Stomach stapling done in the 90's Question..HELP!!!

Hi Alizka,

My surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7:30AM so I haven't had it yet.

The barium swallow is no big deal, they just take a bunch of Xrays while you take sips and swallow the barium; it's kind of like milk of magnesia. That will tell them if you have a disruption in your staple line. If you do, then they will need to do an endoscopy which you will be under anestesia for and they look around inside your pouch and measure how big your disruption or fistula is. My fistula is 3-4 CM and the doctor was able to put the scope through it into my lower stomach and through my duodenum and look at everything. The endoscopy is also a piece of cake, other than it takes most of the day to get completely awake from the anestesia, so you will probably nap a lot that day, but feel great the next day.

You should tell you doctor about the stomach pain because ulsers are a common problem with this type of gastric bypass, please don't mess around with that. I almost died when my staple line came apart, I was bleeding internally and got very weak, but didn't go to the doctor. One morning when I sat up in bed to get up I passed out cold and my DW Barb got worried and took me in and that is when we discovered that I had lost 3 or 4 units of blood. They put me in the hospital ASAP and pumped me full of blood, which probably saved my life. If you have stomach pain, don't wait until it gets real bad, go see what's causing it.

Best wishes,

Kerry

Kerry, 
           You will be in my Prayers. I know you will do well. Thank you so very much for all your help.. Now to figure out what is the best way for me to go.. Fats and all foods are my trouble for sure, not so much sweets...Oh I still can not eat steak, pork or any type of solid meats after all these years is that normal was told that would happen.? I have tried to chew the meat up good too. No way!! I would be in the bathroom getting it up...5 min's later. I was told that would happen. Yet I can eat Veal,  Very strange.  But everyone else who had the surgery was told the same thing by their surgeon and they can eat that type of foods with no troubles. I would love a nice piece of steak...
      I hope to hear from Dr. Sandor's office tomorrow. They are making an appt for me for that swallow test I told you about...I will them about my stomach pain, I promise. But after all these years I do not think it has anything to do with that surgery....Thank you again Alizka

Alizka,

It sounds to me like you have a stricture, (sp) which is a restriction somewhere in your upper GI. This could also be what is causing the pain you're feeling.

 I can eat pretty much anything, but then I have that 3-4 CM opening to my lower stomach so I think that has a lot to do with my ability to eat. The only things that I really can't tolorate are rich foods like ice cream or chocolate cake, I get sick within 30 mintues if I eat that sort of food. 

You sound a lot like me, sweets are not my favorite foods, but I love pizza, chips, burgers etc. Salty fatty foods are my favorites, which is another thing I really like about the DS, as it malabsorbs 80% of the fats you eat.

I appreciate your thoughts and prayers very much, please let me know what your doctor says.

Best regards,

Kerry

Hi Kerry, Thank God you have a caring wife to get you to the hospital fast! I have a very caring husband too. I'm surprised he put up with my 33 lb weight gain since we were married in 1996. It feels like 100lbs!! I am calling my Doctor tomorrow about the pain. But I do not think it is related to my surgery in 1992. My daughter thinks it is too many years ago also to be realted to it.. She just had her Surgery Sept 2nd, I believe it was. WOW was she ever in so much pain!!! She went to the ER. It scared me to death, almost changed my mind. But she is doing much better now.

I am getting so excited for you!!! I'll be Praying for you all that day, The 17th...I promise! You'll do great.             Alizka

Sounds like you had a VBG (stomach stapling) which is what I had in /87.   They put a mesh band made of mylar at the top of your stomach.   IT IS NOTHING LIKE LAP BAND surgery.  I later had lap band surgery as a revision in April/06 and had wonderful results and continue to.  EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT THOUGH.

Bring all your medical records to your consult.  Your new surgeon will also do further testing such as a endoscopy and gastroscopy to look inside at what he has to deal with.

Wow God Bless you Donna! You are doing wonderful!! My new Doctor, Dr. Sandor told me I had part staple and a band?? I was never told that...I was 387.5 and only 5'2" the time. I've gained a littler over 50 lbs of all that I lost.  I am 242.8 now...I am not happy with that. I have diabetes that is not controlled yet, high blood pressure controlled, High cholesterol some what controlled. Bad knees big time...I Pray I can have something done to help me.. My trouble is not eating sweets it is eating fats!! I'm Hungarian we eat to many fats! Wish there was something to just pass the fats!! HAHA HA!! I have BC/BS FEB 105 insurance. They say good chance it would be covered. That is if my Dr. says it is ok to do something to help me..I'm scared because I do not know which way to go!!! I go for a swallow test this week hopefully, If all is well, then we'll take it from there..Oh maybe a Endoscopy test too..How did you do with you first surgery? Did you lose much and keep it off for years? Thank you for any help...I Pray all the best for you. It is not the easy road as many people use to say to me. It is hard work. And you did! Fantastic!  Alizka

Hi Alizka,

I did very well with my first surgery back in /87 going from 260 day of surgery down to 113 by 2 years out.  I managed to keep the weight down by dieting for several more years on my own most of that time.

If fats are your downfall you may want to consider a revision to duodenal switch as it malabsorbs a lot of fat.

Take care,

I had stomach stapling in 1981.  I lost from 325 down to 180 and kept it off for a decade.  At some point my staple line obviously failed, and I have regained the weight plus more.  I went to see a surgeon this week that had told me they would do it, no problem.  When I got there for the face to face (after waiting 3 months for the appointment), he said they had decided against any revisions.  Needless to say, I dropped into a deep funk for a couple of days.

I had hoped for a band, but I can see why banding over, or near, a staple line would be problematic.  I've found a surgeon who has done many revisions, and the coordinator said a bypass shouldn't be a problem, but he'll want to run a scope down and take a look.

I know if I can't get a revision, then I'm done.  Now, I've got to fight with BCBS, I'm sure.  I'm an employee, so maybe I can manage to talk to the right people.