing of the opening and he's recommended me to a gastreterologist. I guess he'll do a "scope" and open it back up. Has anyone else experienced this?

It's called a "stricture" and the gastroenterologist will place a scope down your throat and use a balloon type of instrument to stretch it back open. Yes, I guess it happens quite frequently in WLS patients early on and causes the symptoms you mention and the inability to keep any food down or in. Good Luck! paula

Thanks for your reply, Paula, but now I'm confused. I thought a stricture was a tear in the opening leading to the intestine, where as I have it leading from the esophagas. The main difference, I thought, is that while I'm dry heaving, food actually helps and I'm not throwing up anything. I could be wrong.

Shannon, I had a stricture not once but twice. The procedure to have it fixed takes about 10 minutes. They put you under conscious sedation, but you don't remember anything. Can you keep anything down at all? I would drink even water and 2 seconds later I would throw it up. It got so I could not eat at all and I was still throwing up. A stricture is actually where your stoma(where stomach and intestines meet)closes. Mine was completely closed. My doctor didn't want to dilate me to normal size all in procedure, and it just so happened that mine closed alittle again. Therefore I had to make another trip and have it dilated again. It is an in and out procedure. I know it is very uncomfortable to be throwing up all the time. I promise you I feel about 200x better than I did before. Good luck and if you have any more questions feel free to email me. Christine

Christine, thanks so much for your input. I'm actually keeping down food fine, but I feel nauseated all the time and I dry heave. I thought my narrowing was on the opening from the esophogas, but I could be wrong. Anyway, your post made me feel better, b/c I'm glad it's no big deal to fix it. I find out tomorrow, so I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.