Anyone (RNY) out there without an excluded stomach?

Okay, this is probably going to be a strange question.  But my surgeon told me that many of the earlier Open RNY's had the leftovers of their stomach removed (ya know, the part they don't use for pouch making) right during surgery.  I am lookng at possibly (if my surgeon finally decides to stop "monitoring" and "testing" and get on with it) getting my excluded stomach (the leftovers) removed because of a complication.  So I was wondering, do you know what side effects you experience from no stomach?  Are you prone to worse malabsorbtion or diarrhea or constipation?  Inquiring minds want to know.   PS.  If anyone out there KNOWS someone who had their excluded stomach removed (they will probably be more of an "old timer" with an open surgery) and you feel like asking them this question for me I would really appreciate the information.

I do  know 1 person that had this done. She is only 1yr out, but she had SO many complications and several surgeries after her lap rny that this was the  final thing they tried. So far it's working for her. I know that her stomach kept filling up with fluids and they tried a few times to put in a shunt, but it never worked so they would have to go in and surgically remove the fluid. They said  this is very rare and she ended up having the exluded stomach done in Pittsburgh instead of Erie b/c they have more experience with these things. She did not mention anything about worse malabsorbtion to me and   hasn't had any extraordinary diarrea or constipation  problems. She had it done about 4mths ago. Good luck to you and I hope that you are feeling better soon!

THAT IS EXACTlY WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!   WOW!  I thought I was the only one.  My surgeon has been scratching his head and picking the brains of every bariatric doctor he knows of to figure out what to do about me.  My stomach just fills up with fluid and it hurts like crazy.  Right now I have a tube that is in my excluded stomach that empties in a bag I wear under my shirt but that is not a permanent solution.  Pittsburg you say?  Hmmmm.  Mind if I ask her name?  If you're not comfortable giving out her name could you give her mine and my e-mail address [email protected].  I would love to hear more about what she went through.  Thank you SO much for responding.  I can't even tell you how comforting it is to know I'm not the only one. 

She doesn't post here at OH~I know her from my son's school. I'll be happy to give her your email addy on Monday and ask her to get in contact with you~her name is Sue and I'll tell her to put something in the subject line so you know its from her. That way at least you could talk to someone that's been thru it!

I really appreciate that.  Thanks!

Me, original surgery 10/5/94. SLD and so revision 1/20/2000. I ASKED them to remove the remnant because I had a histroy of ulcer going back to my teens and did not want an ulcer in that part when I was already going to have surgery.

I have not missed it and my labs are better, but that's because I know more than I did then.

The main thing coul be SOME day if they needed to place a "g-tube" (g = gastro = stomach), well, we would not have one. So, we'd need a "j-tube" (j = jejunum), which is still there.

There is not more malabsorption because stomachs don't absorb anything but sugar. Intestines do. We don't digest less, because we don't really digest anything NOW, so it's moot.

The one thing that MIGHT change is B12 because we'd no longer make any intrinsic factor at all, but since the eaten B12 had to actually mate with it IN the stomach (and it doesn't do that NOW), it's all again, moot.

My B12 had gradually come down over the yrs and finally got low enough to act on after my revision, but I also think it was just time. Most everyone does supplement from day 1 ANYWAY, so as long as it's shots or sublingual, the whole stomach or no stomach question does not apply.

So, it's been almost 8 yrs without a stomach. Our local military hospital did all theirs that way, and the older BPD (before DS) were all done that way, and they're all 80's and 90's ppl. Their deficiencies are what they didn't take or didn't know to take, like anyone's would be.

It is great to know that if I end up having my excluded stomach removed I am not really setting myself up for anything major that anyone can think of.  I have a j-tube now that empties the fluid that just sits in my excluded stomach otherwise.  It is painful and annoying and the only way to fix it long term is to just remove the stomach.  I really appreciate your response!

On the yahoo grad list, there are several of us who have had gastrectomies for whatever reason. Original surgery, inherent issues (like me) or something went wrong.

Except for the expectable and preventable deficiencies, they are fine.

The ones you can expect and prevent?
protein
iron
calcium
A, D, E
zinc
B1
B12

But that applies to all WLS, even bands