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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