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Thank you so much for your response, Larra. I meet with the surgeon on July 17th to discuss surgery for this and I have a hiatal hernia as well. I am just a little weary as I am older now, divorced with no family and two wonderful children that are just 11, and 12. I had my RNY open not laparoscopic and I know recovery time was so much longer. My new surgeon is concerned about scar tissue as I had 3 surgeries back to back from complications all those 15 years ago.
Peace & Grace
Shelly
Taking the bull by the horns and set the surgery date for July 31st. I can't stand the games the insurance tries to play with you after having that damned evil band thing taken out in an emergency and then going back to square one. I can't go back there in my life.
What this means is that there is a connection between the pouch and the rest of your stomach, usually referred to as the blind stomach. This is a recognized complication of RNY gastric bypass that can't occur with DS, because with the DS a sleeve is created instead of a pouch, and the rest of the stomach is removed.
With the pouch and the rest of your stomach now connected, you have lost the restriction that is the main means of weight loss with gastric bypass (since the little bit of caloric malabsorption you started with is long gone). Thus your "tool" is gone, and only surgery will bring it back. I would suggest that you use this complication as an opportunity to get converted to a DS, which is a better operation in so many ways - use of your pyloric valve instead of the abnormal connection between the pouch and the small intestine, ability to safely take NSAIDs, and best statistics for excess weight loss and for maintenance of that weight loss of any bariatric surgery. There are only a few DS surgeons who do this complicated revision, so you need to choose carefully.
I knew, some years ago, someone who had the same complication and she was revised successfully to a DS, so it can be done. Most info coming to you in a pm, so look for it.
Larra
What has the doctor recommended to you; surgery?
Just checking to see how you are doing . Hope all is well
HW 263 5' 7." age 45 08/09 VSG Revision to RNY 06/18
I am currently 15 years post op and with in the last year started gaining weight along with severe heart burn and pain. I have undergone EGD, CT of Abdomen with contrast and Xrays with Barium. I was told I have a hernia and fistula. I am hoping to find to find others that may have had these issues and discuss their experiences. How the issues were handled etc...
THANK YOU!
Has your surgeon verified that your stoma is stretched? I'm not up on a lot of these stoma techniques. From what I understand, this one is used in conjunction with the Overstitch or Rose procedures? Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Weight loss results of stand alone Overstich and Rose procedures seem to top out at about 30 pounds.
A person with a truly dilated/stretched stoma should get some mileage out of any surgery that corrects the stretching. Honestly though, I'd want documentation (pics or surgery report with actual numbers) that my stoma had physically stretched before I went there. That's just me though. I've had a couple of pretty big regains and have been able to re-lose the pounds by eating correctly.
Are you having health issues or regain?
I am so sorry. I am having the same exact issues. It is no longer about weight loss surgery, but now it is about severe reflux. The surgery is the same, but it is now medically necessary.
Our story sounds similiar, but unless your BMI is really low, it shouldn't matter. My surgeon said that it is no longer wt loss surgery, but surgery for the severe reflux. He said it does take some fighting with the insurance, but it should be approved. The risks for future problems including Barrets, aspiration, etc is just too high.
My upper GI swallow study showed aspirations and the EGD scope showed my sleeve is bent and narrowed (with scar tissue) so fluid takes longer to go through and food will just SIT, pureed soup will sit a bit too. I am just surprised. I initially healed slower than some but I thought I was doing okay until a few months ago I started having symptoms and they have increased. I am only just a year out and my upper part of the sleeve by the esophogus has started to stretch due to the food pocketing and sitting. I am so sad about everything because I had worked so hard and thought I was going to be successful with VSG. Now...I am not sure what is next.
I can feel it shift down where my sleeve starts when it moves and when I took a shower today I flipped my head over to comb through my hair and the flavored water I had drank at least 15 minutes earlier came out my nose along with something that felt acidic. I was very surprised. I have been having increasing intolerance to foods and even purees but I have been pushing what I can. I find it interesting (and I am sorry) that others are dealing with similar symptoms. I am just trying to learn as much as I can between figuring it out medically and reading, reading, reading...hoping whatever is decided is the best choice.
