Revision surgery

Hi Abbey. I can relate to your situation. I had open RNY in 1999, lost about 120 pounds and have regained most of it. I am have a revision with Dr. Brolin (Plainsboro, NJ) on June 5. I have only met him one time but the feedback from this forum about his skill is very positive. I wish you much luck!

Hi Abbey; I totally understand! I just had my gastric bypass revised on Monday the 19th. My surgeon is great; Dr. Washington in Freehold. I had my original surgery in August of 2004. I lost 130lbs and gained 40 back. I could eat *anything*. It was awful and I know how you feel. In 2007 I had what was called Endoluminal Revision of Obesity Surgery (EROS; also experimental.) It did nothing. So, we'll see. Are you thinking of a less invasive revision like Stomaphyx? Or do you want to do the whole thing? :) I hope this helps! Regards, Jackie

Hi Jackie, I've heard of Dr. Washington and heard good and bad things about him.  I'm just so fusterated, because I was just where I wanted to be 105 pounds in 2005. I also had plastic surgery a tummy tuck.  I just don't know what happened, now I'm about 30 pound from where I was before the surgery. I had an open RNY it only took me 6 months to lose most of the weight.  I did think about the Stomaphyx and even saw a Doctoer , but he said it wouldn't do anything for me except maybe get rid of some of medical problems and I didn't like him anyway. I think I'm thinking of a full revision. What did you thing of Dr. Washington, because he is closer to me?  I had a knee repalcement surgery in December and am still in a wheel chait from that which I found out that tuns the Doctors off for some reason probabably the exercising after the surgery. I also don't eat much so I don't know why I gained the weight back. Abbey

Hi Abbey; I totally hear you- it's so frustrating. I was so embarrassed all the time from gaining weight back, and I just felt awful. I know it's a lot to be going through and it sounds like you're dealing with a lot of medical things as well. Wow you got to 105? That's so great. May I ask how tall you are? My lowest weight was 218. Now I'm 255, so I'm hoping to get to 150- I'm 5'8''. The EROS procedure I had was similar to StomaphyX, except that it didn't take a "full bite" of tissue when pleating the stomach, so it was totally ineffective. I didn't want to do StomaphyX and was denied for it anyway, so that's why I had the full revision. I love Dr. Washington. I had the option of seeing my surgeon who did the EROS at Columbia University in NYC, but I really trust Dr. Washington. He was partnered with the surgeon who did my original RNY, so he knew my case. I'm not sure about the wheelchair situation- I mean, I had a follow up appointment today and one of the Dr.'s I saw said to wait 4-5 weeks to exercise because of healing. How long will you be in a wheel chair, do you know? That's good that you don't eat much- have you had an upper endoscopy? Dr. Washington did mine and it turned out my pouch was large and my stoma was HUGE- so I never felt full.... I could eat sooooooo much. I hope this revision gives me back what I had. I think it's too soon to tell, but I'm really banking on this b/c I know how you feel and I just couldn't take it any more. Let me know if I can help you at all- might be the blind leading the blind at this point, but it never hurts to have someone to talk to :) :) :) Regards, Jackie

Hi Jackie, I could use a friend that knows what I'm going through, I live right around the corner from Wall Township.  Just thought I'd mention that because last time I had the surgery my angel you know the person that keeps you going lived so far from me because my doctor was in Began County and since then I found out he's been didbared no longer in practice and most doctors I found out want some kind of report from that doctor which I can't get because I forgot which hospital I went to.  Anyway I'm 5'4' and as far as the wheel chair thing goes I really don't know, I can walk a little bit but I always seem to fall, I'm hoping my knee heals really soon, I also have ms which doesn't make things easier.  Yesterday I called Dr. Brolin someone recommended him to me but he only takes my insurance if I can do it out of network I think I might be able to and he wants a report from my original Dr.  Do you think Dr. Washington will see me without a report?  You're lucky that you're working with you original Dr. with Dr. Wasahington. Thanks for being there, Abbey

Hey Abbey; Yeah, we are practically neighbors! :) It's nice  b/c I really don't know anyone who understands what I'm going through. Have you contacted your insurance to see who is in network for you? That may be a good start so you can make sure everything is covered. Ahhh that report thing- I really don't know... Dr. Washington was one of my original doctors so I didn't run into that at all. You have no way whatsoever to get that report? How about through the hospital where you had the procedure done? If you know the town at least, perhaps you'd be able to look it up??

