Question:
Seeking Those With Multiple Strictures Where the stomach attaches to the instine?
My stomache opening has closed three times in the last month. I had the bypass in Oct and my gallbladder removed in March. Ever since that surgery I've been not doing well. I complained for 6 weeks to my surgeon about throwing up nasueu, and just can't eat right. Well he basiclly didn't help much. Iasked him if there could be a stricture and he said no because I wasn't losing an enourmous amount of weight. He didn't take into consideration that mu legs are very swollen because of chronic venius insuffinsionsy and lympidemia. II'm proably carring an extra 20lbs of water in them. I finally went to a gastrointeralogist who found the stricture and balloned it open, but it closed again a week later it was opened again and it closed again. The gastro doctor said I need a surgery to correct this, but my surgeon won't he said that there is no surgery to fix this just keep doing the dialations and eventually it will work. Well the opening is all scared and I have an ulcer right at the opening. The surgeon is going to do the third dialation himself he said. I don't feel like this is going to work and that he might perferate my stomache, which is why the gastro doctors won't do it again they said it was to risky to keep repeating this. I need to close the old opening and reopen another and cut off the scared instine and reattach they said. I agreed to the dialation which is Wend, but I'm afraid that it won't work again and then what. Has anyone been in this sitation before? I am at my wits end. I haveen't been about to eat much for nealy 3 months and I have deterated. I can't do much for myself anymore cause I'm so weak and malnurished. I'm worse now then before the first surgery. This is not living and I need some one to help me before this eventually kills me. — Lori M. (posted on June 27, 2003)
June 27, 2003
I don't know about strictures but I felt compelled to write to you and I
hope you are feeling better and find a solution. God Bless darlin' and good
luck!
— Mary M.
June 27, 2003
Geez, Lori, get yourself to another bariatric surgeon. Yours seems to not
know what he's doing. I'm totally serious, I wish you hadn't let this go
on for 3 months with this jerk....I'm very sorry, but it's pretty obvious
that's what he is.
— Leslie F.
June 27, 2003
Lori, your surgeon seems not to know what he's doing. Please talk to an
experienced bariatric surgeon, someone who's been doing WLS for at least
5-10 years, and who has a full program devoted strictly to WLS. They will
undoubtedly have seen this type of problem before. You seem to know more
than this guy does.
— Leslie F.
June 27, 2003
Sorry about the double post. It said "website not responding" so
I retyped it.
— Leslie F.
June 28, 2003
If this doesn't work, go to another surgeon for a 2nd opinion or even a 3rd
opinion. No way would I let some surgeon touch me with an attitude like
that. You do NOT have to let an md treat you like this EVER! You
deserve compassionate knowledgeable care. Is this the surgeon who did your
wls surgery?? Please be careful and let us know how this turns out.
Sounds like your gastroenterologist cares about you, did he have the name
of a surgeon he trusted he could send you to? Ask him who he'd send his
mother to for care. That usually gets them to give you a good doc to refer
to. Good Luck on this. (9/2001, -150.5lbs/146 lbs)
— Karen M.
June 30, 2003
Lori,I had a friend that had multiple strictures,ulcers andwent in 12 times
to have the dialation done. They told her usually the opening would stay
open after it has been dialated about 5 times. Obviously it did not
happen. She finally went back in they cut out the ulcerated section and
reconnected the small intestine with a slightly larger opening and her
problems seem to have been taken care of. However she went through hell
first. You definitly need to seek another opinion and have your problem
taken care of. Good Luckand God Bless!
— Michelle B.
July 6, 2003
I am having problems with strictures. I'm almost 3 months post op and am
living with liquids and purees, which I can no longer stand. I still have
pain. I had EGD with dilation twice. He said he didn't want to do it again.
To risky, I think. Now I have heard that they can do cortizone injections
into the stricture and it is supposed to fix it. I will have more
information next week. Boy am I ready! My surgeon has been mean to me and
threatening me with death and complains about everything I eat as a way
out. I feel the same way you do...that my life is in danger. SO, don't go
for any of this stuff until you have a chance to look into the cortisone.
You can email me direct, if you like. I'm planning to have a dr appt Monday
or Tuesday to hear more. [email protected]
— Nancy O.
September 27, 2003
I've had 5 strictures in 4 and a half months...My GI doc said that if I get
another one I will have to have surgery to re-do the surgical connection
where the pouch connects to the intestine.He doesn't like to do more than 3
or 4 dilations as this can disrupt the staple line.My surgeon also agrees
with this plan of action.He also said that the cortizone treatment has not
been found to be effective in treating strictures.
— jennifer A.
March 30, 2004
I had my first operation Aug.2003 and in October had 2 Endos with dilation.
On the second one, I completely closed up and my surgeon had to do an
emergency revision in Oct. 2003. It is now March 2004 and I am still
closing up. I go for my sixth Endo tomorrow. This winter I became
malnourished and weak. I even had to quit driving. I had to drink Dr.
Atkins milkshakes to get in Protein. I too have water in the legs caused
from not enough Protein. I have to wear compression hose. About the only
good thing is that I lost 120 pounds through all of this. I too thought it
was hardly worth it but see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Good luck to you. Claudia
— Claudia J.
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