Question:
What are the signs and conditions of a stomach or staple line rupture?

I am 11 months post op and for the last couple of days i have been feeling really strange in the stomach. As if my stomach is really empty, and when i eat it still feels the same basically. I was wondering have my stomach or staple line ruptured and what are the symptons of such a horror?    — theresa B. (posted on September 25, 2001)

September 25, 2001
Hi, I have a partial staple line disruption and it is not a horror because my stomach and pouch were NOT transected so there is no danger. I am going back in October for a transection. When the stomach and pouch are transected (cut/separated) after the first few days in the hospital, there is virtually no way they can disrupt. Scar tissue forms into a seal. Without transection, staples can come "undone" at any time...6 mos, 1 yr, 2 yrs, 3 yrs, 4yrs, and even 5 yrs down the road. There are are no symptoms except for being able to eat more and possibly gaining wt. For myself, I am 10 mos post op...open rny. I was only losing 3 lbs a month since 6 mos post op and this required a lot of effort. I asked my doctor to do an upper GI as this is the only way it can be detected. To my dismay, I saw the barium flow out of the pouch and into my old STILL ATTACHED stomach. Some people experience acid and heartburn when they have a disruption. I had none of this. The good news is that since I am having a revision with transection, this will be permanent and I won't have to worry about disrupting sometime in the future. Do I want another surgery? No Way! But I am glad I found out about the disruption before I regained my wt. I may be able to have the revision laproscopily. I am hoping the revision to transected pouch will be a lot easier than a full blown gastric by pass. Can anyone tell me what to expect?
   — Marilyn C.

September 25, 2001
Yep, Al's remembering right, sorta. MOST do not "feel" anything. Some can eat more. Some just start weight creep. I had ACID. It was like the day before surgery all over again! Whoa. Pain, nasty, and I KNEW. Because of all that acid in the pouch, I was busy burning the lining and teh stoma and making a shiny new marginal ulcer. But I've been around the block a few times, so as I left the scope that day, I got some Prilosec. BUt going to a non-bariatric GI, I had only a "joke" dosage. Never mind. I fixed it immediately. Because of that, I was nauseated frequently. If I could eat food, I did. But mostly, knowing I was up for another surgery, I just pumped up my protein supps. Helped to control my appetite AND formed a barrier (at least temporarily) between the acid 'n me. So, I literally could not GET enough protein supps into me, because it felt good. I didn't gain any weight until the meds finally had the acid under control (somewhat), and because I wasn't so nauseated, I dropped back to only high (not ridiculously high) protein levels. Result being that my appetite returned a bit AND I could then eat! Bad combo! LOL! But those 12# came on right at the end. Very scary. What I can't be sure of is what saved me (from wt gain)for 3 months while I was drinking a protein drink every 2 hours faithfully. If you are transected OR resected, your staple line will not disrupt once healed. I was an early model, 1994, and so only stapled (still RNY), not separated in any way. Well. It's fixed now!
   — vitalady