3 weeks post-op - Revisional RNY (3rd time)
I had my revisional surgery on the 21st of October. The reason for this revision was due to acid reflux and also dry heaving at night, after being asleep. It turned out that the pouch had moved down and was getting stuck in the curtain of the diaphram.
The doctor went in and completely redid everything. He made the Roux limb quite long to aide in weight loss and also took the old stomach and fashioned it around my esophagus so that the pouch would not go back into the diaphram. As well - he had told me that he would take some of my extra skin from my mid-section away and that was fine with me. He removed 2lbs!
Upon awakening from the 8 hours worth of surgery - I was sore - but doing pretty well. I was not allowed ANYTHING by mouth due to the doctor having to do a tremendous amount of work on the esophagus and having anything could start a leak and cause even more issues. So - starting on the 21st, I was not allowed to have anything by mouth, at all. All I could do was brush my teeth - to which I did about 3-5 times a day just to have a decent taste in my mouth.
On week two after surgery, I awakened one morning to not being able to breath very well and I had spiked a fever. I called the doctor and he told me to meet him in his office. I had a possible leak. I know - I wasn't taking anything by mouth - but he thought that I might have had an over collection of saliva that might have leaked into my chest cavity. So - he started IV Rosephin (pardon the spelling) every day for 5 days, followed with a bag of IV fluids. Now here is the interesting part. Because I was only getting nutrition through a feeding tube - I was a bit dehydrated and he couldn't find a vein...so, alas, he found a good one in my NECK! Yes, you can have IVs through your neck. It was interesting. He was great about it. He numbed the area first and then did the IV - which I felt nothing and that was wonderful. So - after 5 days of that - I was feeling better - able to breath and no more fever. On Thursday of last week, he allowed me to have 1/4th of a sugar free popsicle by mouth. I ate that fourth in his office to make sure that there were no problems and he sent me home.
I started back to work yesterday and today - I am TIRED. Thank goodness I can work from home - for that is what I am going to do this afternoon!
I am still on a fourth of a popsicle every two hours with 4 ounces of Boost High Protein through my feeding tube every two hours. I have dropped 15lbs in 3 weeks and everyone at work is noticing it a lot more than I am - so I guess that is good:)
I see the doctor tomorrow and hopefully he will graduate me to broth, jello, crystal lite, etc. He is moving extra careful so that there are no more leaks or any other complications.
Wanted to share my experience. If you have any questions - please feel free to ask:)
**********************************************************
Heather
325lbs to start
114lbs in February, 2004
190lbs in June, 2008
165lbs CURRENT
135lbs GOAL (should hit by January, 2009)
RNY - June, 2002
Tummy Tuck - May, 2003
Revisional RNY - August, 2004 (gastro-gastric fistula and erosion of marlex mesh at stoma)
Revisional RNY - October, 2008
The doctor went in and completely redid everything. He made the Roux limb quite long to aide in weight loss and also took the old stomach and fashioned it around my esophagus so that the pouch would not go back into the diaphram. As well - he had told me that he would take some of my extra skin from my mid-section away and that was fine with me. He removed 2lbs!
Upon awakening from the 8 hours worth of surgery - I was sore - but doing pretty well. I was not allowed ANYTHING by mouth due to the doctor having to do a tremendous amount of work on the esophagus and having anything could start a leak and cause even more issues. So - starting on the 21st, I was not allowed to have anything by mouth, at all. All I could do was brush my teeth - to which I did about 3-5 times a day just to have a decent taste in my mouth.
On week two after surgery, I awakened one morning to not being able to breath very well and I had spiked a fever. I called the doctor and he told me to meet him in his office. I had a possible leak. I know - I wasn't taking anything by mouth - but he thought that I might have had an over collection of saliva that might have leaked into my chest cavity. So - he started IV Rosephin (pardon the spelling) every day for 5 days, followed with a bag of IV fluids. Now here is the interesting part. Because I was only getting nutrition through a feeding tube - I was a bit dehydrated and he couldn't find a vein...so, alas, he found a good one in my NECK! Yes, you can have IVs through your neck. It was interesting. He was great about it. He numbed the area first and then did the IV - which I felt nothing and that was wonderful. So - after 5 days of that - I was feeling better - able to breath and no more fever. On Thursday of last week, he allowed me to have 1/4th of a sugar free popsicle by mouth. I ate that fourth in his office to make sure that there were no problems and he sent me home.
