I'm a little fearful that if I ask my surgeon these things, he's going to think I am a nut. If I can get a little bit of info here, it would be very helpful. Please keep in mind, I am a (not active) EMT so I am very interested in understanding biology.

When you cut the stomach, what happens to the inside contents during the surgery; the acid, enzymes, and any contents? Can or does it leak out in to the cavity or muscles/fat that surrounds the stomach?

IF not, WHAT prevents it?

If so, can this' poison' you or contribute to infection?

(I am referring to the time DURING the surgery)

Once the stomach is disected and the old stomach is stapled up and moved out of the way, what occurs INSIDE of it? I have read that normal functions continue but I don't think I really understand what can be 'normal' about a stomach that is no longer serving it's function. Maybe someone can explain?

And finally, what about nerves and vessles to the old stomach and the new pouch; Does the doctor just leave them all attached as they were (some to the new pouch and most to the old stomach)? Can one bleed out from the disection of vessles? Are any vessels caulderized during all of this?

Oh and 1 more....

Is muscle ever cut during this procedure? I know it's laproscopic and the cavity is inflated with gas, but is there any muscle anywhere that needs to be disected/resected?

Thank you

What's a little suprising is that my doctors (all of them) tell me constantly that most people never ask questions like mine. When I was going to be having an endoscopy' date=' one of the questions I asked the doctor was if the specific anesthesia people (or those monitoring me) had a protocal or were trained in case I had bad reaction to the anesthesia and/or stroked? He told me "that won't happen" and when I said, "well what if it did?" he began to get an attitude while explaining how minimal the risks were blah blah blah.... and I didn't like his answer because I AM in the high risk minority. He then cancelled my procedure and said I had too much anxiety.... WTH? No, HE had the anxiety.

When I asked my RNY doctor what type of metal the staples are made of, and he answered, he also said "Wow, there's a question most people don't ask".

I am an EMT and I LOVE biology. Plus its my body, my life.... and I want to know what other people are doing to it basically. Apparently a lot of people just dont think to ask or they have a lot more trust than I do. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />[/quote']

Do you mind sharing what you doctor answers were

What's a little suprising is that my doctors (all of them) tell me constantly that most people never ask questions like mine. When I was going to be having an endoscopy' date=' one of the questions I asked the doctor was if the specific anesthesia people (or those monitoring me) had a protocal or were trained in case I had bad reaction to the anesthesia and/or stroked? He told me "that won't happen" and when I said, "well what if it did?" he began to get an attitude while explaining how minimal the risks were blah blah blah.... and I didn't like his answer because I AM in the high risk minority. He then cancelled my procedure and said I had too much anxiety.... WTH? No, HE had the anxiety.

When I asked my RNY doctor what type of metal the staples are made of, and he answered, he also said "Wow, there's a question most people don't ask".

I am an EMT and I LOVE biology. Plus its my body, my life.... and I want to know what other people are doing to it basically. Apparently a lot of people just dont think to ask or they have a lot more trust than I do. [/quote']

Cherry never give up asking questions its your patient right and the MD's oath he pledged. Dump them if they won't answer. They are not GOD....I ask tons of questions too and so does my hubby. In fact he came with me to the md and asked questions before my surgery. I too am an EMT, certified coding specialist and a certified medical assistant. I trust nobody when comes to my body..I have been accused of knowing to much if you can believe that one!

Cherry never give up asking questions its your patient right and the MD's oath he pledged........ I trust nobody when comes to my body..I have been accused of knowing to much if you can believe that one!

Yes I do believe it!!! There are people in this world who are in one particular profession, NOT because they don't have the smarts to be in a different profession, but because they got 'stuck' somewhere.

I'm a retired paramedic fire fighter. Best thing to tell u what I did is go to YouTube and search Roux-en-y procedure. Day of surgery I sat and explained nearly every process he was going to do...then they shot me full of drugs and I was ready to strip naked and do the tango to the OR. LoL

OH NO I do NOT want to strip naked in the OR LOLOLOLOL

For IChatman:

ok let me see... the disection of the stomach is done by a tool - it looks like a duck's bill. It is a medical stapler that has 6 rows of TINY staples (titanium) with a knife inbetween. I got to play with the stapler! It looks like a futuristic ray gun to be honest. It's about 18" long with the "duck's bill" on the end. It does ALL the work for the doctor in disection. When he places that to the area he is going to "cut", it cuts AND seals both the old and new stomach simultaneously. Thus there is no abilty for the stomach to leak.... although it can, but it really shouldn't during or after the procedure.

Since we are doing some forms of liquid dieting pre-op, and we do a bowel cleanse thing and then not eating a while before surgery, the stomach is empty. The old stomach then will continue to secrete its normal hormones & enzymes etc, as stimulated (which basically it never will be) and if it should, it cannot go upwards.

There are no nerves to be injured and any vessels that might bleed, will be caulderized as needed. When they blow the cavity up with gas, it seperates the organs from the muscles, although there is fat all over.

Hope that made sense.

LoL I surely did and asked out three nurses once on the table a d last I remember is I told the anesthesiologist he had a cute butt. O.o lol

LoL I surely did and asked out three nurses once on the table a d last I remember is I told the anesthesiologist he had a cute butt. O.o lol

ok that is definitely something I would do..... well when not busy having anxiety over anesthesia.

I'm hesitant to ask what your signiture is about ("disabled due to GP complications") ugggg

**shrinking in chair** :ph34r:

My story will scare u to death lol.

I'm scared to death of it also. I will sit and fight and fight propofol until finally I give in. Scares me to death and as soon as I'm aware I'm awake I'm like trying to jump outta the bed. Its awful.

yeah wow. I just stalked one of your threads. I don't think I want to know. But I can tell you that I am a high risk patient and the OR has to take precautions. I wrote about this in other topics, but my husband and family are not supporting this - simply because I am high risk.... well that and because I lost 30lbs pre-op and they seem to think this is all about weight and will power. Oh gawd, don't get me started.

I hope you have a better day tomo. I am also disabled and in chronic pain from an accident I was in. I could go on.....and on.....and on

That's always the assumption. I had the will power to lose keeping it off was another story. My family berated me over my weight w things like u will never be small enough to wear my clothes etc. Ugh. I learned to stop trying to make others happy and make myself happy. Hang n there :-D