Twisted Bowels complication..know anything?

Hi Everyone!

I haven't posted in forever; nearly done with the hoop-jumping to get insurance approval...so I am obsessively researching every possible worst-case-scenario of the surgery and stumbled upon this:

Twisted Bowels

Anyone experienced this? From what I've read (which isn't much) it happens in up to 5% of the patients of bypass and is fatal 40% of the time...obviously, this freaks me out a bit!

The reason it happens, I'm reading, is because the intestines are attached to fatty tissue to hold them inplace...but obviously after dropping weight that fat is no longer there, so the bowels are left to tangle themselves up and sometimes they do just that.

anyone know anything about this? I'm having trouble finding much info...
Candace

Candace,

You really need to stop scaring yourself  - although we all did it lol! I used to watch every surgery on it on the TV too - especially the bad ones!

It is a very rare event and I have known of one person who got it but she was at least 3 years out and it was discovered during a plastic surgery and she was very ill but did not die with it....

It really is very rare and unlikely to happen to you.......

My advice would be to read all you can about positive outcomes and how you can prevent negative outcomes - and don't read about rare likelihoods otherwise you will seriously frighten yourself to the point where you wont do the surgery for fear...!

I am glad you came here because i think people can convince you that almost none of us have had it... I actually can only think of that one person who had it - no-one else... and I know hundreds of people that have had this surgery!

Hope this helps

Jackie

Thanks, Jackie! You are totally right!

I am just trying to learn everything I can so I can, hopefully, prevent any bad things from happening and know the symptoms/words to use if something bad does happen. :)

...from what I can gather, any one who loses a chunk of weight can increase their risk of twisted bowels, so it isn't like avoiding surgery and (somehow?!) dropping the weight on your own would be any better...:)

...but talk about putting the cart before the horse; I'm not even approved for surgery yet. :) Here's hoping it happens sooooooooon! :)

Candace

Candace    Jackie is totally correct.   Being positive is a big key.    Choose a Bariatric Doctor and Hospital of Excellance.    Be involved wth your nutitionist.  

Those are the elements for success. 

Take care and keep in touch. . 

One of my concerns is that we may be moving within the next year to another state, so what do I do then? Contact a bariatric surgeon in that area and become their patient for followup? Use their nutritionist?

Npw that part may have some challenges - some bariatriac surgeons won't see anyone but their own patients so my best guess would be to call around when you know where you are going and ask there if they take on other patients and get on their list.

But first - you need to talk to your insurance company to see what you need to do for this surgery because some have a 6 month dietary requirement before surgery and you would need to make sure you get surgery before you leave - otherwise you may need to start again in another state....

Jackie

yes it happen to me and yes I came close to dying but didn't!  I was about 18 months post op 
 and had lost about 115 lbs at that time I spent 19 days in the hospital and had to be cut open to get the twists out. That was in 2007 and I have been fine since.   I was told it happen is about 2% of people.  Lucky me!


Jackie

Hi Jackie,

Wow! I know it is rare so I am sorry it happened to you - but you made it through!  Very scary!

Now I can say I know of 2 people who have had it  - the other person was Katie Jay of NAWLS.

Jackie

Wow.

Thank you for letting me know! :) What were your symptoms? Was it difficult to get someone to diagnose it or did they just want to brush you off? Did you go to the ER or your surgeon?

Thanks!!
C

I was in so much pain that I went to the ER, they thought it was something I ate, but I couldn't stop throwing up and my body temp was down to 96 I was going into shock, I went to the closest er and not where I had my bypass, after 6 days in this hospital and still in the wrost pain I ever felt, still throwing up and lost over 15 lbs I called my bypass DR. he knew over  phone what it was and had me rushed to his hospital and 6 hours later he had me cut wide open, I had 2 twists and he said he had never seen one that twisted twice and that I was very lucky it didn't burst open and that it turn pink and came back so I didn't need to have a bag the rest of my life. I needed a blood transfusion and spent another 13 days in the hospital and by the time I got home I was down another 15 lbs, and only weight in at 105 lbs.  I was so weak for 2 months after that, but now doing great and up to 140 lbs, I still worry that it will happen again, but I hope after gain some weight now that I'm ok.

Jackie