Question:
LEAK in SMall intestine...RNY 2-02-04, please read

HELLO ALL. MY MOTHER IS 49 YEARS OLD AND 2 DAYS AGO SHE HAD LAPROSCOPIC GASTRIC BYPASS. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO GO WELL IN SURGERY AND THEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED....YESTURDAY MY DAD WENT TO SEE HER AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL AND WHEN HE GOT TO HER ROOM NEARLY 24 HOURS AFTER HER SURGERY HE NOTICED ONE OF THE WOUNDS WAS SEEPING AN AWFUL LOT OF GREENISH BROWN SUBSTANCE AND SHE WAS COMPLAINING OF HAVING A HARD TIME BREATING. SO HE CALLED THE NURSE IN AND SHE TOOK HER FINGER AND PUSHED BY THE WOUND AND HE SAID THAT STUFF JUST SQUIRTED RIGHT OUT IN A STREAM. BY THE TIME I GOT UP THERE AN HOUR LATER MY DAD TOLD ME THAT THE DOCTORS SAID THIS WASNT NORMAL AND THEY WERE GONNA HAVE TO BRING HER BACK INTO SURGERY BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT SHE MAY HAVE A LEAK SOMEWHERE INSIDE HER. YESTURDAY AT 3PM SHE HEADED BACK FOR SURGERY. AFTER THE SURGERY AND THE WAITING DR. MURR CAME IN AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON.... HE SAID THAT SHE HAD A LEAK IN HER SMALL INTESTINE AND ALL THE WASTE THAT HER BODY WAS PRODUCING WAS LEAKING OUT OF HER GOING INTO HER BLOOD STREAM AND ALL INSIDE HER BODY WHERE IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO GO CAUSING A VERY VERY BAD INFECTION ALL THROUGHOUT HER BODY AND ALSO AFFECTING HER KIDNEYS AND LUNGS(THATS WHY SHE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME BREATHING). HE SAID THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO CLOSE UP THIS LEAK BUT SHE WILL BE STAYING IN ICU ON A RESPIRATOR WITH DRAINAGE TUBES IN HER FEET, NECK AND ALL OVER HER BODY TO DRAIN THIS INFECTION WHILE THEY GIVE HER LOTS OF FLUIDS AND ANTIBIOTICS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THAY HAD TO CUT HER OPEN ALL THE WAY AND THAT ITS TOO EARLY TO KNOW IF ANY IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO HER LUNGS AND KIDNEYS..... I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING, MY GOD, YOU DONT THINK THIS IS POSSIBLE, I MEAN YOU HEAR ABOUT THE 1 AND 200 PEOPLE DYING, BUT NOT MY MOM, SHES ONLY 49 AND HER FIRST GRAND BABY IS DUE IN 5 WEEKS, I NEED HER HERE, IM ONLY 26, MY DAD NEEDS HER, MY SISTER AND THE BABY. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE YOU KNOW???? IF SO, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME, HER BLOOD PRESSURE IS COMING BACK UP BUT STILL IT DOESNT LOOK GOOD. PLEASE MY GOD SOMEONE HELP ME. iF YOU HAVE FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SAME OR SIMILAR SITUATION I SURE COULD USE SOME ADVICE MY # IS 813-857-7050    — Karen W. (posted on February 5, 2004)

February 5, 2004
Ive not had any experience with your situation but I will PRAY for your MOM and your family. BELIEVE!!!!
   — leslee4567

February 5, 2004
I don't have any advice but i would like to offer you and your family prayers for your mother's healing.
   — Delores S.

February 5, 2004
I haven't known anyone that this has happened to but I have heard of it. I can only say that I will be praying for your mother and for your entire family as you all go through this ordeal. She sounds like she has a lot to live for so I believe she will be fighting this as much as she possibly can. Please take of yourselves too, she needs you to be strong for her also. God Bless.
   — tntwildlife77

February 5, 2004
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
   — Angels4unme

February 5, 2004
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Hang in there!!
   — Sharon1964

February 5, 2004
I'm a woman 44 yr. I'm a christian. Assembly of God church. I prayed for your mother... I felt your hurt for your mom as I was reading your message. Please keep me informed on her condition. my e-mail and msn messenger is [email protected]
   — Iva B.

