Re: Stretched Stoma

[Guest guest]

Someone on another list had just asked this question, so I copied & pasted my

reply to her...please forgive the cross-post:

I had an open RNY on 8/99, and within 6 months found out I had a staple line

disruption. On 8/00, I went to Dr. Gagner in NYC for a lap transection, who

many of you may know, is Chief of Laparoscopic Surgery at Mt. Sinai. He, as

well as Champion in Atlanta and the California guys (can't think of their

names, but Carnie 's docs) have been doing lap WLS longer than anyone

else in the country. That said, after he fixed my SLD, he told me my stoma

had stretched to the max, but it was just too dangerous to fix, even while I

was already under. Had it been any other doctor, I wouldn't have believed

them, but Gagner is just too good. So, I just live with it. There are some

docs now experimenting with " scarring " the stoma to make it smaller, but to

the best of my knowledge, this is still just experimental.

I would like to add that I still throw up if I eat too much or too fast, but

I can eat constantly throughout the day, if I feel so inclined (hope that

never happens). So, it still works to some extent. Like Dan, I, too,

believe that it's the dirty little secret of the bariatric world. But, at

least I know the surgery is still working, even if it's not in high gear

anymore.

in NJ