Hi Y'all. I'm at a loss & don't know where to go. I'm hoping someone here will be able to give me some advice? Here's my story. I had a weight loss surgery clear back in 1982, and it was called, Gastric Exclusion, or more commonly, Stomach Stapling Surgery. I am nearly 40 years post op!! My results were fair, but for sure not worth what I went through & continue going through! Approx. 12 years ago, I had been fighting a stomach ache for weeks. It wasn't horrible, just nagging. Then I went to visit my daughter in southern California, and something about getting on that flight, turned my "nagging stomach ache", into projectile vomiting, & it did not let up until I ended up in a San Diego ER, & they gave me some Protonix, & sent me on my way. Well, that lasted less than an hour, & I was trying to get to my daughters, 80 miles north... well, this projectile vomiting was so bad, and nothing would stop it! Well, the 4 day trip I had planned to go get to know my new grandson, was extended to 10 days, 9 of which were spent in a lovely hospital bed with palm trees outside my window view. They had me with a Naso-gastric tube, the one that goes from your nose into stomach to drain all contents of stomach continuously. On the 8th day, they finally scheduled me with a gastro enterologist, (really?? duh!!) and he did a scope on day 9, and found that one of my staples, had dislodged, and was floating around in my abdominal cavity, and had began boring a hole in my stomach wall!! The doctor who performed the scope dislodged the "staple", and took it out with the scope itself, at which time, my nausea, projectile vomiting and all pain magically went away along with that staple! Well, I was just so happy to have the issues resolved & be on my way back to Colorado, that I didn't bother getting much information about what was the cause & effects, or what to do in the event that I started having similar symptoms again! (finally bringing this to today!) Yeah, you guessed it. I've been having the same type of pain for the past week or so, & I fear it's going to be the same problem rearing it's ugly head again! I actually ended up in the ER a couple days ago, because of horrific abdominal pain, WAY worse than the pain I had 12 years ago, & they admitted me for a night & day for observations & kept me NPO while I was there. They did a CAT scan, & said they "THINK" I have an obstruction that will resolve on it's own. I attempted to tell these ER docs & nurses about my surgery in 1982, but they looked at me like I was from another planet, & just excused the topic. So, my question is, has anyone ever heard anything about this type of complication or ANYTHING 40 years post op, and if not, does anyone know where I could get information on this subject?

I have never heard of anything like this happening before. I do think that you need to get yourself to a Gastro doc ASAP. Make them listed & so a scope!

I’m sorry you are going through this. I don’t have personal experience with this procedure but I have had complications with the procedures I did have and I know it is hard.

You may want to see a bariatric surgeon to see if they can do some kind of revision procedure on you. what you describe sounds similar to a procedure that used to be done that’s called “vertical banded gastroplasty” and I know that many people who had problems with that surgery ended up having revisions.
It sounds like this issue should be fixable. Hope you find answers soon.

I had the stomach stapling in 1984. It was the Vertically Banded Gastroplasty. On the 15th of February I had it revised to a Gastric Bypass and I am doing splendidly. I never had any symptoms like you describe but I did gain my weight back after the 1984 proceedure. The good thing about the Bypass is it is harder to gain weight back.

My surgeon was Dr. Stephen Boyce in Knoxville TN. He was the only surgeon in the state I could find who would tackle my revision. No one else wanted to touch me. I highly recommend him. I'm sure you could fine someone to do a revision for you but for some reason the old surgeries seem to cause most surgeons to shy away.

Good luck.

5 minutes ago, shekinahgal said:

MY STORY

5 minutes ago, shekinahgal said:

I too had that surgery in 1988. In hospital 2 weeks on morphine pump, having nightmares of eating dead birds, almost ripped incision up, so They knocked me out. While in long recovery stage, my then husband molested my girls. (So much, so young:(, I lost 175 lbs. in a year and was very malnourished. I had to have a partial reversal done and a divorce to protect my children. Lost everything, but it was worth losing all to keep them safe! Then I had to have my stomach "hole" dilated twice. I had 2 huge granulomas grow under the breastbone to under belly button incision. I developed small very painful hernias around the large outer staples. DX of fibromyalgia added into mix. Fast forward 15 years, had to have my uterus separated from my bladder. They found several surgical clips in my abdomen. Nobody would talk about them for years! Avoided my questions... Fast forward to 2003, diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Came close to dying after being misdiagnosed a few times. Doctors wanted to remove all my intestines. Doctor that admitted me to hospital vetoed it.(Thank God) I was in Hospital for a long time, treated with various antibiotics etc on morphine pump. Came home, drugged out of my mind. Hooked on meds. Single Mom, 4 children after of 2d divorce to protect them all for abuse physically and emotionally. More hospital stays. DX of widespread fiber polyneuropathy added, and carpal tunnel both hands/arms added. Bowel blockage in 2017, 3 resections of small/large intestines in 2019 Xmas eve. Loss of 24 inches of intestines. Another bowel blockage in 2020 during covid. NG tube, Panic attacks horrible, long stay and no visitors allowed due to covid :( That was very, very hard! Chronic Diarrhea for life due to one of the resections. Weight loss, the hard way. Anemia often. Broken down arches, with foot surgery 2022. Left me unbalanced and unable t walk very far. Severe Spinal stenosis, arthritis in spine, scoliosis that stops me from sitting with back against chairs etc. DX with heart issues. 2025.Oh, and husband left me in 2021 when my precious mom with dementia came to live with me so I could take care of her, he having promised to help! woke up, he was gone. I was able to do it for 3 years but had to stop due to all my health issues getting worse. Now, I am throwing up food, up to hrs. later after eating. for months. So, two scopes tomorrow, writing this as I prep.Did this all begin with a STOMACH STAPLING? Mayyybee , Def! BUT GOD!!! He loves me and has a plan for me! He has kept me alive through all this... and I KNOW I will be completely whole and healed! To God be all the Glory! I have things to do, people to help and an adversary who needs tossed out from harming beloved people GOD created. :) Amy

Edited March 10Mar 10 by shekinahgal