How often does food get stuck, and how bad is it?

Hi guys,

I have a question to those who already did the Roux-en-Y surgery (or those who have family members or close friends who did). I did the Lapband surgery 6 years ago and hated the sensation of food 'getting stuck' at the tip of my stomach all the time. Even when the Band was at its loosest, and no matter how well I chewed, there was always a very good chance the food will get stuck and I'll have to throw up. I removed the Lapband last year, and am scheduled to do Roux-en-Y this June in Toronto, Ontario.

I saw some Youtube videos of folks who did the Roux-en-Y, and the vast majority mentioned that food (especially steak and chicken breast) get stuck 'often'. I'm now getting concerned, and thinking maybe I should go with the Sleeve. I do know that some patients who had the sleeve also throw up if they over-do it, but it's not because something got stuck. Sleeve patients very rarely complain of 'stuck food', but I'm wondering how often does food get stuck with Roux-en-Y patients.

Would appreciate your detailed feedback, whether positive or negative.

Just two quick FYI's:

1. The reason I still feel gravitated towards Roux-en-Y is that it's much more effective with Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes as 30-40% of dietary sugar will not be absorbed in the intestines
2. I'm not seeking to maximum pleasure or keep my bad eating habits. I simply want a tool to make me feel "full" very quickly (i.e. after eating 1 or 2 cups worth of solid food), while staying healthy.

Thanks in advance :)

I hate to tell you but post op any WLS we absorb all simple carbs, specially sugars. I am not sure where you read that:

1. The reason I still feel gravitated towards Roux-en-Y is that it?s much more effective with Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes as 30-40% of dietary sugar will not be absorbed in the intestines

Not only my body absorbs all sugars - but it also triggers very rapid insulin storm - that not only would cause all the sugar to turn into fat - but it may prevent weigh loss.

app 30-40 of RNY get dumping when we consume too much sugar - but even with dumping - most of us are very efficient to absorb any bit of sugar we eat... I know - I am one of them. The dumping may flash anything else out of my system - but the sugar is in the intestines long enough to be absorbed. I know; I tested my BS level during dumping..

with RNY - what we may not absorb is some fat and proteins. And the proteins we really really need.

As for food getting stuck - it happened to me a few times in my first year- when i did not chew well enough - or ate to fast- my food got stuck. Or if I ate raw carrots. My pouch hated raw carrots. But for me - it happened only 3-5 times.. Really not a lot...

and I learned very quickly what food to avoid or how well to chew it.

I'm 6 months post op and have yet to get food stuck, I eat chicken and steak. I did get an antibiotic capsule stuck (in my esophagus) so I didn't do that again, and now I open them and mix with food ( pharmacists suggestion).

Rny does not stop sugar to my knowledge i think I think there is minimal fat and protein malabsorption though.

I have had dumping from drinking a protein shake too fast so I will not go near simple sugar and haven't tested that out. As a former bander I know to avoid sliders and and simple carbs.

Love the rny. I chose it over the sleeve because I didn't want to risk reflux with the sleeve and need a second revision.

btw it a food can get stuck with rny it can happen with the sleeve too. Rny and sleeve are nothing like the band at all so you will need to dump the bander point of view when evaluating.

Thank you so much H.A.L.A.B and Travelher for your responses! I now feel more comfortable with this. I'm totally ok with having a certain of forbidden foods to avoid that stuck sensation (I remember cucumbers were the most notorious thing ever when I had the lapband)

As for the sugar thing, that's very interesting. Here's what I know through the readings (mostly studies):

A majority of a person's dietary sugars get absorbed in the duodenum (or the first few inches of the small intestines. For Diabetics, the main advantage of RXY over Sleeve is that you by-pass a very good portion of the small intestines which means a good portion of the carbs don't get absorbed. I'll try to provide the links later, but several studies worldwide showed diabetes remission among RXY patients is always at least double that of Sleeve patients - despite similar weight loss patterns (e.g. 80% vs 40%, some other studies showed lower numbers at 60% vs 25%)

Also, this study clearly states that RXY results in "intestinal glucose disposal", which basically means the glucose gets flushed away in the 'bathroom' http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(15)01478-X/a bstract

Because I'm pre-diabetic I really hope this info is correct, cuz otherwise I think the Sleeve would make more sense to me, given it's a bit more simpler and has are a little bit lower risk of complications (less stapling involved)

Anyways, thank you again for your feedback. I think i'll just move forward with RXY and make sure to chew reallyyyy well!

based on my personal experience - My body absorbs sugars very very fast and dumps a lot of insulin into my BS...

some theory suggest that due to bypassed parts of small intestine- the concentrated food (not really digested) triggers the part of small intestine that communicate with pancreas, causing pancreas stimulation. I know my body makes significant amount of insulin in response to food i eat (carbs and proteins)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196978115 002454

I don't think they really know why and what is happening..

OMG HALAB I have serious allergic reactions to most all pain meds. Norco caused seizures. Tramadol severe hives. Lyrica rapid heart rate. I understand before anyone comments they are totally different types of pain meds but that is just the beginning of the list it goes on and on opiate/opiod not sure which is the most severe. So far 11 yrs out I can only take dilaudid but causes nausea and insomnia seriously BAD. I just wonder if you or anyone has heard of this can you reply? No doctor can figure out why either. The absorption rate is partial but some kinds have been iv or shots. TIA. Also is recurring hernias and multiple hernias????????

I've had food stuck twice, both times because I ate TOO fast.

It lasted about a day or so.

I don't have time for a detailed reply but wanted to pop on and say that I am a revision from band to bypass and let me tell you--"stuck" with RNY is nothing like "stuck" with the band! It's only happened a handful of times in almost 2 years (as opposed to every day with the band) and it's not nearly as painful and scary.

Don't let fear of the unknown stop you from revision. It can only get better without that thing in your body!!!!

Exactly what JB said!! Band stuck and Rny stuck are completely different!!

I completely agree with JB and Pat. Getting stuck with the band a completely different thing than with RNY. I'm 6.5 mos out and only got stuck once and that's because I ate too fast and it was nothing like the awful band. You'll be so much happier with RNY. Much, much different feeling.