Question:
What is an enlarged stoma?

Someone told me I had an enlarged stoma. I gained back 20 pounds of original 80 lost and my stomach is larger than it was at my top weight. I eat healthy foods and don't understand this huge weight gain and stomach bulge. I don't have a hernia    — addiedig (posted on April 7, 2006)

April 7, 2006
Your stoma is the opening between the stomach and the small bowel. It is what allowes food to empty slowly into the rest of your digestive system. If this was enlarged, then food goes through quickly and you do not have a feeling of fullness and food will digest quickly, and you would then be able to eat more...thus causing you to gain weight. My suggestion would be to talk with a gastroenterologist to find out what a solution would be, if any. Good Luck :)
   — Jeralyn Merideth

April 7, 2006
Eating too much healthy much may cause weight gain also. Moderation is a key to success. You must go back to 3 meals a day and 3 to 4 snack only. No drinking and eating at the same time and no sodas please. Good luck Dani
   — Dani96

April 7, 2006
Listen to the first response and forget what you saw in the 2nd response. An enlarged stoma can make it seem like you never had surgery. As you said before you are able to eat more than before surgery which indicates you are emptying straight into the bowel. If it were as easy as limiting portions, etc, then you and all of us (even poster #2) wouldn't have had to have this surgery to begin with. As for the soda poster #2 mentioned, I would only agree with her if she is talking about SUGARED soda. Having diet soda isn't going to enlarge your stoma. As for things they can do, I have heard they can sometimes put the lap band on it and fix it that way, but it's experimental. Otherwise, I think it's difficult to do a revision. Good luck - I hope they are able to fix the problem for you soon! Dina
   — Dinka Doo

April 7, 2006
Hi, My info may or may not apply to you. i had the VBG/RNY with the lap band in March of 1998. I went from 243lbs to 130lbs and remained at 130lbs until I got lazy a few years ago. I always drank diet soda since approx 3 months after the initial surgery. I can not tolerate sugar. I am now 145lbs and have been for a about 2 years. As far as the stoma I do not know much. I do know one key thing with this type of surgery and i believe it apply's to all weight loss surgery. Eat 3 meals a day containig protien, vegtables, & fruits. Do not drink with your meal or 30 minutes before or after your meal. As far as snacks they are not recommended. If you are really hungry the first suggestion is to have a protien drink or a glass of water. There are no real good snacks for us. Except maybe celery, carrots, raw spinach. Foods that do not put on weight and make you feel full easily. I only gained the 15 pounds over the last few years because I am lazy and would rather eat a chocolate chip cookie that to eat a healthy food. I have never gone over 150lbs in the last 8 years. I would recommend first to analyze your eating pattern, we tend to deny we are the cause. Then if you are on track go to the gastro doctor and have an upper GI done to check your stoma. It is painless and an out patient procedure that takes about 15 minutes. When you wake up you will not be in any pain. Good luck and feel free to email me if you would like to talk more about this. [email protected]
   — shana1569

April 7, 2006
You say someone told you that you have an enlarged stoma. Was this someone an MD and was that decision made following an endoscopy?
   — RebeccaP

April 9, 2006
There is a doctor in Boston that does endoscopic repair that is suspose to work, I'll find out in May about it. It is non-invasive and I think insurance is more apt to pay for this procedure. his name is Christopher Thompson at Brigham Womens Hospital
   — donnabug57