Revision Scheduled in One week

I'm excited and nervous. My revision is scheduled for Sept. 5, 2019. I had RNY in 2001. Started out at 320, went down to 149, and slowly over the years gained up to 220. I'm down now, Thanks to Weigh****chers (WW) and following their plan, but I can never get below 190. So my doctor is going to do a revision. I'm so happy. There is somethings in there he's going to fix and some he's going to create. LOL He's one of the top surgeons in the country for this particular procedure. My insurance approved me VERY FAST...from the time they sent the letter it was only 2 weeks and I had approval. I've been following my doctors diet now for about a week and I'm down 7 pounds, but not below 190. He was hoping I'd get to 190 before my pre-op appointment, tomorrow. As of yesterday I was 2 pounds away. I'm so thankful to be getting this second chance. Has anyone had good results? What can I expect? Did you lose the weight you wanted to?

What exactly is your surgeon going to do? It will be easier to answer the questions you have if we know exactly what you're having done. =)

He's going to fix several issues. 1. My first surgeon left a piece of intestine in there just flopping around. It's called a "candy cane". It gets food, water, etc FIRST. When I swallow, things tend to go in there then it gets inflamed and causes me pain. I drink a lot of water, so I do keep it flushed out for the most part, but when it gets inflamed...WATCH OUT it hurts. So he's going to remove it. 2. My "pouch" has elongated, and joined my intestines. So when I eat, NOTHING stays in there and it goes directly into my intestines. He's going to reconstruct my pouch, and make my stoma smaller. 3. Because food has been going directly into my intestines, parts of them are "stretched". He's going to check and see if they will be able to repair themselves over time or if he needs to remove sections and then connect them back together. That is to be determined at the time of surgery.

The stretched stoma is usually from eating bites that are too big and drinking with your meals, which forces inadequately chewed food through the stoma, thus stretching it out. After your revision you will have to be VERY careful to chew thoroughly and never drink with your meals, and for 30 minutes after you eat. It will ruin your revision if you do. Over eating will cause the same problem.

Best wishes to you!

I have always chewed my food. My Mother used to "make" us count to 32 before we could swallow. Also I always put my fork down between bites, and never put food in my mouth WITH food in my mouth. I do not drink with meals, never have, never will. Thank you for your comment.

Thanks for this detailed answer. It helps us to see exactly what's going on.

It sounds like he's basically going to tidy up in there (get rid of your candy cane), improve your pouch and take care of your stretched stoma. That's a lot of work!

Hopefully it will take care of your current issues. I just want to caution that stomas stretch in large part due to non-optimum choices we make. And that if your pouch has actually joined your intestines - which sounds like complete misery to me - you've got two very important areas to keep an eye on once your surgeons has made the necessary corrections.

It might not hurt to be almost anal about sticking to your docs post op diet progression. You'll want to give yourself every chance to lose the gain, and your priority has got to be that post op food plan until you are given the all clear for regular foods.

I sure hope all of this work ends up being super-beneficial to you. Weight loss after revisions seems to go slower and top out at smaller amounts lost. Honestly though I think many times it depends on the patient and their determination or lack thereof. I'm betting you will do great. =)

Please keep us posted if you're up to it. Take care of yourself.

He's basically said I don't even have a stoma anymore. He said it's very common for the stoma to stretch but mine is gone. It's all just one long tube. It was not from my poor choices though. I have always adhered to the "rules" which is why after 19 years I have not gained all the weight back. He said I am the "exception" not the rule. He's very impressed at how I have kept the weight off and my determination. That is why he's willing to do this surgery on me. He said that someone who had just "eaten" because they could would have gained the weight then some. I've stayed on a diet, exercised and remained healthy. No I didn't stay down to the lowest, but I didn't get back up over 300 or anywhere near it.

He changed my surgery date from the 6th to the 5th. I'm getting super excited. I can't wait to be out of "this" pain. I know I have a long recovery ahead, as he said it will probably have to be done "open" but I'm ready. I'm not going to waste this gift.

Wow I missed that about your stoma being actually gone but it makes absolute sense given what you're dealing with. Will he attempt to make some type of new one when he's in there taking care of everything else?

and FWIW, I believe you. That you didn't push any food boundaries or cause your own issues. It's really great that you didn't put all of the weight back on and I bet you'll have an easier time and lose more weight than much of the revision patients we see here.

The majority of the time we see enlarged/stretched stomas in here it's due to operator error. Pushing the limits of the rules, or flat out ignoring the instructions for pouch care, etc. You happen to be the exception it sounds like, but that may be why some of the posters brought up examples of stoma stretching behaviors.

Good luck for a successful surgery.

Yes, he said he may have to "rebuild" everything and even take out part of my intestines to do it. Time will tell. Since the food was just going into my intestines, parts of them are stretched because they were holding undigested food. Considering I was a "vegan" for years and ate mainly raw....that means a lot of raw veggies have been stretching out my intestines. Fortunately they are all FIBER so they pass through. Now when he redoes everything I can't be Raw vegan or even vegan anymore. He said I have to eat what he says to eat if I want success and I'm willing to do it. I can't take the "moral" high ground here. LOL I can figure out other ways to save animals. I need my "health" above all. He's been retraining my digestive tract the past month with special diets and including LOTS of protein. I've had to slowly reintroduce meat, which would make me gain weight but he isn't allowing me hardly any carbs or fat. He's had me on a diet of 70+ grams of protein, 30 grams or less carbs and 10 grams or less fat. (daily) It figures out to about 600 calories a day, but I've been doing it. I'm down almost 10 pounds just from the diet change and to me that is amazing because I have been on WW (weigh****chers) for years and unable to lose. But I was happy with maintaining, because I was NOT going back up...no way no how. It's just going to be nice now to "eat and get full" because I haven't felt that in about 10 -12 years.

Thank you so much for your posting...I hv thought I have been all alone...Had my RNY May 2005...lost down to the point I cried because hated my extra skin..but hv had and still do hurt when I eat...I too chew thoroughly..have frothing and extreme pain up high after eating and usually vomit whatever I have eaten back up... Never drink and eat...but Heard horror stories right after having surgery from girls being restretched & waking up during the office process...so was scared...here i am about 220 again...and resigned to the fact I guess I am supposed to be over weight....tytyty for showing that being brave & trying again might be worth the attempt...I will follow your surgery.