I am worried that I have stretched my pouch. Can you stretch your pouch if you go to bed after eating while food is still in your pouch? Has anyone got any information on a stretched pouch?

loseit - I've worried the same thing about mine. Never have been told that I have stretched it. The dr's office I go to for my fills, does that upper GI test every time. I've been pretty paranoid about not laying down after eating. I wait as close to 3 hrs as I can. I have laid down earlier than that, but I am too worried about potentially stretching my pouch to do that regularly. Have you had an upper GI scan/xray thing when you've gone for fills. If you're concerned, you could ask your doctor. Good luck to you.

Is there a reason you think your pouch is stretched? I guess I've never heard that you can stretch your pouch by going to bed after eating. I often have a light snack before going to bed, and haven't had any issues.

your pouch empties in 20-30 min's. it still has the same ability as your stomach does.

I learned the hard way....I will not eat anything within hours of going to bed...if dinner is late, then I won't eat...simple as that...

Reason? Eating before going to bed, for me, will most certainly result in Acid Reflux, and once or twice has resulted in regurgitation while asleep....

I do not see how this could result in stretching the pouch....that happens from attempting to overeat, and or adding more volume to the pouch at one time than it will allow...if I attempt to do this it will most certainly result in pain, and will also come right back up having no where else to go.....

by having a fluro xray/barium swallow at your dr, they will be able to tell if the pouch is stretched....at my last xray/barium, i requested to see what a stretched pouch looks like...it was a hum dinger......so i believe that is the way to see if the pouch is stretched....overeating is what stretches it...so dont do it..

My only problem with eating and then going to sleep is GERD. It is dangerous and something you don't want. I,a nd many others, don't eat after 7 or 8 pm. Karen..aka.kll724

My understanding of the pouch is that food passes through the stoma in one minute or less as long as you're eating properly. Food does not store in your pouch for hours. If you're doing this properly, food is in your stomach shortly after you consume it.

tmf

Pouch dilation is a complication from banding, not as serious as band slippage -- but is a prelude to slippage if saline is not reduced and caught in time, it can cause the pouch to get really big and prolapse, but it is a complication where it makes it difficult for the band to be effective...

Pouch dilation happens when someone is filled too tightly TOO LONG and continues to try to eat on a very tight band (along with frequent vomiting), sometimes it can happen pretty quickly after being filled too tight, this is why it is very important to return immediately to your surgeon when you've been filled too tight to prevent permanent damage to your band.

Pouch dilation is tricky also, sometimes you think you are doing well with a very tight band and losing weight, and after someone who have been too tight for a long period of time, start noticing they can eat more food, they think they need more saline, but sometimes the pouch will dilate ....

Here are more causes and differences in pouch dilation and slippage:

http://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/gastric-pouch-dilation-versus-slipped-band-an-important-distinction/

Aggressive band inflation and creation of excessive restriction to compensate for patient lifestyle non-compliance may contribute to morbidity including gastric pouch dilatation, band slippage and erosion.

It is essential to be able to diagnose gastric pouch dilatation and its causes.

Treatment of pouch dilation includes band deflation, which preserves the device and ongoing patient educational counselling. We recommend that restriction should be increased in patient’s with aLAGB commensurate with their compliance and lifestyle change in order to avoid complications.

Edited January 13, 201412 yr by NaNa