Question:
my siter has a leak

hello my sister had the lap rny on 9/6 from the get go she was not feeling well, come to find out she has a leak they say its not a bad one but the fluid in her stomach cavity is infected. i would like to know if any one has had a leak and if so what did they do to fix it and how upset were you. my sister is very upset and wishing she didnt have the surgery, she can not eat or drink for one month and must go home with an iv. i would like to hear from other people who had leaks and i would appreciate it if you could give me some encouring news that i could take to my sister. thanks in advance.    — jessica B. (posted on September 14, 2002)

September 14, 2002
Hi Jessica, I had a leak. I had open RNY 7/17/01 and at about 1.5-2 weeks out I had intense pain, long story short, I had a gastric leak. They did not have to re-open me. I did however have to stay in the hospital for an another 16 days (in 4 days previously for surgery itself). I was not allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING for much of that time. I had to wait for scar tissue to grow enough to snuff out the small hole. I also developed an infection...the meds they use to fight that are nasty...make you nauseous and give you the worst taste imaginable in your mouth...I know how your sister feels. I had to have several tubes inserted into me to allow built up fluid to drain. I am so very sorry your sister is going through this, however it DOES GET BETTER. I am now over a year post op and even though I was bitter for awhile about what happened, I can say with all honesty I'd do it all again in a "heartbeat". I am very close to my goal weight and living a life I really never thought I would be able to. I have so much energy. I would endure the entire expirience again to have such freedom from my old body. My prayers are with you and your family. It will seem like forever for your sister, but when she has healed and she is loosing weight and gaining freedom, she will understand what I am saying and hopefully agree. God bless. -Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -129
   — KimBo36

September 14, 2002
I too had a leak. I had open RNY on 6/24 and went home on 6/28. Started vomiting on 6/30 and was readmitted. It was determined that I had a post-op ileus at first and then a few days later after a CT scan, they discovered that I had a lot of free fluid in my abdomen. We had to get another surgeon to come in on the case and I ended up back in surgery on 7/9 for an exploratory laparotomy. My new surgeon said that if they had waited much longer, I might not have made it. I had peritonitis and a lot of adhesions. They drained the fluid and I ended up with 3 drains post op. I had to stay in ICU for 4 days as I had renal failure and some other problems post op. I then had to stay in the hospital for about 1 1/2 weeks longer. It was awful. However, it does get better. I have now gone back to work and am doing well. I have lost 56 lbs (Now I have been on a plateau for about 2 1/2 weeks.) I am almost to the point that the surgery was worth it. (smile). Please tell your sister to hang in there.
   — karen B.

September 15, 2002
I too had a leak. LAP RYN on 6-11-02 and then OPEN RNY to repair the leak on 6-14-02. I was terribly depressed and in the hospital for 16 days and then came home with a PICC line in my arm and home-health care at my house twice a day to change the liquid nourishment I was receiving. I had a JP drain and a G-tube that had to have the bile drained from it 4 times a day with a huge syringe. It was a nightmare. I even called my surgeon one night and asked her if this surgery could be reversed. But tell your sister that one night she will go to bed and things will be just terrible and you wake up the next morning and everything will be turned around. Literally....it was overnight for me. I just celebrated my 3 month anniversary from the 1st surgery - down 54#'s which is slow but I am thankful to be alive and finally happy. No regrets now!!
   — Carrie B.

September 15, 2002
My husband had a leak at the stoma. It hit fast & hard. Before he was 12 hours from the first symptom, he was being prepped for surgery. They did have to go in & fix it, but perhaps because it only had such a short time to work, there was very little damage. He was out and the rest of his recovery was uneventful. It's been 7 yrs now and if he had some sort of mechanical failure, he WOULD do it again. But in all honesty, it took a few months before he felt that way.
   — vitalady