I got a bowel obstruction from my gastric sleeve and had to have another surgery 2 days later

Question

I lost 20 lbs right away. I'm about 6 weeks out and I still can't tolerate most foods without reflux or heartburn. I also always seem to be hungry could that complication be responsible for my current problems. My dr said he's done thousands of gastric sleeves and I was the first pt to have this problem. Apparently the Intestines herniated through the camera hole.

Wiljon W. Beltre, MD · Answer

Yes, you can get a bowel obstruction from a port site hernia.  These are rare but they do happen.  Hunger does return in most patients after a sleeve gastrectomy.  In fact, some patients say they experience more hunger after the sleeve.  The good news is that portion control remains.  Acid reflux after the sleeve is fairly common.  You should be on an antacid such as Omeprazole or protonix for at least two months after the sleeve.  Be patient, as you continue to lose weight the reflux should get better.

Mark Pleatman, MD (retired) · Answer

Your bowel obstruction was due to a loop of small bowel getting stuck in the abdominal wall defect left by the camera port.  This is not too uncommon.  It has absolutely nothing to do with your symptoms of reflux and heartburn.  This, too, is common after sleeve gastrectomy.  Often it gets better with time.  In the meantime, your doctor would probably suggest something like omeprazole (Prilosec) to alleviate your symptoms.  Does your doctor say he's never seen that before, too?

I got a bowel obstruction from my gastric sleeve and had to have another surgery 2 days later

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More Gastric Sleeve Surgery Questions

Realistically, after getting the gastric sleeve, how many pounds will be dropped by 4 weeks post surgery?

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