Ulcers

Hi everyone! Idk if any of you remember I posted about everything came back up. A lot of you said it sounded like a structure. Well, hardheaded me didn't take anyone's advice (not even from my family) and now wish I had!!! Turns out I had an ulcer, and on Tuesday morning (01/01) I woke up and had this horrible pain that started in my lower abdomen and creeped up and behind my shoulders. I tried lying down to see if it would go away, and it did. But 2 hours later, it started up again. I literally thought I was dying!! I called my sister so she could take me to the ER, but I couldn't even walk to my front door, so we called an ambulance. 2 hours later, I was being air lifted to the hospital where I had my RNY done. Turns out that this ulcer perforated and was leaking into my abdomen. I underwent emergency surgery and they fixed it. Has anyone else had this problem?? If so, are/were you a smoker?? I'm feeling much better than I have for the past 5-6 months, so hopefully it's taken care of and won't happen again!!

I had a marginal ulcer discovered a few months after my revision. I am not/have never been a smoker but I did have healing issues after my sleeve and developed a lot of scarring into a stricture so I don't know if it is just how my body is. Rates of marginal ulcer range from 1 to 16% depending on the study and probably, patient compliance and just ...luck of the draw. Did you have a marginal ulcer or another type of ulceration? I am sorry to hear it perforated. I am glad you are ok. Where was your ulcer located? Did you have any symptoms in hindsight?

I'm not sure what kind of ulcer it was, surgeon never said. My ulcer was where the new pouch was connected to the intestine. As far as symptoms go, for about the last 4-6 months I had been experiencing a lot of dizziness, falling, hallucinations, vomiting almost every time I'd eat something, and seizures. About 6 weeks ago, I was headed to bed, and I just felt very, very nauseated. I ended up throwing up a LOT of a reddish-brown liquid. Had no clue what it was because I knew I hadn't eaten anything like that. Now I know it was probably blood!! And other than these things and the horrible pain I had that sent me to the hospital, there were no other symptoms. Since its been repaired, I am no longer experiencing ANY of the problems I had over the last few months!

If you smoke - stop. Or you will be dealing with things like that again. This is a reason most docs don't operate on active smokers, and reauire to quit smoking before they even schedule WlS surgery.

I hope yo heal well. Good luck.

After gastric bypass, the new connection between the stomach pouch and the small intestine may narrow. This is called an anastomotic stenosis. It is also known as a stricture.

Stenosis may occur due to sores (ulcers) at the anastomosis caused by smoking or taking aspirin or NSAID medicines.

Stenosis may occur due to sores (ulcers) at the anastomosis caused by smoking or taking aspirin or NSAID medicines.

I'm just wondering something. IF these things are "caused by smoking", how does one explain the fact that people who don't smoke and never smoked end up with ulcers??? I know smoking isn't good for me, but I get so tired of everyone blaming smoking for every thing that happens!! Don't mean to be disrespectful, I'm just saying.

Everyone blames smoking because it's pretty much top on the list of things that aren't 'good for you' that are also socially acceptable. I'm a prior smoker, I quit in February 2015 (which 2 years before my surgery). I honestly don't think I could have considered WLS as a smoker because why get one aspect of your health under control and then continue a toxic habit?

Pretty much the risk for ulcers goes something like this:

1. Taking NSAIDS
2. Smoking
3. Everything else/luck of the draw/****ty luck

This is why they are blaming your smoking. Also, people who end up with ulcers tend to end up with more ulcers. So pretty much you're looking at increased risk simply because you had RNY, then an increased risk because you're a smoker, and then an increased risk because you already had an ulcer. At this point, the only thing you can change is your smoking.

I know it's hard to quit.