I'm 61 - 5 yrs post RNY - from 300 to 135 in one year - major Iron deficiency anemia since - with periodic iron infusions required - ferritin always low - all b levels are down - despite monthly B1, B6 and B12 injections.

in 2005 had a GI bleed requiring transfusion - ulcer found in pouch anastomosis site.

This year started with another GI bleed - endoscopy, colonoscopy, camera ingestion for 24 hrs - finally an exploratory lap into old stomach where an ulcer was found at stapling site.

I had a GI tube kept in place so that they could examine the old (remnant) stomach in 8 weeks for healing of ulcer - but after 3 weeks one tube fell out - another was placed using CT Scan - with lots of pain during and after the procedure - that tube stayed for 2 weeks and my dogs claws got cught in tube over weekend and tube was pulled out.  I decided to forego any more tubes - an option the surgeon offered me - and wait it out to see if another bleed occurs.

I'm a nurse researcher and went on a search for problems with remant stomachs after bariatric surgery - discovered there is very little known.  Most information is for patients who had stomach surgery for cancer and then had remnant stomach cancer years later.

The only real info I found had to do with a correlation between the bile produced in the old stomach being associated with cancerous changes in lab animals.  I was surprised by how much bile I produced every day while the tube was in.

Has anyone else had to deal with remnant stomach problems?

I am now a little over 5 years post op from RNY.  At 2 yerars out, I had my gall bladder remoeved. At 3 years out, I woke in the morning with about the same pain as I had when the gall bladder attack came on. Except I had shoulder pain as well??? Went to the hospital and was told it was a ruptured bowel. Went by ambulance to another hospital, where the Bariatric surgeon was waiting to do emergency surgery on me. It turned out to be a perforated ulcer. He did a Grahm patch to fix it. Since then, I have been on 160mg of Prilosec a day, Carafate twice a day and numerous other stomach meds to try to ease the abdominal pain. On April 1, 2008 I had surgery because they suspected it was an internal hernia, in the intestine. The surgeon only removed a band of adhesions from my intestine and determined that the original surgeon had bypassed way too much intestine, only leaving 35cm length. This is what has caused the ulcer I had, and continues to cause everything I eat or drink to reflux back up into my pouch, keeping my pouch irritated and causing alot of abdominal pain.  The new surgeon has suggested a revision to lengthen the intestine coming from tjhe pouch. Right now it is only 35cm long and he said the shortest lenght he leaves in 70. So, that is twice as short as normal.  I will have the next surgery in a month or so, after I heal from the surgery I just had on Tuesday. Since my original surgery, I have gained about 30 pounds. So I am hoping this will help in getting that back off as well. I, too am a smoker. My Dr. says the only people they have seen with perforated ulcers are the patients that continue to smoke.

To respond to the people who thought they remove your old stomach. From my understanding during the rny the old stomach is left in place to produce the digestive juices that meet up down in the lower intestines with the food that aids in digestion. Best of luck , Jenni

I changed it to revision by clicking on my account, then signing in with user name and password. Under the surgery related column after you sign in, click on I've got a date and it will let you change it.  I'm doing very well, down about 22 pounds, probably more but I only weigh myself once weekly. Are you on any medications that are proton pump inhibitors like protonix for the ulcers? i was on this before my surgery but was told not to take it anymore, and am on prilose****il I finish that bottle. After that I take nothing. I was eight years postop almost to the day when I had my revision, but had regained about 30 lbs do to the ulcer.

I had an ulcer that caused staple line disruption but they also found a gastro gastric fistula and it was revised on 2/27. They made a new pouch and bypassed more of my intestine at the same time.