My friend had VSG May 9 and is in hospital SICK.....SICK....SICK

No offense, but maybe she needs to be transferred(if she can't check out herself) to another hospital.  Seriously, why would anyone subject themselves to such ignorant azz people!  Dr. Alvarez is an excellent surgeon and I do not say that about all Mexican surgeons much less US ones.  I have no idea how far you are from Houston but I'd be packing my **** and heading out of dodge.  I have met Dr. Alvarez on several occasions because he is always a speaker at the Houston functions I have attended and he strikes me as someone who knows his stuff.  He seems to be well respected among other Houston WLS surgeons as well.  I have recommended him to a few friends and all have gone to him and had great success.  My advice... find someone to see her with some sense and preferably who is familiar with our surgery.  It's not your fault so you shouldn't blame yourself.   I hope it all works out for the best and your friend gets better soon.

Deb

I am facing a feeding tube and my doctors are not sure what to do because they have no clue about the sleeve. I had an endoscopy which was fine. It showed esophugus cancer. I have an endoscopic sonagram scheduled for tuesday and a pet scan. None of this has anything to do with the sleeve, but, I am getting the same reaction as your friend when they discover I had this done in Mexico. If I had the surgery in the states they would say nothing even though the sleeve is not the issue. They need to catch up with their medical knowledge about working around feeding issues and cancer.

I don't think the feeding tube is a problem with the sleeve.  There are several people on this forum who had leaks and had them.  I'd do a subject post titled feeding tube post VSG and see who might respond.  I truly have read that it is NOT a problem.

The best to you.

Ms Shell

She has every right to request a patient advocate, and to tell them that she feels her care is lacking because this "doctor" has a chip on his shoulder over her choice of surgery in Mexico. That doctor needs a good hard reality check, and being a pushy patient isn't going to do it! There are ethics these doctors need to follow, and this man is NOT doing his best because of his "opinion" about her WLS. He is a jackass! 

I strongly suggest she get a patient advocate. If the hospital doesn't offer one, she should be able to get in touch with the ICU charge nurse (who is nation wide supposed to be part of a rapid response team), and that nurse can then try to advocate for her. A social worker being involved wouldn't hurt either, as I am sure your friend has a lot to dish out about this doctor, and this doctor has a lot to hear about his standard of care and bedside manner.

That GI doc really steams me up! There is no excuse for that kind of behavior! Please contact your friends patient advocate and the doctor heading up that department. Also contact the hospital administrator. I am an old ICU RN and understand your concerns about "stiring the pot" but your friend is being treated badly. This doc is a bully and bullies need to get a big dose of "STOP TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT. If you can't treat me respectfully then get out and don't come back!" I mean it. NEVER take cr_p from a bully.

i agree with oldmedic....i think this Dr should be held responsible for his unprofessional behavior. i' report him to everyone you can, and find a new GI MD asap! i am so angry just reading the bits you shared and i but i did not hear the half of it. no one who is ill and scared should be treated that way. i do hope your friend feels better soon.

 Hi - as soon as I read the story I knew it was probably a bad gall bladder - my husband had all those same symptoms a couple of months after his VSG surgery and evidently the bad gall bladder was attaching and infecting other areas - it took him a few weeks after that surgery to get back to normal and he did take Nexxium for acid as recommended by t he Mexico surgeon.  It was much worse than his VSG surgery which was a piece of cake.  How stupid and arrogant your US doctor is!

I have heard of other patients having pretty severe nausea/gi issues post op, that were not related to the surgery being done wrong at all. Has she tried IV zofran for the nausea? I would absolutely take a PPI at least twice a day right now, and try out zofran if she can.

Hope everything works out well!

Meg

Had a feeding tube post sleeve surgery for a couple of months. They went in through the nasal canal and down the throat, esophagus and through the sleeve and placed it in my duodenum. They set me at about 2200 calories a day, I talked them down to 1800..LOL..Tell her not to worry she needs to get better and not to worry about the calories. She needs to get well now....Need anything else, please feel free to msg me.

Hugs

Donna

"the GI doc is even wanting to put in a G-Tube (feeding tube) but can't figure out how since her tummy is so tiny."

Um, what does he do with his patients who have had partial gastrectomies for things like stomach cancer? If he can't put a feeding tube into anyone who has had a prior stomach surgery, then he's an idiot and needs to be fired for incompetence.

She might want to go to her PCP for the nausea and let the PCP orchestrate all her care. That would cut out the GI doc except for an occasional test.

A very small percentage of VSGers do have trouble with extreme nausea in the early days. The cause is rarely found; it just seems to resolve itself over time. This may be the situation your friend is in and she may just have to do her best to treat the symptoms and stay hydrated and well-fed.