February 5, 2004
AHHHHHH KAREN, SORRY BUT PRAYIN FOR U AND YUR FAMILY...I DONT PERSONALLY KNOW OF NYONE MYSELF THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TOOO BUT----A MAN IS IN THE HOSPITAL NOW HAD THE SURGERY SAY WEDNESDAY AND INFECTION SET UP IN HIM CAUSE I DONT KNOW...BUT HE IS DOIN BETTER....HOPE THAT HELPS!..WHICH I KNEW MORE ABOUT HIM JUST HEARD OF HIM THRU SOMEONE ELSE.... GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD....
   — Cornelia W.

February 5, 2004
I am very sorry to hear about your mom, and my heart and prayers go out to her, and your family. I know of a lady named Debbie Jones in Snellville, who had similar complications. Please read her profile, she is better now, but had a really rough time. She and I go to the same PCP, and mu PCP wanted me to talk to her as a part of my research for the surgery after I spoke to Debbie Idecided not to have the surgery, that was about a year ago and I have changed my mind and changed doctors. As far as I know she is better but it has taken a long time. My prayers are with your family. Diane
   — Diane G.

February 5, 2004
I apologize, the lady's name is Debbie Jones in Snellville, Georgia
   — Diane G.

February 5, 2004
My prayers are with your Mom and your family at this time! I personaly don't know of anyone, but I did hear of one case such as your mother's. He was hospitalized for several weeks and after a slow recovery did manage to become stronger and was released and now is doing good. Your body being posioned throughout will take sometime, but your mother is in ICU, while she is recovering... she's in the best posssible place. As far as why this happened to your mother.....I can not answer that. Seems as though with seepage being as it was... someone on staff should have been alerted to a possible infection/complication. I would think with her breathing being difficult that would have raised some red flags, also. The hospital would have to do some heavy explaining, plus the Dr because of leak tests performed. The main focus is your Mom now and her getting stronger. Prayers work and believe this site will be praying for her and your family. God Bless!
   — Hazel S.

February 5, 2004
Hi Karen, Greetings from the Blizzard Zone (Rockford) I just talked to you-- here is the fast way to my profile as promised. I am going to try to get ahold of Tina tonight or tomorrow and have her try to follow-up with you. God bless and I will be praying for Mom.
   — LisaL.

February 5, 2004
hello you mother is in my prayers. when reading your question i felt like i was reading my last six months. that exact thing happened to me. i had open rny july 14 2003 and three days after surgery i wasn't able to take a deep breath, high fever and couldn't even hardly walk. well come to find out i had aleak, they had to take me back for emergency surgery and was on respirator for days. well long story short. i am now six months post-op and have never felt better. your mother will do fine email me if you want to hear the whole story. i'm praying for you and your family.
   — carol M.

February 5, 2004
I am so sorry for your mom, that she is suffering, and you and your dad also, but I think she will get better now that they know whats wrong and are treating her, just keep the faith and thank God it happened there, at the hospital that your dad noticed something was wrong. Thank God it was caught in time!I will say an extra long prayer tonight for you and your family! God Bless you all! Mary in Fl.
   — boemary

February 5, 2004
I'm sorry to hear that your mom is having such problems. It is really alarming that they didn't notice the leak sooner, but thank God that your dad noticed it! I hope and pray that she'll start feeling better soon. Best wishes to you and your whole family. :)
   — K M.

February 5, 2004
My husband had a post-op leak, 5 days post-op, at home, not even in the hospital. Both docs were out of the country! But the subs took him back to surgery and fixed the problem, so then we waited while the infection/lung issues cleared. He had no long term issues, and once he was fixed, recovered more quikcly than I did from an uneventful surgery. HE DID FINE. That was in 1995. Since then, my docs have been teaching more and more about leaks, so thankfully, your doc was able to recognize the problem quickly. My docs did a 5 yr study on them, so many docs are now a lil wiser than before, quicker to jump. Again, my husband was fine then, is fine now. He REALLY appreciates his surgery, so has done very well. Hopefully your mom will, too.
   — vitalady

February 5, 2004
Your mom will be fine. She is in the best place to take care of her. Nothing happens on accident. Remember that this may be your mom saving another patient from an even greater problem. And the only way doctor's learn what not to do, is to do something wrong a few times. I dont know how spiritual you are. But positive thoughts and prayers are being directed to you and yours from all over, including Montery, CA. I have faith that your mom will make a full recovery. PLease keep your WLS family informed of your mom's progress. Jeanne
   — Jeanne S.

