stompahyx

Someone told me that since my stoma was fine, using the stompahyx procedure to shrink my pouch was a waste of time.

It sounds like this procedure can help you, as it has the ability to reduce the size of your pouch, some say pretty drastically.  Go to www.endogastricsolutions.com and there is a physician directory and contact information for a doctor in Bryan/College Station that is performing this procedure.  Or contact me and I can give you the info I have. Stef

Actually, it sounds best for stretched pouches, not stretched stomas.  I want it for the stoma, but the surgeon said it would also tighten the pouch which I don't really need.  It sounds like my only option though.  They can do numerous sections of folds, making the pouch smaller each time.  I think it's ideal for stretched pouch, but it will be fragile.  I'll defintiely have to cut out breads and chew meat super fine.

Hi, Shelley.  Do you think it's fragile forever, or just fragile for the two week scaring period?   If it's fragile even after the 2-wk scaring period,  do you think it is more fragile than a normal transected pouch?   I'm wondering because my pouch is very large; hopefully the StomaphyX will make enough folds to reduce size... and I'm wondering if more folds will make the pouch MORE fragile .  Also, I assume you will need to chew meat well so that it doesn't get stuck in your stoma (?).  Will you cut out breads for this same reason, or is it because of the carb-insulin factors & how it will easily pass through your pouch?  Thanks, Amy

Amy, I think it's fragile in that the pins/clips can always come loose.  I see it much like pierced ears.  When you first get them, you twist the earring to keep the scarring from sticking to the earring.  In this case, it needs to scar, so you don't want to pressure it or irritate it.  I thought my original surgery would be fragile, but over time I stopped worrying about it and tested different foods.  Big mistake.  I'm not even going to test it this time (I hope).  I'll cut the breads out to avoid stretching.  I'll also go back to the strict no diet soda rule.  Now I drink it somewhat flat.  It can really stretch things.  I know food can be flushed down with liquids and I need to stop that. From what my surgeon illustrated for me, they can make the pouch very small if it is big.  They just put in more clips.  You'll do fine. Shelley