question about dr. bell's surgery

Okay..i have been reading books (thank you Chryssie !!) and was reading the book Phat Finish. She said how she got the laparoscopic RNY done and that they actually seperated the new stomach from the old one...she said some surgeons do it that way..others leave it attached..can one of you ladies who have had the surgery with him tell me which way he does it?? thanks deanna

Hi Deanna, I'm post-op as you know, but I don't remember him saying anything about separating...stapling, but not separating, but I could be wrong. Would love to borrow those books b4 my surgery. JA

Hi, The stomach will be cut and stapled simultaneously! It will be a separate pouch. Hope this helps. God Bless, Kathy Bilodeau

Deanna, Any RNY surgery detaches the new stomach from the old. That is what the triple row of staples on each side actually does. Some doctors actually remove the "old" stomach and others leave it in. I think most just leave it these days. Dr. Bell does leave it alone. When people stretch out their pouches it is the new stomach that grows not the old one. If you have Lap Band surgery there is nothing done surgically to the stomach, just a band put around it to restrict it.. I hope this helps Linda

thanks everyone.. that book said just what Linda confirmed..some surgeons actually seperate the new stomach from the old one not by just the staples but by cutting it away...so i was curious....i did know it was seperated by staples....but when i read the book , it was the first time i heard of anyone actually seperating it then stapling it... thanks again hope everyone's weekend is going well !!! Deanna

What I was told by my surgeon is that the stapling procedure is what they used to do..and it was sometimes unsuccessful because of busting out staples i causing an opening to the old stomach. He says the more recent RNY surgery is actually separating the stomach and then stapling...he also told me some surgerons are still doing the old procedure and people are blowing out staples and they come to him for revisions.... Joanie