Question:
Has anyone else been told there pouch empties too fast? What now?

Hi, I am 11 weeks post-op and have lost only 40 pounds. I went to see my surgeon yesterday because I can eat large amounts of food and I am hungry often. He did an upper-GI series and I was told that my pouch empties too fast and everything goes right through. He said I am the first case he has had like this and is going to see if there is a medication I can take to slow the pouch from emptying. Has anybody else had a similiar diagnosis? He said at 6 months he might put a lap band on if weight loss does not improve. Any advice would be appreciated. (By the way, I DO NOT drink when I eat)    — Kristi A. (posted on October 9, 2003)


October 8, 2003
I wish I had an answer but I, unfortunately, think I have this problem, too. At 8 weeks out, I could eat a whole Lean Cuisine. Now at ten weeks, I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't dump. I'm trying to make the right choices but I am basically dieting. My pouch is no help whatsoever. I get hungry a lot and eat a fair amount. I have lost 37 pounds in 10 weeks (22 in the first 4 weeks). I don't get sick so I am relying on my good bahavior for the weight loss. It never worked before so I'm not too hopeful now.
   — Shannon H.

October 9, 2003
Hi Kristi! I am having the same problem. I eat and then 20 minutes later I am starving again. This is not a common problem and many doctors do not know how to "fix" it or if it is "fixable." My doctor just dismissed it as I was not "trying" and that I was making all the wrong choices. I finally had an upper GI and EGD and what do ya know, everything goes into my small intestine. The problem with this is that basically my intestine (yep all 6ft of it) is serving as my "stomach" therefore my stomach is bigger then it was before surgery. The pouch is still intact, the size of a large walnut, but that does me no good whenever I can eat as much as I did before. My weight loss has stopped at 75-80 pounds and I have started gaining. I am going to the gym and walking 3-4 miles about 4 days a week to keep the weight under control, but this is not what I bargained for. I am on a diet. I am sorry that this happened to you too. I am going to see another doctor who is looking into putting a ring from the new pouch to the intestine to "keep the food in longer" but at this point I am not sure I want another surgery. Hang in there sweetie, maybe if more people start talking about this problem then ALL doctors will place the ring during the initial surgery to prevent this. Do not beat yourself up like I did, for 9 months now I have been going to the doctor monthly telling him I can eat too much. For 9 months he has told me to just "stop" and I beat myself up thinking I was doing something wrong. Well I wasn't and neither are you. I have had so many people rag on me and tell me to quit "pushing" the surgery and just eat a few bites then stop. If you hear the same thing let it go in one ear and out the other cause unless they have been there they DO NOT and cannot understand. Good luck sweetie. Reace
   — Laureace A.

October 9, 2003
I'm going to refer you to the Grad list. Although you are still new, and cannot post, this problem is showing up more & more. Probably was always there, but not many talked about. Of those who have the problem, it generally seems to have been apparent by week 3 or 4. My doc has helped some of these people by making them more distal. He has been able to rebuild the pouches of a few. For some, the shape/size of pouch has prevented any direct fix. There is hope, however. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG
   — vitalady

October 9, 2003
Hi Kristi: Ditto everything Reace said. My stoma didn't stretch as early as many others so I got almost to goal. I only gained 2 to 4 pounds a month from year one to year two. I didn't have a scope but I'm guessing my stoma didn't stretch quite as much as others have. The problem is I can also eat almost as much as I could preop, and I couldn't diet before, so like the other poster said, I don't hold out a lot of hope either. I wish the banding would work, but I'm afraid I'll probably have to seriously consider going more distal. My surgeon won't do the revision, so I will have to start looking for another surgeon. If you get a better answer let us who have posted to this question know. Thanks. Sherry
   — sherry hedgecock

