If you have a leak, would you have pain right away ?

Just curious. Everything has been going well for me. I am on day 10 post op. I went to get up from the couch, and must have done so too swiftly, and felt a sharp pain, almost tearing sensation right near the top incision. It hurt sharp for a few minutes. The incision areas are still pretty sore anyways. But I'm nervous about that sharp pain and it's right where the esophagus meets the stomach, where most tears are. I drank some Water and everything feels fine still. No nausea, no pain, vomiting, etc.

I'm going to call the doctor in the AM just to make sure, but I'm hoping that it was not the suture line popping. ????

It is likely you just pulled your stitches. It is unlikely that your getting up from the couch caused a leak. You just pissed off your incisions. If you had a leak you would have a fever, possibly the shakes, vomiting, etc.

Trooper wifey,

your profile says that you had lap band surgery. If that is the case your chance of a leak is slim to none as you dont actually have a surgical incision to develop a leak. You most likely either popped a stitch or broke some scar tissue loose. Hopefully all is well and you recover quickly!

Thanks. It's feeling better still sore though. I'll see how today goes and try to be more careful. I'll update my profile, I joined when I was interested in the lap band a few years ago, but eventually went with gastric sleeve.

I have felt some of this transient stinging pain too. It usually occurs when I get into certain positions or stretch weird. I haven't been afraid because it always goes away when I shift or after a short time. I'm sure it's just scar tissue or whatever.

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I attended the intro info seminar at NYUMC the other evening and, as I have a lapband that may need removal (I'll find out soon), asked whether there are signs when the actual stomach incision leaks after sleeve surgery . The surgeon leading the session replied, Yes, you would feel sick overall -- fever, pain, no energy, et al. While I don't remember the number he named, he did say that the percentage of patients who experience that internal leakage is pretty low (maybe 15%???).

If it means anything to anyone else, at times when I've felt pain of any sort, not necessarily thinking it has anything to do with my old band surgery, but can't tell whether it's internal or on the surface, I can figure it out when I gently/firmly press my fingers against the spot.

Just updating. No fever or shortness of breath or fatigue. I do have some pain in that area when I eat or drink, very minimal, that was not there previously. I'm still hoping it its just stitches or scar tissue.

You would know by now if you had a leak. You would be sick as a dog.

I am 5 weeks post op, and last week I resumed my workouts as per doctor's permission.

Everything was ok the first time but after the second time I felt like something tore or something, in the muscle I guess.

I've browsing the complications forum for a while and understood that it makes me anxious and sad.

I was terrified. It's been 6 days now, no fever and the pain is only in certain positions.

I will definitely go to the doctor this week, but I guess is probably that I tore scar tissue or the internal stitches in the muscle (I did some stretching uh!)

The chance of a leak is around 2%. But it depends on the surgeon skills a lot. That's why going for a very experienced professional might mitigate the risk. I read here in the forums about people getting leaks because of stomach ulcers after 2 years, but that's the exception not the rule.

Almost 200K people get sleeved in the US a year.