herniated intestines

Hi, I have been looking for people who have been out of surgery for several or more years and have had complication of "internal hernia of afferent (pancreaticobiliary) limb." I have met one other person who has been "out" of surgery and had same doctor that I had and had this complication... I was in hospital for a total of 16 days and it took them 5 days to diagnosis me...needless to say I have never been the same and looking for info, doctors and stats on this complication. Thanks for any help you can give me, Vickie

Hi Vickie, I am 4 weeks post op for an internal hernia repair and a bowel obstruction.  I had my RXY surgery 2 and 1/2 years ago.  I had two hospitalizations while I was pregnant , for severe pain, nausea, inability to eat, and elevated liver enzymes  (they were thinking pancreatitis, but  CT scan and endoscopy were negative). It was horrible.  Nurses didn't want me to have pain meds because they didn't believe anything was wrong since my tests were negative.   I was discharged when the pain subsided, without a diagnosis.  This last episode I again had severe pain, through the roof.  I almost didn't go to the hospital because I felt like there was nothing they could do for me.. They all seemed to think I was just seeking pain meds like a drug addict.  Finally, my husband dragged me there because I was curled in the fetal position and couldn't talk couldn't think, could only cry and yell because it hurt so bad.  They did another CT scan and saw that I had a bowel obstruction and an internal hernia.  I underwent emergency surgery at 3 am in morning to repair it. I was in the hospital for 4 days and then went home.  I am 4 weeks post op now and my incisions are healing However, I feel like I still have alot of the symptoms.  Bloating, nausea, fill up fast, pressure, ect.  I'm wondering if the hernia is still not corrected.  My surgeon said that small bowel obstruction and internal hernia is a common complication after a bypass, and the incidence of reoccurence is 1 in 10.  It is also more common in laparoscopic rather than open bypass procedures.  It is CRUCIAL to have a very experienced bypass surgeon in charge of your care.  Other doctors are not trained to handle bypass patient complications and are unfarmiliar with our anatomy on a CT scan, and pass it off as normal.    Did you have the hernia repaired? How long ago did you have it done?  I can relate to your grief :(  It is very scary and frustrating too.  Good luck, Kerri

I too have had the same surgery for 2 internal hernias, one external hernia, and a small bowel  obstruction.  I had my emergency surgery on May 4.  I was in the hospital for 4 days also.  I am just now getting back to semi-normal.  My doctor also said it was common for bypass patients because of all the space we have inside from losing so much weight.  I thought I was dying from a heart attack.  I still have to have an MRI of my liver to see if I might have a stone left from my gall bladder surgery 15 years ago.  My liver profile was high and they found several cysts on my liver that they are checking out. Oh well.  I guess I will survive this too. Good luck to both of you.