found out I have a fistula

Hello Everyone,
I just rejoined OH.. I had RNY Gastric bypass surgery in june 2005.  THe day after I had my surgery I had a leak and hadto stay in the hospital for two weeks.  My pre surgery weight was 310lbs and I lost 150lbs,my lowest weight was 160lbs.  I have to say that for the first 4 years I was able to keep the weight off.  I actually even got pregnant 6 months after my surgery and was still losing weight and had a beautifull healthy little boy.  After 3.5 years I started gaing weight for some reason.  I am still only able to eat a little bit at a time but I was noticing that I although I still was eating a cup full of food 20 minutes later I was starving again.  As of right now I have gained back  96lbs in a year.  I have not done anything different.  I was reading something about people that had a leak and later on got a fistula.  I made an appointment with a local bypass doctor and he said that I might have this.  He sent me to get an upper GI done.  When the results came back it did show that I had a fistula. So I am waiting for my insurance to approve my surgery. He is going to do a revision and fix the fisula at the same time.  I have tricare for insurance and it is military insurance.  My husband is in the Army.  The doctor said that its a medical nessecity so I am hoping that this will go through.  No matter what I do or how little I eat I can not lose weight.  When I had my surgery and the doctor never told me that this could happen, he never even told me about it when I had my leak.  Now when they do a revision what exactly do they do?  I just found out that he was going to do a revision as well as fix the issue that I have.  I see that people that are having revisions done they are having like a Duedenal switch or other bypass options.  Just would like to know if I am going to have to have one of thoes or are there just simple revisions done?

What they do in a RNY to DS revision is described in a paper below in my signature. It entails a complete reversal of the RNY before doing the DS. The reversal of the RNY part is very tricky and requires a revisions expert to perform.

Since you have Tricare, you're NOT going to get a revision to the DS unless you fight tooth an nail for it, and maybe not even then.

Sucks, but that's Tricare.

I do not know the type of revision that I will be having,

I'm just telling you that Tricare won't cover a revision to the DS.

With RNY the intestinal villi adapts and absorbs 100% @ 2 years out.  DS is the only surgery with long term malabsorption which is why people revise to it, but as mentioned it's not an easy op.

Please see beemerbeeper's link here for further details http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/failed_wls_second_time_aro und/4389195/Please-dont-blame-yourself-if-your-RnY-failed-yo u/

Hi. I had the RNY in 2002 and just got banded 3 wks ago (BOB - band over bypass). I too had a fistula but it didn't need to be repaired as it was "my normal". Ive been pretty good with uodating my profile this time as well so pls let me know if you had any questions. I went from 305 to 175 in 2 yrs, kept off the weight till 2007 and in the last 2-3 yrs put on the weight. I was 246.6 day of surgery (6/33) and today I'm 226. I have my first fill next week. I have restriction again for the first time in 5 yrs.

Thank you for sharing.. When you say that you had a fistula and it was "my normal" what does that mean? What was the cause of gaining back so much weight?  why did you choose the band?
Congrats on your surgery.  I wish you the best of luck this time around.
Brittany

 When I had my ct scan with and without contrast, you can see contrast on both sides of my staples line.  My surgeon said its my nromal bc if i was just post-op, I'd be sick.  I gained weight bc my pouch is soooooo stretched out that it is pre-RNY size.  I chose the band bc I only wanted to lose 60-70 lbs and I wanted restriction back. Plus, I didnt want a DS, too invasive, to major of a surgery and I didnt want my entire stomach removed. I also am a volume eater, not a snacker, so, it would work well for me.  I also considered a revision of my RNY, but, didnt want a 6-8 hours surgery and the potential 10% death rate and 20-30% complication rate and that is the norm. I would have used the best in the country, if not the world, Mitchell Roslin, but still didnt want to chance it.