Surgeon Won't Help

Please go to another surgeon. When you say the CAT scan shows a dilation of a loop, it may be that an adhesion (scar tissue) has wrapped around your intestine and you have bowel blockage. Adhesions DO NOT show up on CT scans or x-rays. The only way to see them is with exploratory surgery. This could be a life threatening situation. I have had three bowel obstructions from adhesions and each time the doctor told me that "it didn't look too bad". The first one nearly killed me. I had necrotic bowel and sepsis.

Get a second opinion ASAP. Severe pain is never normal.

Get a second opinion immediately in a major university hospital center. What state do you live in?

Also, many people don't know this, get copies of ALL your surgical reports. Every time we have surgery, the surgeons write up a report. Typically this is not given to patients.

Get copies of your CT scans too, and not just the reports. Document the pain and time. Be anal about it. Bring this to the new appointment

Update-

Some of you asked about the blood transfusions. I was horribly anemic. My blood count was robust before surgery but wasn't by April 6. I was never given any reason.

I went back to the ER the evening of the original post to get more of the same crap. The ER doctor wanted to admit me but without the surgeon's approval his hands were tied, and the surgeon said I could wait for my appointment. Today is Wednesday and I have an appointment with the surgeon in his office. I'm taking the CT scans and reports and my husband plans to put those in the guy's face and ask about the dilation of the afferent loop and why nothing is being done about that. The second CT shows atrophy of the pancreas, which is new, so we're going to ask about that too.

Personally, I don't want to go back to this guy, but my husband says we have to give him one last chance to make it right. I live in Tennessee so if I don't get help today I'll have to try Nashville.

Thank you to everyone for the comments and support.

I sincerely hope you get the help you need and deserve.

Are you better

Another update:

I ended up having emergency surgery 4/20/17 due to afferent loop syndrome plus a small bowel obstruction. I wish I could say that was the end of it, but that surgery was on a Thursday and by Saturday I was already throwing up again. There was a stricture at the outlet of the stomach, but no one wanted to listen to me so I was sent home from the hospital and the stricture didn't get treated until 5/2/17, when I had an endoscopy and the surgeon stretched the stricture.

I sure hope this is the end of the complications, but I'm in pretty bad shape now with a long recovery ahead.

I appreciate everyone's comments and support.

Lynne

Did your bariatric surgeon operate or did you find a different surgeon? You have been through so much. I hope you are on the road to recovery now!!

I hope you recover soon.

Did you allow the same surgeon to do the emergency surgery as well?

Another update:

I'm back in the hospital. Yesterday I had an endoscopy that showed a horrible massive bleeding ulcer. Even the nurses were saying how bad it is.

Hemoglobin was down to 6.4. Got 2 more units of blood. They are trying to manage the ulcer, but if it doesn't get better in a few days it's back to surgery.

Thanks for reading and for the support.