Question:
What is a stricture? Foamies?

   — Maria V. (posted on February 5, 2010)

February 5, 2010
A stricture is a narrowing. Foamies for me are from eating to fast or taking to big of a bite of food and throwing it back up, it's white and foamy, doesnt taste bad but it's gross.
   — Nurseducky

February 5, 2010
A stricture is narrowing of your esophagus. My Dr performed an endoscopy on me, which dilated my esophagus. My throwing up improved but I am still throwing up and I am quite compliant with my diet.
   — FSUMom

February 5, 2010
Hi Maria, I had both....was fine at my 2.5 week post op then all of a sudden couldn't keep water, vitamins, or any food down....I'd get this sharp pain in my chest area like something was stuck. My Dr. said after surgery, the opening to your new stomach adjusts & I heal very well & fast & it just kept closing so the stricture part is any & all food, water & vitamins were stuck between my throat & opening to the stomach since it was closed. It was a very painless procedure, going into the hospital one saturday morning & being home that evening. They scoped down my throat & gently opened the opening to my new pouch to 12mm, then I had an upper GI where I drank this yucky stuff & they took pics all the way down...throat, esophigas, stomach, lower intestines.....to make sure what they did stayed. I got iv's for dehydration & had sugar free jello, broth, & water to make sure it stayed down and all was fine. THe foamies I had too & Dr. told me it had something to do with the juices in my stomach from having the stricture. You'll probably get lots of info but thought I'd share what I was told. You ca probably find something online about it too. Hope it helps & hope you get better. I think I was the 3rd person in his office that this happened to & he said it wasn't anything they did or I did just a reaction to the RNY gastric bypass & the healing process.
   — 3decks

February 6, 2010
A stricture is actually any part of your intestinal tract that wraps around on itself. Imagine what happens when you watch someone making a balloon animal. When the person twists the balloon to make a segment of the animal, that is just what happens with a stricture. It can happen anywhere in the intestinal tract from the esophagus to the colon, but usually happens near where your surgery was performed. If you have a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy or a Duodenal Switch, it can even happen with the stomach. Most often it occurs in the intestines near where the pouch of the RnY is connected, or where the tail of the RnY connects to the bypassed intestine for those with the RnY, but not always. The most common treatment is to push a scope down into the intestinal tract, find the twist, and push the scope through it. Occasionally the fix requites surgery. Foamies basically occurs when you eat too fast or too much. It essentially is your saliva coming back up your esophagus with all of the air in the saliva that usually enters into your stomach when you swallow. Because your new stomach or pouch is so small, you can only take so much food at a time, and if you push it, the saliva that you swallow has no place to go. To the best of my knowledge, the foamies themselves are not harmful, but the underlying cause is not good. Thoroughly chew your food, eat slowly, and do not overeat, and you should have no problem with the foamies. I hope this helps.
   — hubarlow