Question:
Did you NOT come home with a NG tube?

My brother is planning on having lap rny next year (can't get in to see the surgeon til March) and I have been looking at this doctors website. I had lap rny 3 weeks ago with a different surgeon and came home with an NG tube. If I am correct, we drain this tube to release the gunk (gastric juices) that can build up for the first weeks after surgery and it also helps relieve nausea. His surgeon does not require a NG tube and this worries me. Where will the gunk go? I am sure there are some of you out there who didn't have a NG tube at home-how did it go? He is happy with my success so far (down almost 40 pounds!) so he is wanting the same. I just worry that his surgery and aftercare will not be as good as mine...I'm a worrier...    — karmiausnic (posted on October 13, 2002)

October 12, 2002
NG is nasal gastric, comes out your nose. You likely came home with a JP drain tube in your belly, Like I did. Not all surgeons use either of these. Patients appear to do well in any case.
   — bob-haller

October 12, 2002
Karen, I did not come home with any tubes, anywhere and I'm doing great. I had Lap RNY on October 1st and I've had no dumping with this exception of an episode where I think I just at too much. I've not felt sick to my stomach at all and believe my healing is proceeding better than expected. Granted, I'm not even 2 weeks out---but so far so good and I just expect it to get better.
   — Karen K.

October 12, 2002
My tube was in my stomach and it was only in about 24-36 hours. I feared that other tube for nothing! ;)
   — Danmark

October 12, 2002
I came home with two Jackson-Pratt (JP) drains - thin tubing connected to a 4-inch squeeze bottle. I had two because of adhesions caused by a previous surgery (emergency appy in 1997). My surgeon ran my bowel and clear the adhesions and put in a 2nd drain. Both were removed at my 2-week post-op checkup. <p> As for the NG tube, this was removed the morning of 2nd day after my surgery. This tube was connected to the vacuum pump in the wall of my room. I couldn't eat (drink?) anything until this was removed. I have never heard of anyone being discharged with the NG tube still in place...JR (open RNY 07/17 -96 lbs)
   — John Rushton

October 12, 2002
There may be the occasional patient who needs to come home with tubes/drains due to some complicating factor(s), but this is mainly due to a surgeon's personal preference and training. The five of us in our family who have had lap RNY had no tubes, no drains, and had no problems at all. Remember that a RNY leaves only a very small pouch in place of the original stomach, and this pouch does not manufacture or hold the large amounts of gastric contents that the normal stomach does. Therefore there is generally no need for a nasogastric tube to drain those gastric contents. This is one of those important pre-op questions for any surgeon....do your patients routinely have any tubes or drains post-op?....if so, for how long? Best wishes to you and your brother!
   — Diana T.

October 12, 2002
All I had was a G Tube in my stomache but nothing down my nose at any time. It came out in two weeks. The nurse was very good when she removed it and it only stung for a second or two when she did remove it.
   — Lawrence R.

October 12, 2002
LAP-RNY on October 8, so that puts me only 5 days out, I guess. When I awoke in the recovery room, there were no tubes nor drains, except for that damned catheter, which came out the next morning.
   — Steve B.

October 13, 2002
I had open RNY in January, and I only had one tube, and that was removed that afternoon. (I barely remember because I was still doped up.) I didn't come home with any tubes. I dunno about "gunk," but I didn't have any trouble with nausea or, really, anything else. Good luck to your brother.
   — Roxanne M.

October 13, 2002
I had no NG tube except while I was "under". It really is not necessary. The stomach old and new "pouch" are all still connected to the rest of your system and drain quite nicely to your intestines. Duke University site has the surgery online you can watch and see how it all works. Don't worry, be happy. Perhaps his surgeon does it differently than yours. My surgeon does the surgery on his patients on a table that tilts so the patient is standing. I am sure that not all surgeons do that, but it is logical
   — Rona G.

October 13, 2002
I had a LAP RNY and only had an NG tube while I was under anesthetic. After that nothing except for the nuisance IV in my neck.
   — Cathy S.

October 13, 2002
I had a lap RNY also. I only had the NG tube the day of surgery. It came out the following day after my barium swallow. I never even had a drain tube in. I am now almost 11 weeks out and have lost almost 60 pounds! I didn't have any problems having it done that way, I'm sure your brother will do fine! :)
   — Laurel C.

October 13, 2002
No tubes, no problems.
   — Cheri M.

October 13, 2002
ORIGINAL POSTER- Okay, apparently I thought I had a NG tube but maybe its a JP tube. Either way, its from my stomach. I am glad to hear that many of you had no problems without it. Takes alot off my mind. I had no complications- my surgeon just requires it. His partner sends his patients home with 2 tubes...Anyways, THANK YOU everyone!
   — karmiausnic

October 13, 2002
no tubes for me, no problems. Yur either had a JP or a g-tube. Either way, i did not have one. It is totally surgeon dependant on whether you have one or not. Good Luck to your brother!!
   — Vicki L.

October 13, 2002
I had a JP drain in the hospital but it was pulled the morning that I was sent home from the hospital. I have had no problems and my surgery was open 3 weeks ago.
   — Jenni K.

October 13, 2002
I had no tubes of any sort by the time I woke up. I think they had one down my throat while I was under but it was out before I woke up, and no drain tubes. Only had a catheter which came out as soon as I woke up.
   — sandsonik

October 13, 2002
Me three...no tubes, not a thing.
   — Janelle G.

October 14, 2002
Had open RNY on 9/24. I had a drain in for three days post-op. On day four, the Dr. pulled the staples, drain and sent me home. I was not all that curious about the drain - but a nurse told me it was draining fluid from my lungs.
   — Lin B.

October 14, 2002
I had an NG tube but it was taken out early the morning after my surgery (about 7 AM)and I had no problems. I had open RNY. My JP drain was in for three days and then removed.
   — Patty_Butler

October 14, 2002
The only thing connected to me at all before and after surgery was my I.V. I woke up with no tubes, no catheters, no nothing. Loved it because I am a wimpy chicken.
   — cjabates

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