I started back to work yesterday and today - I am TIRED. Thank goodness I can work from home - for that is what I am going to do this afternoon!
I am still on a fourth of a popsicle every two hours with 4 ounces of Boost High Protein through my feeding tube every two hours. I have dropped 15lbs in 3 weeks and everyone at work is noticing it a lot more than I am - so I guess that is good:)
I see the doctor tomorrow and hopefully he will graduate me to broth, jello, crystal lite, etc. He is moving extra careful so that there are no more leaks or any other complications.
Wanted to share my experience. If you have any questions - please feel free to ask:)
**********************************************************
Heather
325lbs to start
114lbs in February, 2004
190lbs in June, 2008
165lbs CURRENT
135lbs GOAL (should hit by January, 2009)
RNY - June, 2002
Tummy Tuck - May, 2003
Revisional RNY - August, 2004 (gastro-gastric fistula and erosion of marlex mesh at stoma)
Revisional RNY - October, 2008
Heather I have a question for you I saw on your surgery list that in 8-2004 you stated Erosion of Marlex Mesh at stoma...what exactly is that. Cause back in January 2007 I had a surgey done by my surgeon and sad to say I'm not really sure what he did. I just know he stated that he had to place a mesh material beteween my instestines because they had collapsed and caused a Hernia... Also I'm not almost 4 years out and have regained 46 lbs in the last 12 months.
Hi Crystal,
What had happened to me in 2004 is my first surgery, done in 2002, was a vertical gastric banding with RNY. My surgeon did the RNY surgery and then placed a piece of marlex mesh at the stoma (this is the place where the new pouch and intestine is connected). The reason for the mesh was to hold the stoma in place and to stop it from stretching, thus causing more food to enter the pouch and you can gain weight. What happened is that my body did not like the mesh (foreign object) and it started to create scar tissue around it. When that happened - it blocked my whole entry to the pouch, thus - every time I ate something - I would throw up. So the doctor had to go in and remove all of the scaring and then redo the whole surgery.
As for you - it sounds like you had a hernia. For hernia repair, they use a mesh substance to hold the abdominal wall together so that your intestines do not break through again (that is what a hernia is - your intestines break through the abdominal wall and pudge out). It sounds like your wall might have been a bit "soft" and not strong enough, so they put the mesh on top of your intestinal area to hold everything in - much like a fake muscle.
If you an unsure what your surgeon did - call his office and ask for the OPERATIVE REPORT of your surgery. It should be free for you to obtain. You can then READ what he did.
I am not sure why you would be gaining weight unless something was done to your prior gastric bypass surgery when they went in to repair the hernia.
Like I said - get a copy of the Operative Report and read it to make sure that nothing happened to your weight loss surgery.
Hope that helps:)
What had happened to me in 2004 is my first surgery, done in 2002, was a vertical gastric banding with RNY. My surgeon did the RNY surgery and then placed a piece of marlex mesh at the stoma (this is the place where the new pouch and intestine is connected). The reason for the mesh was to hold the stoma in place and to stop it from stretching, thus causing more food to enter the pouch and you can gain weight. What happened is that my body did not like the mesh (foreign object) and it started to create scar tissue around it. When that happened - it blocked my whole entry to the pouch, thus - every time I ate something - I would throw up. So the doctor had to go in and remove all of the scaring and then redo the whole surgery.
As for you - it sounds like you had a hernia. For hernia repair, they use a mesh substance to hold the abdominal wall together so that your intestines do not break through again (that is what a hernia is - your intestines break through the abdominal wall and pudge out). It sounds like your wall might have been a bit "soft" and not strong enough, so they put the mesh on top of your intestinal area to hold everything in - much like a fake muscle.
If you an unsure what your surgeon did - call his office and ask for the OPERATIVE REPORT of your surgery. It should be free for you to obtain. You can then READ what he did.
I am not sure why you would be gaining weight unless something was done to your prior gastric bypass surgery when they went in to repair the hernia.
Like I said - get a copy of the Operative Report and read it to make sure that nothing happened to your weight loss surgery.
Hope that helps:)
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