Abdominal pain 10 months post op

[aaainatx 1]

I had my VSG on December 30, 2013. I had no complications after surgery, though it did take 9 days to have my first bowel movement, and I developed a short-lived rash from the surgical glue on my external incisions. I had a lot of gas pain the first month or two, but have not had any problems until now. I decided several months ago that I wasn't in the mindset to lose anymore weight, after having lost 80+ pounds before surgery and another 40 after surgery. My weight has been stable for the last 5 months or so. My surgeon told me she was disappointed in me, and now I don't want to return to her, mostly out of embarrassment. For the past four or five days, I've been having a lot of abdominal pain. On Friday, October 10, I took an Imodium with anti-gas medication in it to prevent the loose stools I felt coming on and to treat what felt like gas. I then felt constipated on Saturday, but I did have a regular sized bowel movement in the late afternoon. I have been in some pain today, and I am not able to eat more than one or two bites at a time because it hurts so much. I am mostly feeling pain in the upper abdomen, but some in the lower abdomen, around my belly button, as well. It feels like there is a vice around my stomach, and it's almost a burning sensation. I take Omeprazole, the generic for Prilosec, daily, and I have since I developed severe heartburn in 2007. I typically pass a lot of gas, and I've only passed a little this entire weekend. I am concerned at this point, as it's so difficult to eat, and I will call my primary care provider in the morning, hoping she's not closed due to the holiday. Has anyone had any post-op complications this far after surgery?

[swimbikerun 1,031]

Yes I have. I am totally embarrassed and very much behind you, as I also had an experience with my surgeon that has affected my health and care ever since. Know that I will not judge you but help you to the best of my ability.

Aftercare is lacking in many ways for bariatric care. We're 'cash cows' it seems.

[DallasSleeve 30]

Have you checked for gallstones? It's more common that you think after this surgery and my pain started in my upper abdomen around 10 months and then became unbearable until I got my gallbladder out. HTH!

[aaainatx 1]

Good call, Dallas Sleeve! I had an abdominal ultrasound last Monday, and I have sludge in my gallbladder. I went back to my surgeon on Thursday, and she recommended removing the gallbladder. I scheduled surgery for this Thursday, but my pain is completely gone, so I'm on the fence. This morning, I called to cancel my surgery, but the scheduler was totally against the cancellation. She said that she had had gallstones, and that her pain went away and then came back and got so bad that she blocked her common bile duct. I'm keeping my surgery appointment for Thursday. I'm struggling, because my sister, to whom I'm very close, is totally against the surgery. She thinks it's rash and that I need a second opinion.

[DallasSleeve 30]

Ha! Thanks! I recommend keeping the surgery too...I'm not sure how long I was truly having gallstone pain but thinking it was sleeve-related from over eating or eating too fast. One day out of the blue, I felt a pain like no other and that led to a ER visit and 7 day hospital stay. My gallstones blocked my bile duct and it turned into pancreatitis which is quite serious. They kept me in the hospital until I was well enough to get the gallbladder out. I now try to warn other people who get the sleeve about this because it is considered a complication (that I didn't know about!) since we are eating such high amounts of Protein. Glad they got it figured out! Hope all goes well for you- the gallbladder surgery was easy, it was the 6 days leading up to it when I was in such pain from the pancreatitis that were horrible!

[mrsbailey921 117]

i do NOT recommend cancelling surgery and i hope you went through with it. gallstones are an issue that will NEVER go away...no matter how many pain free breaks you have in between episodes. my first gallbladder attack came TWO YEARS before my second one, and within 1 week of the 2nd attack, i was having them REGULARY. it got so bad i was hospitalized for 14 days with a liver functioning at 25%...to make matters worse i was pregnant! it was a difficult time for my body physically...and as soon as my baby was born i had that thing taken RIGHT OUT! i had to be VERY careful during my pregnancy--i was on a VERY restricted diet for the entire pregnancy (very much like what the bariatric diet is like at first) and my attacks totally went away from about 4 months pregnant til after birth...but i was no dummy. i didn't let that fool me, because i knew eventually they WOULD come back!