Question:
Has anyone had the bypas surgery, who also had gasteroparisis?

I am diabetic, and have debeloped gasteroparisis (the stomach becoming paralized & not moving food very effeciently). This causes nausea. I wonder if having the bypass surgery will take solve that problem, or does the stomach continue to send out messages of nausea. My surgeon said that the stomach is not actually removed, but remains in the abdomen.    — donnadq (posted on June 10, 2008)

June 10, 2008
I don't have an answer to this question, but I would be very curious to see any answers as I also have gastroparesis but rather than the nausea I have diahrea all the time without medication. I am also trying to do gastric so I will watch this thread to see if anyone has answers. Thanks for posting this question.
   — Brenda S.

June 10, 2008
It is fortuitous that you have asked this question at this time. Although I am just a patient and not a medical professional, I recently have done some research about Weight Loss Surgery and have run across some research regarding Gastroparesis and the effect of Weight Loss on it. From the research that I have seen, the researchers came to the conclusion that the OLD way of viewing the machinations of Gastroparesis is flawed. The generally accepted view in the medical profession is that Gastroparesis is usually caused by permanent nerve damage that has been done to the Vagas nerve bundle. This is the autonomic nerve bundle that controls the "automatic" involuntary responses of your body inside your chest cavity. Things like your stomach, intestines, your heart, and lungs are controlled by the Vagus nerve bundle. It is like a Wiring Harness of sorts for your body. The Accepted view by the medical profession is that Gastroparesis is caused by PERMANENT damage to this nerve cluster that causes the valve at the bottom of the stomach, the pyloric valve to "Clench" or to fail to relax and allow the food to pass through when it should. It often gets so tight that it can cause the stomach to expand when it traps gas inside the stomach as the food inside the stomach ferments and CREATES the gasses as it does so. This is ONE of the reason why some people have a problem with flatulence. Flatulence is one of the SIDE EFFECTS of Gastroparesis. The GOOD news is that WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY has been shown to have a POSITIVE AFFECT on Gastroparesis. The researchers have discovered that in MANY cases, there was NO permanent damage to the Vagas nerve cluster but instead found that there was a hormone that was being interfered with by High Blood Sugar Levels. Once the Blood Sugar Levels were resolved after Weight loss surgery, the hormonal balance was restored and the Gastroparesis disappeared. The researchers suggested that it may be that Weight Loss Surgery might be considered the prescription of CHOICE in the future for patients with Gastroparesis. With the Gastric Bypass, the Pyloric Valve is itself, bypassed and no longer becomes an issue. There are OTHER issues with the Gastric Bypass that you should be aware of, and you should STUDY the surgery for yourself and decide if it is the right option for you. There are OTHER options that you may want to explore. Unfortunately, most insurance companies will only pay for either the Lap Band or the Gastric Bypass. Many SURGEONS only OFFER these options because of that limitation. I have done some research myself on the choices available and you can also find the link to the research paper about Gastroparesis with some judicious reading at my profile page. The link to the Gastroparesis information can be found in my post named "Expanding Stomachs with CARBONATION." The post detailing your various Weight Loss Surgery Options is named "Surgical Comparisons." If you can't find them on my Profile page when you start looking, check in the archives. My Profile page cane be found here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/hubarlow/ . I hope that this answers some of your questions. Best wishes, Hugh
   — hubarlow

June 10, 2008
I don't think I could add too much more than the previous authors other than to note that some nausea after WLS is normal. Your doc can prescribe you meds for this situation that is usually temporary. Good luck to you, Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC, CLC
   — DawnVic