 Hi Jackie, My insurance company is federal bc/bs ppo.  A lot of times they take out of network doctors, but lately they have been giving me problems with everything, but for some reason they don't give me to much problems in the way as surgeries, which is good I guess, But I'm going to check it out anyway I don't want to get stuck with the bill.  As far as where my orriginal surgery nwas I can't remember for the life of me all I know all ended up paying the doctors was around 600 dollars I wouldn't have payed a thing, if I had known that he screwed up my surgery, not just for me but for a lot of others as well and is no longer in bussiness and I'm pretty sure the hospital was in Bergan hospital, but have know idea which one, maybe if I call the insurance company the can shed some light on it. Although I never get anywhere with them.  Last time I had it done it was such a new precedure I was told that I coup get a lap rny I probably stupid for going into this blind folded like I did, but that chapter of my life is over and I don't like to even think about it, the doctor got me so sick after the surgery I couldn't drink the carnation, it was hard going for me.   I'[ve been trying to call Dr. Washington was in my network and make an inisial appointment but, but I can't reach the office I just get a recording telling me to leave my name number you know all that stuff and they will get back to me the next bussiness day and I call during bussiness, I don't know how to reach him.I have a lot of work to do I only know the year when I had the original surgury daone not even the month, it's so difficult to talk to my insurance company they're incompatant, lol. Abbey

This is Abbey again, well this is an update.  I'm terribly upset and trying to understand what just happened to me.  What happened is I went to see Dr. Washingtons ass. Dr. Sedak he got me scheduled for an endoscopy which I already had and Dr. Washingto performed and he basically didn't tell me much except they they had to talk to me, but I didn't want to wait so I called Dr. Sedal and he told me I'm not a candidae for the stomofix or any other bariatrcs surgery I  kept on telling him that I'm gaining more weight than I should be because I barely eat, when I go out to eat I barely eat, and the same at home.  I asked him why am I gaining weight then he really couldn't give me an answer and all the medical problems he didn't know what to tell me except maybe it's one of my meds I'm on and I'm also in a wheel chair because of a knee replacement I had and ms, so I can't exercise.  Basically he told me that he couldn't do anything else for me and dismissed me.  Now what do I do, go on diet pills that's my only choice I guess, unless anyone out there has another solution and can help me, I'm a hundred pounds overweight and barely eat, I'm bafeled I just found out I also have barrets disease great huh?  Tell me what you think because I've been crying for 2 days straight because no doctor can help me and I know something has to be wrong even my husband agrees with me.
Thanks for listening to me.
Abbey

Hi there!  I'm from S Jersey but now live in TX.  I just left PHL after being there for 3 weeks.  Shame I couldn't have seen you when I was there.

There is a great revision surgeon in NJ.  Dr. Greenbaum who is close to you. 

NEW JERSEY David Greenbaum, MD, FACS E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 609-877-1737 Surgical Specialist of New Jersey, Rancocas Division 1000 Salem Road Willingboro, NJ  08046

I had RNY in 94. I regained 130 lbs.  All I lost, plus some.  Highest weight pre RNY 247, low weight 117, highest weight pre revision to DS 259, now  130 for 2 years and nothing to break ever again!!!!!!!!!

In 96, I had horrendous pain and looking back on it later, knew that was the very moment my staple line broke.  I'd only had coffee that morning so mytiny pouch wasn't full.  I think the 2 years of vomiting weakened my staple line. 

I also had stoma enlargement (had an upper GI and an endoscopy late 2005 and early 2006, which confirmed this and made approval for my revision easy)  No wonder I was hungry every 2 hours.  I was completely empty!!!!!!

When I started looking into revision surgery, the good people here told me to get an upper GI and an endoscopy to take during my consult.  I did and you know what Dr. Husted saw/read?  I had a "large gastric fistula" and "stoma enlargment"......which all means, my staple line had come undone and the artificial opening from my pouch to my small intestine was enlarged (emptied out my pouch within 2 hours so I was hungry because I was empty!)

When I decided to have a revision, I had quite a few consults with respected surgeons and they all wanted to "fix" my RNY.  They just didn't get it.  I did not want another surgery that could and, in my opinion, most likely would fail me.  I wanted the surgery that would give me the best odds of losing my excess weight AND keeping it off.      http://tinyurl.com/y7y4ya

 At 53 years old, I wanted to get it right and once I heard about the DS and there would be nothing mechanically to fail, I knew I'd found the right surgery for me. 

With the DS I can eat like a normal person.  I no longer vomit, I no longer dump and I have a  normal quality of life and eating.

I wish I more friends here, but most of them moved away sad to say, I do try to stay in touch as much as possible, anyway I don't think any doctor can help me, I do have medical problems and I thought ny staples must be broken or my stomach got bigger, but that's not the case and I don't understand because everyone around me including myself know that I don't eat that much at all, basically cereal like cherios whyen I'm hungry and fruit.  The doctors that I've gone to see either say my bmi isn't high enough and want me to tak an upper gi which makes me sick to my stomach and can't take or I get an endoscopy find out that my stomach looks fine and really doesn't go into details.  Meanwhile everyday I gain a little bit more what am I to do? Maybe I should look into plastic surgery which I did have after my gastric bypass about 8 years ago.  Does anyone have any suggestions, I've gained 10 pounds in something like a month and don't want to gain a pound, the only thing that help is to starve myself and I know that isn't healthy, but I can't take it anymore.
I need to find a dr. that will just look me over and do something anyway.
Abbey