After Apollo Overstitch to correct Gastric Fistula & Reduce Stoma

I know some members are interested in the Apollo Overstitch to correct their gastric fistulas or reduce stomas so I thought I would post a little of my experience after having the Apollo Overstitch myself.

I have heard and read all the comments from those that put down the Apollo Overstitch and say it's no good, which always made me feel bad because I was trying to do what was right for me. I did do my research and know it's effective only about 50% of the time. But I sought out the less aggressive option because I had an open R-N-Y the first time around and the possible complications from having another open abdominal surgery in order to do a revision would be many and very serious. The revision would have to be open.

I suffered every day with a lot of pain in my right side, charlie horse spasms in my abdomen, constant diarrhea, bile reflux, acid reflux, and was always hungry.  I could feel and hear the liquids and food moving from my small pouch through the gastric fistula into the old stomach. I had sought help from many primary care doctors that would not take my complaints seriously over a five year period. I finally referred my own self to a weight loss surgeon who preformed an endoscope and found out I had a gastric fistula, a large stoma, and a very short limb. I developed malabsorbtion and have had iron transfusions. I was depleted nutritionally; calcium, B, D, iron was just depleted.

Because the weight loss surgeon that I saw would not be able to preform the Apollo Overstitch for a year or longer I was lucky enough to find a very experienced and knowledgeable gastroenterologist at Virginia Mason that was preforming the procedure.

I had surgery on July 27, 2015. It has been 33 days and I have lost 23 pounds. 

 The pain in my side is all but gone; I do still have occasional discomfort but not like before.  He was able to reduce my stoma and      close the fistula. He discovered I also have 4 ulcers. Because my limb is so short he was able to scope all the way to my old stomach.

The surgery was not a piece of cake, it was painful and took a good 4 weeks before I wasn't in pain and had to take pain meds every 4-6 hours. I had a lot of pain in my gut, searing pain like needles. Nothing I had felt before so I knew it was surgery related. My lip was swollen and in pain. There was a part of my lip that was numb/tingly and I thought it was damaged but the feeling just came back to it this week.  After taking a shower I would be in a lot of pain and exhausted. Now at four weeks I'm doing better but still feel the gut pain if I do to much. But I can get through a shower without feeling like I'm going to collapse.

I don't feel the drain in my gut from the fistula any longer. I'm still on a clear liquid diet, protein and broth, for another 11 days. I am hungry and it's hard not to eat soft foods but I haven't yet. I have to wait for 46 days before the puree foods stage. I want the stitches to hold so I'm sticking to the program.

I had time to work on the vitamin deficiency months before surgery so I'm doing good in that area now. I'm adding exercise to my daily routine now that I'm feeling a little better.

I'll post updates if anyone is interested. I see my surgeon on the 9th and can eat on the 11th.

Thank you for reading,

J.O.