October 10, 2003
I am so glad I came upon this question. I haven't been to this website in months. I had VBG 1 yr & 4mos ago. I feel the same way. I can eat alot. I have lost only 65lbs and that was at 9mos out. I have been trying so hard not to gain but I am nowhere close to my goal weight. I have no way to find out if the problem is my pouch. I have no insurance and my states Vocational rehabilitaion paid for the surgery but now they will not pay for an upper GI to see what's wrong. When I posted my concerns here last time I had people basically being mean to me, telling me to just eat less and not to abuse the surgery "It's only a tool you know" I cried for days because for years this site was my friend and it quickly turned to my enemy. I thought I would never come back to this site again but hopefully it will be worth it.
   — LaKeAffy

October 10, 2003
The only thing I can think of is to eat heavy dense proteins and hopefully it would stop up the stoma for a little while and allow the other foods to sit and give you a full feeling. You may already be doing this, but thought I would throw it out. I also wonder if they could not put a ring around your stoma so it would be smaller. I hope something can be figured out!
   — zoedogcbr

October 10, 2003
Something Chris wrote rang a bell. When I used to research Lap-Band, one of the techniques people used to keep food longer in the pouch was to eat some bread or whatever tends to plug up your stoma best, then protein on top of that. Should at least delay the food entering the intestines. Just a thought.
   — Susan R.

October 11, 2003
You may be HIS first; it happens in about 1 in a 100 RNY. If you have the DS/or lap band it does NOT happen. What you have is the opposite of stricture. 99% of surgeons DO NOTHING but tell their patients to water log, diet and excerise. You can STILL loose weight (the RNY part) but you will NOT have the food limiations. If you are like me, a volume eater this is a MAJOR problem. My original surgeon would not fix the RNY or touch the stoma (you can tellyour doctor there isnt any 'medication's to fix it). My surgeon just inserted the lap band... to fix it... I havent gotten my 'fill' yet so the limiations isnt there; BUT he was sucessful in placing the band on the RNY... so that seems to be something that can be done. Warning tho; because of the RNY previous (I had an open) my surgeon had to do the lap band open as well too many adhesison. Be thankful your surgeon is at least 'looking' into it....and not bushing you off.... good luck.
   — star .

October 11, 2003
I wanted to post again; cause I just read some of the other posts. I was diagnoised with this problem almost 3 years ago... There was NOTHING here, my surgeon didnt know , finally the bariatric association emailed me. THIS CAN HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE RNY! It is NOTHING we have done, we didnt abuse the tool, out eat it.. and eating 'bread' with NOT stop up the stoma... basically when you have the RNY the stoma 'strinks' thats why you hear alot about strictures... this is the opposite.. for some reason the body doesn shrink.. the hole is just to big... gravity kicks in the food goes directly from the espogus into the intestines.. there is no food limiations. Strict dieting will let you contue to loose weight... then it also depends on your type. I had a distal and did continue to loose weight. BUT get REAL people... if we could just 'diet and excerice NOT one person on here would need surgery. I knew I couldnt diet any more I needed this tool. Its one thing to know this can be a complication; its another NOT to know and be in the dark and have it happen.. it doesnt happen often but it does happen - no one blames a stricture on the patient and this is the same thing. Up until recently you had to live with it; one doctor was doing stoma scarring (heard that it was discontinued). This week my doctor was sucess in putting on the lap band. IN FACT, this should fix my stoma problem.. with OUT the danger's (triing to fix the stoma is dangerous..). I am hopeing now that he was sucessful in getting the surgery done, that the fill will finally make my pouch useful (have to wait at least a month for that) but there doesnt seem to be any reason NOT to belive it will not work. He is goinf to precent this to the Association. There are ALOT of people out there that need their stomas fixed; now thank good ness we have help... For the poster that people were mean, im sorry :( I know this is hard.. I have felt different from my support group peers when I found out.. hard to relate when you can 'eat' and they 'cant' and you both shouldnt be able to. SO, since RNY is STILL the #1 right now; be aware it could happen to YOU! At least you know whats going on. Yes there are some that 'abuse' or dont do their tool right; im not talking about that. This can be noticed almost right away both mys urgeon and I noticed my first pre op visist. but we both didnt know what. An upper gi will tell you if you have pouch function. and endoscope the size; tho even tho my endo scope 'size' was into normal range; it wast in range for ME.
   — star .




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