Sleeve Leak w/stents

Hi there.  Does anyone here have experience with a leaky sleeve and stent placement?  I'm about 2 weeks in to having this stent after my leak (caught 4 weeks post op) and I'm miserable!  I am supposed to keep the stent in for 6 weeks, but I can't imagine another month of this!  It feels like someone is stepping on my chest 24 hrs a day (which is what the GI doc told me to expect) and I don't sleep much at night.

Anyone else have this?  How was your leak fixed?  Did it work?  Did it leak again?  Any insight would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance!

I had a very serious leak and required 4 stents.  They were in for about 6 weeks. I also had to have a feeding tube and 3 drains.  During that time I was on TPN and then tube feeds only.  I couldn't have anything by mouth not even water.  I was very uncomfortable.  Unfortunately for me the pain from the stents only got worse as time went on.   When they were finally removed it was such a relief.  I could finally sleep again.  It was a very difficult time for me but I kept remembering what I read on this forum from several of the vets...the leak WILL heal.  It will take time.  You will be okay. Hang in there!  

Thanks so much for your response!  I went to the doctor yesterday - told him how much pain I'm still in.  This is the first leak the office has ever experienced - so he didn't know that the stent would still hurt.  He was very sympathetic and told me that he wants to remove the stent after 4 weeks instead of 6.  He said that new studies and colleagues he has contacted across the country have concluded that 4 weeks is more appropriate for stents.  I can't wait. 

I keep thinking the same thing - it WILL be healed after this.  My life WILL get back to normal soon...

I had surgery on June 14 and I had a small leak discovered the 27th of June. They put a stent in the next day. I had it for a little over 2 weeks. I was also on TPN at nights and 3 different strong antibiotics through my PICC line. The first few days I couldn't have anything by mouth except pain meds. I had a ton of nausea. Some was from the stent and some from the antibiotics. It seemed like mine got better with time. Once I stopped one of the antibiotics my nausea improved a lot. At first I had a lot of burning and heaviness in my chest that was really uncomfortable. My leak was completely healed when they removed the stent. I was really surprised it healed so fast bc most I've read about took months. Once they took the stent out, I felt amazing! I was on clear liquids for another week then went to full and quickly progressed and now I'm on a pretty normal diet minus seeds, nuts and hard stuff. I haven't had any issues since then. When they found my leak I thought what the heck did I do to myself!! I so regretted having surgery and was very scared, but looking back it has been worth it.

Thanks so much for your response.  Your situation sounds very similar to mine.  I was in the hospital for 5 days after the reoperation (with the jp drain and stent placement) on TPN with tons of antibiotics.  At one point, I had three IV machines (two poles) with a total of 8 different bags hooked up.  I was sent home without the PICC line or JP drain, but told to remain on full liquids.  Had a TON of nausea for about 10 days.  That has lessened since I've been off antibiotics.  I am still in a ton of pain, though.  Since I have to sleep in such odd positions, I don't sleep well at all.  I have severe upper back pain and my stent is still extremely uncomfortable!  I have to remind myself to eat at all because I'm never hungry.  I'm having a REALLY hard time getting in all my protein.  I'm going back to see the doc in a couple days and hopefully he has my stent removal plan in action!  I'm ready to feel like I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life!

With all of the nausea from your stent, are you actually throwing up? I'm just trying to find something to help my poor husband. He's so miserable with his stent. He was very nauseous before the stent and is still afterwards. The dr put the stent in to help lessen the nausea thinking he might have some narrowing in his openings causing the nausea. We were so hopeful when he had it put in that it would fix the nausea and it hasn't. I don't think it's as bad, but he just seems not well. He's had two leak tests and they all have been fine. I gave him his first protein shake today and he took 1 drink and gave it back to me. He couldn't do it. He's lost 16 lbs since the 8th. I'm worried that he's not really getting much nutrition. He did have a better day drinking today.

I'm doing SOME throwing up.  It isn't too often anymore... the first week was the worst.  The second week was a tiny bit better - and now I would say about three times total this wk.  I am not getting much protein at all.  I cannot stomach it.  I am trying watered down milk etc just to get SOME protein.  I am doing ok on water/liquids.  I am mixing a tiny bit of unflavored protein in with anything I can (gatorade/crystal light) just to get a couple grams any and everywhere.  I am going to have to kick some serious butt on my protein after the stent is removed.  I have a repeat CT scan in a couple days to check that all is ok before the stent is removed (hopefully in the next 7-10 days). 

I have lost 22 pounds in 3 weeks (and my first 4 weeks before the leak I had already lost 29).  I feel like this is WAAAAAY too much. 

Please keep me posted about your hubby - I sent you a message, too. 

