Adhesions and revisions

I sixteen years out from RNY, my total weight loss was 123 lbs but in the past four years I have gained 36 lbs back.

Most recently I am on the mend from my fourth bowel obstruction (3 resulting surgeries) in seven years due to adhesions.

Has anyone had a revision done as medically necessary to help prevent more adhesions. I know this might sound dumb because every time there is a surgery you risk more. I was wondering what kind of treatments anyone is getting to help prevent more adhesions.

Other than my recent weight gain and the bowel obstruction my surgery was quite successful and I still follow the rules of the tool.

My family doctor says my weight gain is menopause and the surgeon said my body adapted to the low calories. I am just so frustrated and am struggling to get this weight off but I keep getting these adhesions.

The more they cut, the more adhesions grow.

I had three bowel obstruction surgeries in two years due to adhesions. The last surgeon untangled the adhesions and pushed them aside, but did not cut them out. That surgery was in 2012. I have not had any issues with abdominal pain or obstructions since.

Like you said...the key is to not have abdominal surgeries.

There is not really a treatment to prevent adhesions. I had adhesiolysis one time (didn't have an ileus, went in as a planned diagnostic laparoscopy because surgeons suspected that I had a hernia again which they also found and treated).

there is no treatment for adhesions. It is in your genes for your body to make th when cut on the inside.

how many calories are you eating a day? What does a days menu look like for you? We might can help there.

So today for breakfast I had one egg with cheese and a piece of sausage and for lunch I had a chicken breast I'm not sure what I'm going to make myself for supper I think I have crab cakes in the refrigerator but this is my diet it's probably less than 1500 calories a day maybe most days less than a thousand calories I'm struggling and I'm depressed because of this 30 lb weight gain need to get this weight off and all the doctor says it's menopause

Careful with crab cakes; if they are processed they aren't always the best option sometimes.

I am so sorry things are not very good for you right now. I would definitely get support especially if you are depressed.

Adhesions, Peterson's hernias, blocked intestines its all crappy. I live in a pretty small town with NO bariatric surgeons/doctors. They X-Rayed and CAT Scanned me and saw I had a blockage. The had to put the nose decompression thing in (Worst torture ever for me) and airlift me to St.Louis where they have proper bariatric surgeons. The first blockage and twist (Think of colic in a horse or dog) the got the gunk out and he tacked some of the intestine in place so it couldn't twist and block completely. 2nd time I t was MY bad for eating a soft pretzel and not chewing it to a fine mush (I'm 11 years out) Again the evil air tube and aiirlifted out to St. Louis. Thankfully there was no twisting and the blockage passed when they gave me a lot of fluid IV. When the surgeon was in last time they found many Adhesions/Peterson's' Hernias. Like everyone else said, anytime you get surgery you up your chance of more adhesion's. I've had 8 surgeries and so have a lot. There isn't really anything you can do for them, that I was told...Chew my food to a fine mush! :(

Sadly just getting the weight loss surgery isn't the end. You often get a lot of post op problems even decades out.Best of luck.

Warmly,

Jackie E.

OP, and Jackie...Thank you both for your posts, I learned more from you than asking a general surgeon who was so casual about 'adhesions and definite complications"-- needing a major repair surgery from an emergency abdominal event in 2011. Like you Jackie that NG tube down my nose, and the inexperienced nurse who left the plastic too rigid (needed hotter water to soften) like a stick shoved down the nose..worse the female MD who came in and just shoved it around more until i was just livid with rage and fearful I begin puking and crying at the same time!

Also was medical jetted down to the big hospital, with a 2 person nurse/md crew keeping me alive, I guess. After 37 steel staples for a 9" open belly scar I now live with a major incisional hernia. Frankly I do not want a surgery to "fix" this deformity I am left with. The plastic surgeon I met with was rude and dismissive, so I have no interest in HIM being the one to shove huge mesh patch inside me. And have the and have complications or total failure and more repairs!

So I hear you sister! when you talk about trusting these people to have you best interest, and even if they do the skill set to not muck you up further?

I talked with a councelor for a months on making decisions to just not let them operate. There were other tough relatives roubles too, but knowing that surgery is risking death, or intense complexity, certainly more problems, more surgeries. AKKK! The 'gift' I have is age, being almost 70 I am less willing to risk known complications and hear them say..We did out best, but____ (fill in the nightmare I have to live with)

I wish you both well, the ONE positive..is we KNOW what happens, how it feels, what is tolerable, what we need to plan to have to help (food, friends, books, etc, along with us) how we can cope, and manage it the best we can to ensure the best result.

The last meeting I had with a surgeon (on another serious issue) I said" Ok when you get home, no fights with your wife, and get really good sleep!) He laughed, I was his first patient that day, it went swimmingly, despite having to lose a kidney. (still fine 9 yrs later)

I hope you do have some trust, control as much as you can. it's all we can do.

I have had six abdominal surgeries since my early 20s, and all of them were major with two having been emergency operations unrelated to WLS. Just had the sixth this past February to fix a gigantic hernia that was causing a significant loss of function. Needless to say I have adhesions; he removed the ones in the area of the surgery as needed, but they don't go hunting for them. It's better to avoid manipulating organs when you don't have to. As others have already mentioned, not much to be done to prevent them other than to avoid further surgery. I've been very lucky and have never had a bowel obstruction, at least.

Sometimes we may eat when anxious and we must go back to basics and remedy this. I think support would be a good option for you in addition to other medical treatment. Bowel obstructions and surgery are both terrifying on their own, and to have had three is awful. Definitely build a good support system if you don't have one now. It could be menopause too; weight gain is often a lot of things. Support will help with the frustration though, and will also help working through what else may be going on. Life doesn't happen in a vacuum, and we often forget that it's a multitude of small stresses that pile up into a giant snowball.