Question:
Size of outlet where stomach empties?

I recently had the rny.The size of my anastomosis (the outlet from the pouch to the small intestine) is 9mm now. I was curious if all surgeons make the opening this size or does it vary? Also what is the size of the outlet before surgery?    — jennifer A. (posted on August 2, 2003)

August 2, 2003
Hi, I went to my pre-op class and the nurse said that our doctors make the opening about the size of the tip of your index finger; I would think that the size of the anastomosis is pretty standard, though I don't know for sure. I'm not sure how big it is before surgery.
   — Moysa B.

August 2, 2003
Mne is the size of a quater
   — ruthie

August 2, 2003
size of a dime here - at least that's how it started. Lord only knows if it's still that small lol
   — [Deactivated Member]

August 3, 2003
I have no idea how large my stoma is. However, you don't have an anastomosis before surgery. The regular stomach works differently. In that case, you have a pyloris which actually closes up when you eat to hold food in the stomach while it digests. After awhile the pyloris opens to allow the digested food into the intestine. Because they work very differently, it really doesn't tell you anything to compare the size of your stoma to the size of your pyloris.
   — Vespa R.

August 3, 2003
The size of a dime sounds rather large. I know that BTC makes theirs about the size of a plain M&M....that's why we can't take medications larger than a plain M&M. When the surgery is first done, there is so much swelling that it's probably only 1/4 of that size, which is why we are on liquid and pureed foods for so long.
   — Lynette B.

August 3, 2003
10-12 is ideal, so 9 is ok. There isn't really an outlet pre-op. The food would normally pass through the pylorus valve, which is built for the job of letting food out, then slamming shut so "used" food can't get back in. Our esophagus doesn't change, unless it has been damaged during surgery.
   — vitalady