I have a stent that was placed 4 days post-op for a stricture.  Initially I was tolerating it just fine.  I am in a very similar boat as you.  Still nauseous, throwing up a few times a week.  Just feel like crap.  I have lost 36lbs and had surgery 8/6 (3 weeks post op tomorrow).  I just want it out now, but will check w/ my MD on Tuesday.  Hang in there.

Thanks for your response.  I hope you receive good news from your doctor on Tuesday and get that thing out!  It's hell!

I had a CT and an upper GI test run on Friday to make sure all was well to remove the stent.  It's supposed to come out early this week - I'm hoping no later than Tuesday.  I am counting the minutes!  It's been just over 4 weeks since the placement.  I just want to feel "normal" again!

I have definately been through all the leak issues.  I had a revison to my stomach from my original surgery that was done back in 2001 on July 9, 2012.  I was in the hospital about 6 days because the surgeon wanted to make sure I was alright because I was open.  Everything while I was in the hospital seemed to be fine.  I was working on getting water and clear protein drinks. 

I was home for about 2 weeks and then I was having severe pain in my left side.  I did not have any other signs of a leak except the pain and that I was vomiting everything I tried to drink.  My surgeon brought me into his office and did a swallow test using his equipment that he uses for lap band adjustment.  They immediately took away my water bottle, and had me readmitted to the hospital.  Because of the vomiting my electrolytes and nutrients were totally out of whack.  During that time they took me totally NPO and started me on TPN.  I have been lucky that my TPN has only been the 12 hour and not the 24 hour.  I spent the next 5 days (July 24-28) in the hospital and the surgeon felt good that my leak would resolve itself.  He told me it was ok to stay on TPN to support my nutrition and put me back on full liquids. 

I went home and everything seemed to be fine.  I was just drinking what I could and doing my TPN every night.  I was disappointed about not losing any weight but I understand the TPN is mixed by pharmacy nutritionists to maintain not to allow weight loss.  I was also still having bouts of nausea for which I had phenergan, zofran, protonix and carafate.  I was doing pretty well until I woke up on the morning of Sat. August 18.  I had gotten sick on Monday and was in the surgeon's office on Tuesday for a regular check up visit.  I thought I had just pulled a muscle but I was so dizzy that Saturday that I made my husband just take me straight to the ER.  I thought I had gotten a cellulitis infection in my neck from some type of muscle tear.  I was so dizzy standing at the ER desk waiting to have them direct me to triage. When I got back and finally got an er doc they sent me to have a CT scan.  My PICC line that was in my arm was infiltrated and they could not get the contrast to get into me fast enough to do a thorough scan however they were able to ascertain that I did not indeed have an infection but had a blood clot in my neck and a pulmonary embolism in my right lower lobe.  I was floored.  I bawled my eyes out thinking that my number was up and that I was so lucky that I even made it to the ER as the night before I was sitting in the bath tub with the hand held shower massager on pulse pointed directly at my neck trying to rub out the muscle pull.  I could have killed myself. 

I was readmitted again by the er doc and was there this time almost 3 weeks.  During this time in addition to the treatment for the clots and embolism I was also evaluated on my leak.  The surgeon did not see any resolution from the previous studies.  The surgeon brought in his colleague a GI dr who I will say has put me through a lot of hell.  I underwent 4 endoscopies total.  The first one was MAC anesthesia which was ok.  They placed a stent to try to close off my leaks.  My bodies response was violent vomiting and the next day a swallow test he states that due to the violence of my nausea  the stent has changed position, we try again.  They put me under full tube anesthetic this round and my lungs hurt so bad.  The following swallow test again showed a leak, and improvement but a leak still.  I guess it is full coverage or not at all.  They took me back to endoscopy again to try on a bigger stent.  This time the pain was unbearable.  I felt like I was being cut from the inside out right behind my breasts.  We never did a swallow test with this one.  The pain was so unbearable I was cycling my pain meds.  Dilaudid then 2 hours later Moropine and bolster that with something for anxiety.  My blood pressures went from perfect to 151/100.  Needles to say the next day they removed the stents all together.  Nobody was telling me anything.  I went from endoscopy to have a chest x-ray.  I figured they did something wrong.  But it turns out they were only check for pneumonia as I had a high white count.  The blood count and blood pressure resolved itself when the stent was removed and the pain was gone. 

I was discharged later that night sent home with just Carafate and Lovenox for the clots.  I am on clear liquids and ice chips with my TPN.  My surgeon wants me to be followed by this doctor that had me in the hospital.  I wonder if I just do the clear and TPN if the leak will resolve itself.  I really don't want to have another round of stents or surgery.  I only have so much time I can take off work and I need to get my strength back so I can get back to my job and not lose it.  Just wanted to post my experience and see if anyone has any ideas about leaks and such.