Any one had an Internal Hernia?

I just viewed the video/slide show that Amy posted, and found it very informative. I am 14 months out of RNY and have done great.... except I have intermintent severe stomach pains about every month or two with tremendous gas, some vomiting and some diarrhea. Almost went to ER, but then it passes. (LOL bad joke, but that is literally what happens!) Haven't called my surgeon yet, thinking it was something I had eaten, though I have never found a pattern to the eating. It was interesting what the slide show said about internal hernias developing some time out - after you have lost weight. I am 4 lbs below goal, and in every other way am, and have done great. Just wondering if what kind of symptoms any one out there experienced who was diagnosised with an internal hernia. Thanks in Advance, Margie

Wow Margie, it's funny that you posted this because I was just reading about small bowel obstructions on the below website. Please call your surgeon because your symptoms sound like an SBO (small bowel obstruction) the symptoms are (you can read on website too): a cramplike pain in the abdomen that comes and goes a tender and enlarged abdomen vomiting failure to pass gas or stools slight fever flushed dry skin: coated tongue, weakness and confusion caused by not having enough water in the body (dehydration) look sweetie, you may not have this and I pray to the God of my understanding that you don't, but please get it checked out right away. web site: www.fairview.org/healthlibrary/content/print_aha_sbobstru_crs.htm good luck to you honey! L. marie

Hi Margie, I am also 14months out of my RNY and have had no complications up to about a month ago. Symptoms that you are describing, I am having also started March 19 (my sister's bday)lol. after that it didn't happen again until April 22 and I was in the ER for the 2nd time for this. I called my surgeon and he was going out of town, said it could have been a small bowel obstruction that resolved, even was told it could be a kidney stone etc. 3 days later it happened again and I called his office again, well thank goodness he had left instructions that if I called having another episode he wanted me to have an immediate CT scan which I had that night, Long story short, I just came bk from seeing my surgeon and have been scheduled for a laproscope for friday 5/5/06, he believes that because of my excessive wt loss (189pounds which is a good thing) has also opened up an internal hernia. So please go ahead and call your surgeon. Good Luck Pam

Hi Pam, Thanks for your response to my complications posting. I did see my surgeon on Monday of this week. I had had a Cat Scan per my family Dr. here in town, but it was read as 'normal'. The Cat scan was done when I wasn't having any pain... 7 days after my last episode. But I took the films to my surgeon (he is 3 hrs away) and he and his radiologist diagnosised me with 2 'suspicious' areas, which he is certain are internal hernias. I am also scheduled to have a Lap proceedure to have them fixed. But due to my recently starting a new job and having to go out of town for business, it will not be done until 6/2. I am praying for no more episodes until this resolved. Here is the internet site for the instructional video that I learned about internal hernias. http://www.obesityhelp.com/surgeryrisks/ Push the forward button until you see the heading for internal hernias come up. (Or watch the whole thing it is a great film, but most of it is about immediate post op complications.) It is very informative. I pray your surgery goes well and that you right as rain soon! CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss! Isn't it great to be thin! God bless and take care. Margie

I'm 17 days post op for fixing my internal hernias. I had one that showed well on the CT scan and when they did the surgery they found another, and some more spots ready to go. If you kept up with ecercise, and have lost a lot of your weight you should breeze through what is essentially a revision. Why it happens is when the surgery is done lap, there are small spaces made to get to where they need to work. Over time, the fat disappears and the spaces become big. That is when the intesintine expands (herniates) to fill that space. You are for some good news, fat free if this is happening. WTG, but bad that it requires surgery. I now have nine small spots from lap surgeries. As what to do until surgery, avoid most solid foods. Stick with the mush stage and or liquid stage. It relieves the pressures that solid food causes when you eat. Also take it easy and don't exercise other than walking. I found that working out at the gym really sent me into spasms. Once in the hospital it is the same drill as the WLS. I got approved by insurance company for a 5 night stay. They threw me out after 3 mights since I threatened to do a pole dance with my IV pole I drug around the halls with me. Plan on being out for a week. This way you have plenty of time to get over the pain portion, which this time was a breeze to deal with. The inital surgery hurt like hell and was horrible. This one was the kind that if more had only this much pain with WLS there would be more people doing it.

I am on my third. Two were fixed a few weeks ago (which I hemoraged and lost 3 liters of blood and had to have a tube in my tummy (old one) for 6 weeks). I just got my new one the other day. My doc has been waiting on me to have another one so he can go in and give me a tummy tuck which I desperatly need. I find out on the 30th when surgery is scheduled.

Dear Margie, I had an internal hernia and was in the hospital for a week. I went to the hospital on May 1, 2006. I had bariatric surgery in November and have presently lost about 100 lbs. Everything was fine until about 6 weeks agol I fell off a treadmill and thought I pulled a muscle. (this was in end of March). I periodically would get sick to my stomach thought is was a bad 24 hour bug this happened about 3 times and then went away! Well, on May 1st. I woke up at 1:00 am and had terrible stomach cramping the only way I can describe it is if you had a child imagine labor pains magnified 100 times. I could not sit or lay down. I was vomiting (nothing but dry heaves). The pain was so bad that it made me sick. It felt like a wave going through my stomach at first the pain was about every few mininutes and then this ripple of pain went through my stomach about every 2 minutes. I knew somthing was wrong. It was dumping ! I was able to go the the bathroom! Once admitted they ruled out Appenidicitis, and kindney stones. I have no gall bladder. The ct came up clear, my blood work was fine, ultrasound showed nothing. Then they put a tube down my throat and it came up fine! The pain was nuts! My surgeon did an exploratory surgery and when I woke up he stated I had a internal hernia which caused a obstructive bowel. He also stated it was building up and this pain did not just happen in one night. Looking back I dont think I had flu but begginning stages of hernia. DONT mess with your pain GET IT CHECKED OUT IMMEDIATELY! hOPE I hope this helped you out.

This is very interesting, because now I am dealing with this at almost 14 months out!!! What is up with the 13-14 month timeframe with this hernia stuff?? I am having surgery November 15th and I also have elevated liver enzymes and they have to open up my old stomach to do an exploratory lap and ERCP at the same time on my bile duct. My bile duct is enlarged too. I have no idea why. Lovely. Thanks for the info on losing weight, and now it leaves spots where the fat is lost. Hope everyone is doing better now, I know this post is older, but I had to reply since I am going ghrough this too. Deb