February 5, 2004
KAREN, MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU, YOUR MOM AND FAMILY. KEEP YOUR SPIRITS UP. KNOW WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY TO VENT. PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED OF YOUR MOMS CONDITION. GOD SPEED.
   — CATHYSDAN

February 6, 2004
Karen I am praying for your Mom and all of your family I am sure she will be fine. We will keep your family in our prayers
   — Butch E.

February 6, 2004
Karen, I have prayed not only for your Mom but for you and the rest of your family as well. I am so sorry to hear about all your Mom is going through. You must keep positive thoughts and if you believe in prayer then try to put the entire situation in the Lord's hands. Please keep us updated.
   — L. Susan P.

February 7, 2004
Karen, you and your family is in my prayers. A dear friend had surgery months ago... surgery went fine, then she developed a leak, then pneumonia, then staph infection. She ended up on a respirator, ICU, guarantined (because of the staph)and was in the hospital for one month. We really thought we were going to lose her. It was very tough on everyone. At one point they thought she might be on the respirator for a long time, and the very next week her system could breath on its own. Now 9 months later, she has no regrets of having the surgery and has lost 100 lbs. She is doing great!!! I know you are worried about your mom, but do your best to remind her how strong she is and that she is going to be fine. Talk to her about the future (all the positives, especially her new grandbaby), give her reasons to look forward to strive to get better too. Lots of hugs and prayers coming your way. Mary
   — [Deactivated Member]

February 7, 2004
My heart goes out to you and your family and you will certainly be in my prayers. I've not known any wls patients that have had this but last years my dad had blood clots in his intestine and when they removed them and bypassed the intestine he got a sepsis infection and had similar symptoms. Sepsis is very common in surgery patients and very dangerous. Be sure to ask the surgeon if this is what it is and keep a close eye on everything that goes on at the hospital. If the kidneys are not functioning correctly they may even need to put her on dialysis. I lost my dad to this infection, because he was not put on the respirator even though his lung doctor ordered it. Be sure to keep on top of everything and ask for specialists if you need to.
   — Carolyn B.

February 7, 2004
Our God is an awesome God. He has your Mom in His tender care and she's going to be fine. She is a strong woman and has so many people praying for her. Have faith and trust in the Lord. Be Blessed!
   — ladyboo

February 10, 2004
I had a somewhat similar situation and I'm am grateful to have survived. And very blessed, as well. My "re-do", 10 mos. after original RNY, took about 8 hours, in which time they "wrapped" and "glued" the holes in my stomach with all sorts of miraculous medical substances. Unfortunately, everything undid itself and I was back in for a 3rd surgery within 12 hours. At that time they removed 90% of my stomach. I had lots of tubes coming out of me and an i.v. pole with 5 separate hooks for the different bells, whistles and liquids I was hooked up to. There were still holes in my teeny, tiny stomach (which they refer to as a "nub"). Once they cleared the infection (and thank God they did!) I was able to go home. I went home with a PICC line which supplied me with my "food" 12 hours a day, visiting nurses twice a day (God bless you nurses out there!), and 24 hour care from my family (otherwise I would have had to go into a nursing home, as I am single and live alone and was too weak to stay by myself). I could not take anything by mouth for several weeks (including any liquid, even water, medications, and certainly no food whatsoever). About a month later an expert was called in from another hospital to try to find the hole in my nub. I was told it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and he ended up finding 2 holes! Through God's grace (he wants me on this earth a little longer, for which I am very grateful) the holes were "glued" and they have remained intact for a year now. It was a long, hard recovery. I still have very low energy, but I am alive! I dearly hope and pray your mother comes out on the other side of this. Please tell your mother that Esse OReilly is on her side and rooting passionately for her, that someone has been through this and made it out on the other side, and that I look forward to the day when she is well enough to sit at a computer and email me personally. Love and prayers, Esse
   — Esse

Click Here to Return