Question:
Dr. considering removing my old stomach....

I had lap rny 08/01 - (down 151 pounds and have reached my goal weight!!) In October 2002 I had a revision to fix a fistula (a tube had grown between my old stomach and my new pouch causing lots of pain). My doc said that if I still had pain that he may remove my old stomach as the pain in my pouch was caused by acid and bile coming thru the tube from my old stomach to my pouch. Well I'm still having considerable pain and will undergo another endoscopy soon to see if my pouch has healed at all - it was very dark red and swollen prior to the fistula fix. Has anyone out there had a similar experience, or had their old stomach removed? What are the consequences of old stomach removal?? Thanks!!    — Angela L. (posted on February 14, 2003)

February 14, 2003
OK, I know next to nothing about fistulas (so give this answer all the weight it is due, lol), but ... why remove the old stomach? Why not transsect the new pouch and the old stomach (separate them), if some tube is connecting them?? I'm confused. And if you remove the old stomach, where the heck are you going to get your gastric juices from? I thought that with the RNY, the gastric acids that break down our foods, and promote absorption, spill out of the "old stomach" into the intestines, where they meet up with the food that just came out of our little pouch, and the two "party" to make a good nutritional balance. I'd be wondering, too, how that's going to happen without your old stomach ....
   — Suzy C.

February 14, 2003
I'm guessing the doc is thinking, if they found each other once, they MIGHT do it again. Please note I'm GUESSING. When I was revised (SLD), my lower stomach was removed at my request. Being a 30 yr ulcer victim, the chance of an ulcer forming in the lower stomach was just too high for me to risk. I have suffered no ill effects from that removal. Of course, I watch my labs like a hawk & supplement fully, just as I always did.
   — vitalady

February 14, 2003
I'm sure there are others out there that have theirs removed, just as Michelle had hers. I'd just be cautious. I'm obviously not a doctor, and htey know what they're talking about. I just like knowing that my old stomach is still there (I was transected) for fear that I have horrible complications down the road. Some people have had theirs reversed, and if you don't have an old stomach, I don't think there can be a reversal. I've already had a complication, had a hole in my new pouch and marginal ulcer, so I completely understand your pain, I'm so sorry for you. I'm still happy with my surgery and do not regret it despite the pain I live in everyday. I'm not sure what the best answer is for you, if it can relieve your pain, it's a plus, but you have to make sure you know all the risks that removing it can cause, as well. Are they worse than what you feel now? Know what I mean. I wish you the very best!!
   — Lezlie Y.

February 15, 2003
I'm assuming you were not transsected, otherwise it would seem rare that you would grow a connection between the 2 stomachs and that it would work it's way through the pouch wall to put acid in there - but I could be wrong.<p>For me I feel safer having my old stomach just in case something came up in the future that they needed tissue for a repair on the pouch etc. However, I had a bad history of stomach polyps, so maintaining access to my excluded stomach was critical for me. The surgeon tacked my old stomach to my abdominal wall and put in some clips that can be found by fluoroscope and then spread with dialators so a scope can be inserted into the stomach. I anticipate having this done in a few years (as I had grown 15 polyps in 21 months) and if things look good then the every 5 years we planned to scope my stomach before I ever decided to have surgery.<p>In my case I might actually do well without the acid from the old stomach as I have been having a time adjusting now that my system is seeing acid after being on Prilosec since 1996, but it's slowly coming around.
   — zoedogcbr

February 19, 2003
I had my rny 9 months ago. my surgeon removed my old stomach, he said that if i had problems with the old stomach the only way to see what was wrong was to open me back up. I dont want anymore surgery than ness.
   — tinalivesay