Over a year later and I still have a leak...

[mattuti86 23]

dr. Ponce de leon, but I wanna add that I know people who have had surgery with him and are doing great. I don't know if this was surgeon error or not and will never know for sure, but I'm not blaming him. I feel like it just happened cos it happened.

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

You, are an incredibly strong person to have gone through all you have, to not attribute blame across the board and to then recount it on here so matter-of-factly.

My thoughts are most sincerely with you.

You absolutely deserve the most rapid and pain free of recoveries and soon.

Your strength is astounding and I am in awe.

Keep us updated x

[Jessi_Rae 21]

Im so sorry about your leak, im a year out and the idea of having one scares me. I am currently in the hospital. Can't keep any food down, barely liquid, came to the ER, stayed 4 days, went home. I was released even though i was still not eating. I was released on the base of all blood work coming back clran, ct scan clesn and ultrasound. Anyhow, 3 days later i end back up here, amd.now working with a GI doc. I just had a HIDA scan done today, becase low and behold, the GI tells me, gallbladder issue run high when you.lose weight quickly and large amounts.

I too wish they would discuss long term complications during your preop interview and procrss.

[swimbikerun 1,039]

Im so sorry about your leak, im a year out and the idea of having one scares me. I am currently in the hospital. Can't keep any food down, barely liquid, came to the ER, stayed 4 days, went home. I was released even though i was still not eating. I was released on the base of all blood work coming back clran, ct scan clesn and ultrasound. Anyhow, 3 days later i end back up here, amd.now working with a GI doc. I just had a HIDA scan done today, becase low and behold, the GI tells me, gallbladder issue run high when you.lose weight quickly and large amounts.

I too wish they would discuss long term complications during your preop interview and procrss.

Jessi Rae I had the same thing but my surgeon accused me anorexia. It was easier to blame the patient. Everyone else knew it wasn't true. I had the HIDA scan done and it showed function of 12 and 11%. I lost a lot of weight quickly, the surgeon should have known that and didn't. Its not even documented that I had problems getting down the pills they give you for that.

Long term complications? My surgeon doesn't follow them. That's why they don't discuss it. They dont want to learn about it either. My urgent care PCP and another surgeon figured out I was malnourished when the bariatric surgeon didn't. Months before.

[laura71 12]

I have just scheduled revision from band to sleeve with dr Ponce. now this. I'm rethinking the entire thing.

[laura71 12]

I have just scheduled revision from band to sleeve with dr Ponce. now this. I'm rethinking the entire thing.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,357]

Enough with the leak already. You have had enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I still have a leak as well after 17 months but it is covered by this procedure. No one should go through what you have been through. I have been where you are and it is no joke. Your life sways in the balance.....This will work whether the leak gets sealed by this or you have a combo bypass and sleeve...

Demand it.....No more it is enough pain for you....I am so sorry you are going through this. I understand completely as I to have ridden that horse! PM me if you need any other information.. K

Tell them to do a Roux-en-Y loop

[mattuti86 23]

Thank you all for your very kind words. I'm sorry that some of you are having complications, specially so far out, that's scary. I hope they get resolved soon, being in and out of hospital sucks! And always having to see doctors is a pain too. We did this to be healthier and avoid things like that.

[mattuti86 23]

@@laura71 I don't know what to tell you. Like I mentioned, idk if it was his fault or it just happened. My friend and her dad both went with him and had no problems, I've also read on here of a lot of people who have gone with him and have no problems. I also saw on TV (while I was in the hospital) a story about a patient of his that was brain dead in the hospital in San Diego and they wanted to disconnect him so another hospital in irvine, I believe took him, it was on TV cos of the controversy around it, apparently the hospital wanted to disconnect him and his family refused, they even had protests outside the hospital. I don't know the whole story but according to the report he was like 23 years old, had the sleeve and got a leak, he lived in Los Angeles and his family drove him down to see dr Ponce who put in a stent and the guy went back home, according to the head dr at the hospital where it was done ( which wasn't INT where I got mine) the guy didn't go back in time to remove the stent, (they didn't interview dr ponce but showed his picture) and when they were driving down to tj to get him medical help cos he was really sick, he had a heart attack and ended up in a hospital here in San Diego, brain dead, I tried to contact his family on Facebook but never got a response. Idk what happened to him but considering he was brain dead. I'm sure other doctors have stories like this but don't tell you about them, this one just happened to come out on the news because of the controversy around it.

