A silly question

When the drain tube from the old stomache is removed, does anything leak out that hole inside? Does this hole close up on its own right away? Does anyone know?

Hi, I just had surgery on June 23rd and they took out the drain tube one week after my surgery along with half the staples. When they removed the dain tube there was a small hole. Maybe the size of a dime. They put a bandage on it and told me it would leak a little. I didn't notice much of anything. I was washing it and keeping it covered until last Wednesday when I decided I didn't need to cover it any longer. I will tell you that I was allergic to the rubber tubing and my drain hole (hey, what else can you call it) started to weep a little while the tibe was still in. It was no big deal just a little itchy.

Hi Eileen! I think that many folks have a little drainage after the tube is removed. You should put a steri-strip or butterfly bandage on it to close it, but it may still weep. It will be clear fluid and will want to keep a gauze pad on it for a few days, but it stops pretty quickly and the amount of leakage is minimal. Your binder will be over it anyway, so the gauze will help keep the binder clean. Trust me - I hate icky and I didn't think this was bad at all!!! Charlotte Dr. Aguirre - Ensenada Now down 81#!!!

Thanks Canela & Charlotte! I guess I was visualizing this hole in the old tummy just leaking out acid and whatever inside the abdomen when the tube was removed, and I still don't understand why it wouldn't, but I do know that the body works hard to fill in all unnatural holes. It sounds like the drain tube hole doesn't cause much of a problem, then. I was just thinking about possible leaks inside. Congrats Charlotte on your -81 ! That must feel wonderful!!! Way to go!

Eileen - you're right...the body does fill the holes up. I suppose if you had a lot of pressure on the old stomach it might be able to be compromised, but I think the thing is that 1) we're not putting food in it and 2) We have less resistant valves that could relieve that pressure even if we did. I think you would have to be uncomfortably full in your old stomach for that to happen though. Dina