Question:
How is the test done to check your stoma for a stricture?

Can someone describe for me what exactly is done to determine.... if you have a stricture in your stoma? Is this a simple test that you take in an hour at the doctors office, or is it more complex? What exactly needs to be done. Thank you all in advance! (oh, are you awake during it too?)    — Kim L. (posted on May 8, 2003)

May 8, 2003
I was doing great until 3 weeks post-op. Every time I would drink anything it came back up. I felt great, just whenever I drank anything, I couldn’t keep it down. I had no appetite but struggled with soups, which also came up. I went to the Naval Hospital here at Camp Pendleton and they are worthless. They gave me and IV and some phenergran (anti-nausea meds), which of course didn’t help. The next day I called my surgeon and they got me in that day. He told me it looked like a stricture. The next day after that, I was back at Mercy Hospital in the Endoscopy Dept. to be dilated. They poked me again and gave me an IV. I had to strip off my shirt and bra, but was able to keep my pants/shoes on. After a time, they gave me some goo-goo drugs. Everything got blurry. They then put some mouthpiece in my mouth to help guide the scope and protect my teeth. Next thing I know, I was waking up and walking to the waiting area to meet my mom and go home. The drugs don't put you out completely, but they have an amnesia effect, so I don't remember the procedure at all. My stricture was almost completely closed. They dilated me to about 11 cm. And I was eating ice chips like crazy. I felt great again after that. My throat did hurt a bit for two days, but at least I was drinking again and back on soft foods! I was feeling great!
   — brendalsz

May 8, 2003
Hi Kim, in my case, they first did an upper GI or barium swallow. This is a really easy test where they xray you while you swallow some barium from a straw. They watch real time while the fluid fills your pouch and begins to empty. The radiologist showed me the stricture. You could actually see the flow back up at the narrowing. It slowly got through but was the cause of my pain. The next day, I had the endoscopy and it was exactly as described by the previous poster. I was scared but it was really easy thanks to the meds. It took less than an hour and I was on my way home.Good Luck (call your surgeon!)
   — krogers56

May 8, 2003
It is painfree unless you count the 'stick' from the IV. You are given a drug that makes you think you are asleep but you are really awake and will remember nothing. After you 'wake up' you are back in the room and full of gas to expel. Then you can go home feeling great! The only thing I would caution about is that I talked the entire time and told my surgeon, who is a woman, all about....and I do mean ALL about a man I had been seeing! :) I have had this done 3 times and the 3rd time seems to have been the charm. It was done as out patient from the hospital. It is nothing to worry about at all.
   — Peggy B.