Marginal or anastomotic ulcer

Has anyone had problems with a non-healing ulcer? Talk of doing surgery to fix mine has kind of freaked me out. I am trying to get all the information I can before agreeing to anything.

Not me but hugs     and swinging for you that they can get it healed without surgery.

I don't now either. Are you a member of Vitalady's grads board? They've been around a long time--maybe some of them have some experience. health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

I sure hope you get this sorted out quick, I can only imagine how painful it must be.  :(

--gina

Thanks Price and Gina! I actually am a member of Vitalady's boards. I just haven't been there in a long time. I guess I need to get over my hatred for all things yahoo and go back. It is a good idea to check with them. Thanks.

Cheryl,
I have not had this problem, but a lady that works with us is fixing to have surgery to cut out an ulcer that she has that will not heal.  They had her on 3 different types of medicines for a couple of months to see if it would heal and it didn't.  She goes to the surgeon tomorrow.  She has not had WLS.

Hope they can get your fixed up.

Linda

I have not had this problem, hope you can resolve this without surgery.
Good luck!

I havent had it but read alot about it.  From what I read it doesnt alway help the problem.  You need to first find out what is causing the problem before you either reverse a surgery or remove your remnant stomach.  Is the ulcer in your pouch or remnant?  I gather you have had an Endoscopy?  did they do a biopsy for HPylori?  If not that nees to be done/  There are totally different treatments for ulcers due to hpylori or an ulcer for other reasons.  Also, if you only have 1 ulcer, that isnt' a reason to have surgery - it is only done with multiple and repeated ulcers that are bleeding and chronic.
What treatments and dose have you  been on?  If it is HPylori, then you need to be on a Prevpac which is 2 antibiotics and Prevacid depending on if you are allergic to penecillin there are 2 different types - the main one is amoxicillin/biaxin/prevacid - not sure the dosing.  If allergic to penecillin then you take Biaxin/Flagyl/Prevacid and PeptoBismol but you can't take the Pepto Bismol because postop we can't take Pepto Bismol because it is an NSAID and causes ulcers - pretty ironic.  Once you take a 14 days treatment with this, you have to have a breath test to make sure it is cleared up - if negative, then you continue on Prevacid 2 times per day  and carafate (4 times per day)for 8 weeks and have another endoscopy to see if it is cleared/  If not, repeat it for another 8 weeks.  It is a complicated process.

If it isnt' hylori from the start, you start with prevacid 2 times per day and carafate 4 times per day and get retested in 8 weeks.  Please dont let them talk surgery until you go through the entire process. Itis complicated but it can work


also, ,make sure you are taking no nsaids, no aspirin, no arthritis meds of any kinds - gels, pills IVS, steroids, no alcohol, no smoking, no spicy foods,

Thanks. I have had pain since last May. My first endoscopy was last July. At that time they tested me for Hpylori and it was negative. I have had a scope every 8 weeks since July. We try a medicine and then 8 weeks later scope to see if it is better.It never has been. I have another one scheduled for March 29th to check on it again.
 I have been on Prilosec, Protonix, Nexium , Carafate and now Axid.  None of them have healed it or even improved it. While I don't have evidence of bleeding, the pain is terrible from time to time and I end up in the ER.
The ulcer is NOT in the remnant stomach it is at the anastomosis from the pouch to the intestine. I have found several articles that indicate that sometimes the cause is related to too many acid producing cells in an over large pouch. Lots of articles if you google anastomotic ulcer.
 I have neer smoked, not drinking alchohol, caffeine, never taken NSAIDS or ASA or eat spciy foods. AND I LOVE spicy foods.
There is no talk of reversing the surgery or removing the remnant stomach. The two options are to revise the surgery by decreasing the size of the pouch, cutting out the ulcerated tissue and reanastomosing OR a selective vagotomy which will decrease the amount of acid I produce. Both are aimed at the supposed cause of my ulcer.
I am trying to find someone who has had either of these surgeries.

I hope your problems have been taken care of.  I was just dx with anatstomatic ulcer, deep, and was wondering what your final outcome was?