Question:
Does anyone have a

I have been treated for GERD for the last 8 weeks, I have not felt full and have not lost weight..I can eat anything at all and as much as I want...I mean like a bag of popcorn or a couple of slices of pizza . Now the doctor says I have a Gastric Bypass Fistula... I am scared! Can anyone give me any information on this, please....Roxanne Bergendahl    — Roxanne Bergendahl (posted on March 2, 2004)

March 2, 2004
Fistulas are pretty rare. What happens is that basically the two stomachs (the pouch and the lower stomach) form a new connection. Kinda like a tunnel. This is testimony to how much the human body really wants to right itself after a perceived "injury". The acid reflux is from the lower stomach, it produces the acid and the acid comes into the pouch by way of this fistula. As far as I know the only way to fix it is to have another surgery. I have read where people have actually had their lower stomachs removed to prevent this from happening again, but I would imagine that would be up to the surgeon. <p> Similar to the fistula is a staple line disruption. These occur in people where the surgeon did not transect the pouch from the lower stomach and only separated it with staples. The stomach can reject the staples and basically the same thing happens - acid reflux/GERD and being able to eat more. Again, the only way to fix it is with another surgery, hopefully with a transected pouch. <p> Good Luck.
   — Ali M