Leaks "healing on their own"

Hello out there: Looking for people who have had leaks that were to "heal on their own." I am wondering how long it took. I have a leak at the top of the stomach and an abscess into the area below my lungs. The doctors want it to heal on its own and I am on a feeding tube which I hate as well as have a spigot out my back draining the abscess. This is all frustrating because no one wants to do anything to me since I had my surgery in Mexico with Dr. Ungson. I think they should be able to go in endoscopically and seal the hole but the surgeon here says no. I also think they should put the feeding tube in through my stomach so I can at least look presentable so I can return to work - they say no (this one I understand because of the abscess). My surgery was 11-27-06. Pneumonia and pleural effusion on 12-13-06, admitted to the hospital where they also discovered the leak and abscess. Please give me your thoughts and experiences so I can have some idea of what the road ahead of me is since the doctors say "well it could take up to 6 months" and at $53 per day, the cost of the liquid food and antibiotics, I will have to sell my house and go into the poor house. Thanks, Lori

HI Lori, I had all the same issues as you.....my leak also had to heal on it's own and it took almost a month with NOTHING by mouth and had g tube feedings. But everyone heals differently....if you are a diabetic or have other immune issues it may take longer. Are you doing vitamins or any meds via the g tube? Do they have you on the right enteral tube feed, because certain formula's are designed to facilitate healing? Replete is the formula that I was on and it was almost $400 a month for it and the supplies. If you have any other questions please dont hesitate to email me.... My heart goes out to you and I will keep you in my prayers! Dawn

Hi Dawn: Thanks for your reply. It helps to know that eventually it will close on it's own. I am considering getting another opinion from a different surgeon but no one wants to touch me because I had the original surgery in Mexico. How sad is that! I am almost 6 weeks from the detection of the leak and still not healed, probably because of the abscess into my subphrenic area. The stuff they have me on - meds, food + supplies is $53.00 per day!!!! I will have to take a second on the house if this continues! Lori

HI Lori, I had to write to see if you had seen another surgeon? I hope that the leak has healed by now.....I had 2 subphrenic abscesses and one had to be surgically drained and the other one was the one that ruptured my stomach pouch and caused a pneumothorax of my left lung. I know that you had seen one surgeon but if you are still not healed I would rush to find a experienced surgeon who has dealt with these types of problems. I know alot of surgeons dont want to deal with other surgeon's MISTAKES but in this case if it has not healed....I would worry about peritonitis and fungal infections. Please write me back and let me know how things are going for you! My prayers are with you! DAwn

Hi, my name is Dawn and I live in Florida and had a revision to my VBG to a bypass on October 25th 2006. I eneded up in the ER less than a week later with a absess and all most died. I had two other surgeries since in November and came home november 18th 2006 I am still on a feeding tube through my stomach and have not ate in 4 months. I also had fluid drained from my back from around my lungs. I ahve to have Jevity1.2 and it costs us aver 4400.00 a month for this it's $100.00 a case and I go through a case in a week or less. I also was not able to drink and then my surgeon said four weeks ago to go a head and drink 3-4 cups a day of clear liquid as I was about 795 healed well guess what it blew my stomach that was healing back open and I am two steps behind. My surgeon said he hurt me he really did and apologized. I go again as I go every two-three weeks for a upper GI to see how things are coming. I am no longer able to drink only like a swallow or so. i use to beable to have a ice cube a hour, but don't as I also have a fiskila from the staples that they took out in November the end of November and it opened up after they were removed and now what I swallow comes out of the fiskila below my breast, it actually eneded up being over the size of a half dollar larger really and now the wound is healing from inside out but what a mess on my stomach. I have to wear a colonopsy bag and it will leak as I have a nurse come in twicw a week, it use to be twice a day when I got out of the hospital but we have come this far as I only need her 2x a week, my husband helps out as well. I have to wear these bags on my chest as the liquid I was able to have ice cubes goes in the bag. The saliva my body produces is also going into this bag which I have to empty into a cup and dispose of. I know I am getting into details BUT I have had ENOUGH and want something done, I don't want to be told it will heal on its own....4 MONTHS and here I am still waiting for news of some sort. My surgeon after he said he hurt me by letting me have clear liquids has now prepared a cd with all my studies from the upper GI's and his opinions and was to send it off to Miami or somewhere for a second opinion. I will demand on Monday with my upper GI test that something get done. I have had to go on Prozac for 14 days to pull me out of the depression I was sinking into and I really could care less what was going to happen, but now that my body is back to wanting to be normal I want my life back. I had a revision from the band as I said and when he went to tak ethe mesh out from it being in there from my other weight loss surgery it tore my stomach so thats how all this started is from the mesh in the stomach I had for 6 years and I guess my stomach had grown around it and all. I don't know why he could have not left it in there I guess he didn't think it would tear????? not sure. I was wondering how you are and where you are from and how are you dealing with this? I was very active and wow what a bomb to be tied to home so much. I was 200lbs. at the day of my revision 10/25/06 I weigh now 168 which is not bad with me really being laid up for most of this time. I did also gain 11 pounds with all the fluids in the hospital and lost that as well so 211 is where I was when I came home from hospital November 18th/06. Please get in touch and let me know if you have found anyone else with this situation or a specialist or anyone to help as I will aslo do the same..take care and GOD BLESS YOU.. Dawn Kowarsch p.s. I have a profile on obesity.com you can look up by my name..