[mattuti86 23]

@rj's/beginning thank you. I think that's one of they possibilities but the problem here is that I have damage to my lung and diaphragm too and the dr says that doesn't happen, he has only found one other case similar to mine and presented my case in a conference and was met with a lot of huhs? So he is being extra cautious but says we're now at a point where I'm a lot healthier and thinner and we need to decide on the next step, we just need another cat scan to see if my lung is doing better and it's safer to proceed. I agree, I've had enough and it's been way too long. I just want to get back to normal life, whatever the new normal is gonna be. Have you had any problems since having this procedure?

[Jessi_Rae 21]

I am so depressed, my HIDA scan came back fine, no issues therr. The docs don't believe me, even though im to the point of not keeping anything done. I feel so discouraged, like the issue is never going to end, or they wont find what's wrong.

[mattuti86 23]

I'm so sorry :/ it's so frustrating when they can't find what's wrong with you and they don't believe you. I really hope they find out what's going on soon.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

@@mattuti86 God bless!! I'm praying for your returned health. I hope they can revise you to the bypass rather than anything more drastic. I'm revising to the bypass from having the sleeve almost 4 years ago as well. Complications do occur that's true, but we have to stay strong so we can tell our stories of victory. Take care of yourself.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,357]

@rj's/beginning thank you. I think that's one of they possibilities but the problem here is that I have damage to my lung and diaphragm too and the dr says that doesn't happen, he has only found one other case similar to mine and presented my case in a conference and was met with a lot of huhs? So he is being extra cautious but says we're now at a point where I'm a lot healthier and thinner and we need to decide on the next step, we just need another cat scan to see if my lung is doing better and it's safer to proceed. I agree, I've had enough and it's been way too long. I just want to get back to normal life, whatever the new normal is gonna be. Have you had any problems since having this procedure?

Yes I left the hospital with a category 5 bedsore and other issues. I had pneumonia and liquid in my lungs and still after 17 months I still have liquid in my left lung. I use a pump when needed. Other issues creeped up on me... It is a long sorted story. But I found that surgery saved my life. I have had no issues with it. Other issues yes. but it was a home run for me as far as the leak went...14 surgeries in hospital and so many things that when that finally happened. It started to turn around for me....I was 1 in over 500 patients my surgeon did at that time and he never had one that he figured would have survived it...But I am here writing you..lol

They were cautious with me and I love them so much for their dedication to me. I can never thank my team enough....I am doing so much better..And continue to push forward with my bypass/sleeve combo!

[metoonow 4]

I was sleeved on 2/11 and felt good for about 3 weeks...then I went back to work and started feeling tired and started having problems with soft foods... To make it short on 3/15 I could not keep anything down and on 3/16 I started with a high fever and went to ER... I had an air pocket outside my sleeve and and an abscess on my spleen... I was in ICU for a week and came home on TPN and a reverse feeding tube draining my stomach. I must say I am lucky because they could not find the leak through the endoscopy... Just saw a few ulcerations around the staples then the next day they did surgery to remove abscess and looked on the outside and put blue dye in me and non leaked. My leaked healed itself. After 3 weeks on TPN I am allowed Water and certain meds orally. I go back to the Dr on 4/23 to find out about getting the tube removed from my stomach. I don't want to scare anyone and guess I should of started with I have Crohns Disease and have been on an immune suppressant for 4 years which probably caused the leak and slowed my healing. I do get depress mostly because I am gaining weight on TPN.