fistula or stricture??? dr. curry your advice please or anyone else

hi, i'm 2 years post op. been having nausea everyday with an accasional pain. i'm able to eat but it takes me a long time to eat my meal sometimes. i have gained 50 pounds back after loosing 170 pounds. what is a stricture and a fistula and what could be there signs and symptoms?? what is the procedure used to diagnosis them????? i'm kinda of scared./ i'm in the process of changing surgeons due to a long drive to his office and a local surgeon has offered to take care of my post op needs. one doctor says a stricute on and the other a fistula is why i have gained 50 pounds back. however prednisone has been is equations since last october on and off for asthma exacerbations. any help you can shed i appreciate it. thanks jennifer

I don't know if I will help you, but... I am a stricture a few weeks ago. I threw up for a week and then was scoped and was opened up. A stricture is where the opening at the bottom of the pouch and the intestines are sewn together begin to close. The scope then opens a balloon and opens it up. I was then able to eat again and not throw up.

Usually a stricture would not cause weight gain as you would be not able to eat at all. A fistula is diagnosed sometimes with an Xray test (upper GI) and sometimes with an upper scope. Dr. C

thanks dr. c you know everyone loves you and admires you for answering their questions. but if i indeed had a fistula what is the treatment???? today was a bad for for the nausea. thanks jennifer katoll

A fistula can sometimes be healed by injected something called fibrin glue endoscopically. Sometimes it requires surgery though. Good luck, Dr. C