revisions? symptoms?

Hello everyone.  I am just wondering if anyone has had to have a revision?  or a staple line breakdown, and if so, what was the reason/symptoms?  I had my surgery in 04 at NWH.  In the last year I have gained a LOT of weight back...not good, but had always maintained just fine before that.  I finally sucked it up, and called the dr's office...i was too embarrassed to earlier.  I have been doing a lot of research and reading and some of the symptoms I am having...always hungry, occasional pain in my stomach area, nausea, stuff like that, people have said they had to have revisions because of staple line break down.  anyone local encountered this????

  Cannoli, huh?

I am alarmed at the growing number of coaching clients I have who heard about how I specialize in teaching the chronically obese how to shutdown their self-sabotage machinery because they'd already gained back 45 - 100 lbs. of the 200+ they'd lost thru RNY.

I have lots of my magazine articles on my original method
< Embody Success! > available on my blogsites, too.

In the meantime,
  Click below to read what they wrote about me! Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Success Story" for Feb. 4, 2009!   Then consider investing in life coaching regardless of whether you choose revision or not! I'll be happy to schedule a complimentary consult with you. What have you got to lose?
Lovingly, Lauralyn
PS I'm half Italian-American. My grandparents came from Sicily. I grew up and out with cannoli's!

Yours was a pretty timely post for me to come across.  I had RNY  11/2006.  After experiencing some stomach pain and nausea about 9 months ago, I was sent or an upper Gi. They found a small fistula in my staple line. (hole where a staple or two had let go). I was told about a procedure in which they try try to repair the hole through an Endoscopy to your stomach. Thet put clips in to try and pull it together, then they use surgical glue over that. They explained that they don't have too much success with the procedure, but I wanted them to try . I'm not ready to go through another huge operation. I went backfter 6 weeks to be checked with the Endoscopy again. They found that it had failed. They tried to repair it again, but said he didn't think this one would take either. He was right. My appetite was about the same and I was still maintaining my 105lb weight loss up until about 5 months ago.  I have gained about 25lbs and am hungry all the time and can also eat much more than before. Very discouraging. I am now struggling to stay to a 1200 to 1400 calorie intake and it is very hard.  Just went for another check up. He wants me to have another Upper GI where you drink the barium and they follow through your system. He is afraid that it might have opened more. 
I'm not sure what I am going to do if they tell me I need a revision. I'm 57 and recovery from my Open RNY had a few complications. So you can understand my hesitation. Trying my hardest to get back on track and pray that it hasn't gotten any worse.
Good luck at the Dr's. You are smart to go. Keep me posted on how you make out.
Peg G   

Hi
I am also a weight regainer after RNY.  I did OK for 10 years till I had an injury that SEVERLY limited my ability to exercise. I found out after an upper endoscopy that my anastamosis site was grossly dilated but the suture line is intact.  I believe that for insurance coverage purposes you are more likely to have a revision approved if you have a suture line breakdown as you do.  So don't wait till you have regained all your weight back before doing something and don't listen to any put downs about lack of will or just "sticking to the plan"  We all originally had the surgery because those things didn't work for us in the past on a permenent long term basis.      

Well, I went in and had the upper GI.  I actually dont have a staple line breakdown.  BUT...where the food passes through, I can't remember what the hell it is called, is very stretched out.  My dr said they will only do a revision for the staple line breakdown, which is actually pretty damn frustrating.  They said my pouch is the exact same size?????  I said that is literally impossible...if my pouch was the same size...how in holy hell am I always hungry and able to eat more?  From what I can tell, it is because that part is stretched out, food is just going right through without that "full" feeling.  GREAAAAATTTTT.  Not sure what my next step is going to be.  Like I said, I am pretty damn frustrated that I went through major surgery, only to have something stretch out so i dont feel full.  I met with the nutritionist, but honestly, felt that was pretty useless.  All she did was tell me what my plate was suppose to look like...really?? thanks...i have been struggling with my weight my whole life...you don't think i KNOW that stuff by now.  it isn't like she is giving me specific direction or meal plans or anything.  not pleased.  not pleased at all.  my husband and mother both thought it might be wise to seek a second opinion. 

Oh, and I had my surgery in 03, not 04...so i maintained without a problem for 4 years. 

It sounds like exactly what I have , a dilation of the anastamosis site.  Thats where the stomach end of the intestines is reattached to the bypassed portion of the intestine and it is originally very tight after surgery.  I have been advised to have the Stomaphyx procedure done by Dr Burch at BMC  he does not like to do the revisions it seems because the complication rate is very high.  I hope my Ins will cover it.  I don't have a lot of faith in  the Stomaphyx procedure but it appears to be the best and only solution available.  He said the complication rate for RNY revisions can run 30%  !!   that is an unacceptable risk.    P.S.  Dr Burch is a really nice guy too, very patient and easy to talk to.    

is BMC Boston Medical Center?

Yes BMC is Boston Medical Center.  Brigham and Womens has a great program and Dr's but my Ins has that Tier system and BMC is a tier 1 in their system so I had to switch from Brigham to BMC. Actually I found BMC was easier to get to than the Brigham, which surprised me, of course you have to go through the big dig tunnel, but I just pray all the way through.