Why no blind NG tubes after surgery?

Bralen
on 10/23/10 4:37 am
I see people having this put on their medic alert bracelets. Someone said it is because it can damage the pouch. I can't find any information on this anywhere. How will it cause damage to the pouch?

Start weight 263     Surgery weight 247  
redbedhead
on 10/23/10 6:17 am - Colorado Springs, CO
Normally, when an NG tube is inserted, they pass the tube through your nostril and down into your stomach without using a viewing device such as a camera to help with placement, but using their instinct and med school procedures. 

After RNY you do not have as much stomach anymore, so they need to not do this procedure blind but use a camera and LOOK where they are putting it so that they do not accidentally poke a hole in your pouch thinking the tube should go down farther.

Anna   
RNY 10/14/08 LBL 6/14/11    135 pounds lost, after bounceback regain.  And I am OK with that.  It enabled me to have double hip double knee replacements in the 9 month periond between Oct 2011 and June 2012.  
        

Honey_B
on 10/23/10 10:45 pm
This is interesting.  just a few months after my RNY my stoma was blocked because I ate pasta too soon (I was told after the fact that pasta should not be consumed until 6 months out because it acts like glue).  My local hospital didn't know how to treat me.  They didn't even know how to get a picture of what was wrong as they said I HAD to drink a half gallon of contrast while I was in pain.  So I was transported to the city where they specialized in RNY surgery and where I had mine done.  My surgeon had an NG tube inserted in me to suction out the pasta.  It wasn't as difficult to place as I thought.  The only thing that was uncomfortable was I could feel the end of the tube, and it was just under my throat, so whenever I swallowed I would feel it rub up against the wall of my throat.  It wasn't that low at all, so I guess they knew how to place it.  Well, this procedure took a few days, but it worked and kept them from having to surgically correct the blockage.  This was almost 3 yrs ago, and my pouch is fine.  I hear so many conflicting things about what you can and cannot do after RNY.  I had nasal surgery following RNY too and asked my surgeon about the breathing tube being an issue because I was getting general anesthesia.  He said the tube didn't go down far enough to contact the pouch, so that was a relief too.
    
Honey_B
on 10/23/10 10:49 pm

I forgot to mention that my NG tube was placed blind on 3 different occasions during my 5 day stay. 

    
×