Hello everyone! I’m new here but thankful for a “message board” type community as that’s what I’m used to.

I’m somewhat unfamiliar with how to search the forum and the general rules so forgive me if this has been asked/talked about before and if “double posting” is frowned upon, but I am looking to potentially connect with people who can relate.

Has anyone here been diagnosed with a post-operative gastrogastric fistula that they have had to have surgically repaired?

I underwent RNY in April 2007 at the tender age of seventeen (long story) and was diagnosed with the fistula in 2009. There’s another long story about why it has yet to be repaired (mostly due to insurance and insurance laws changing, my own life circumstances, and lack of severe symptoms), but I’ve just recently met with a surgeon regarding it and will more than likely be having that corrective surgery this year.

It would be nice to talk to other people who have been through it. Even in the “WLS Community” it seems to be pretty rare.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I just had my fistula surgery on 3/13 like you, my original surgery was in 2007. I did awesome for the first 5 years then I started gaining. I just figured I was a failure and accepted it. Fast forward 2022, I have a 9 cm umbilical hernia. Went to UPMC and they told me they wouldn't repair it and go back to where I got the bypass. I went and through all the testing and that's how they found my 2.5 cm fistula. Lot of drama with the insurance company and I ended up having to pay out of my pocket. When I woke up from surgery, I found out it was a bigger mess than they expected. They had to remove a bunch of adhesions, I actually had 2 fistula, my stoma at the bottom of my pouch was completely closed and that part of my intestines were attached to my remnant stomach. Essentially it was like I never had the bypass. They had to remove part of my pouch and intestines and remove almost all of my remnant stomach.

If you ever want to talk, I am OK with it. It has been a long journey and without a lot of support.

Dee your story sounds similar to mine. I had my original surgery done in 2005. I have spent the last 15 years trying to figure out what my issue was. Unfortunately, I was having lower bowel pain so I never got to the right doctors to have the right testing done. I moved to a new state in 2021 and had a bad episode is what I call it so I went to my primary doctor who sent me to a GI doctor who finally ran the right test and saw I had a fistula. She then sent me to a bariatric doctor who saw like you that I basically had food and whatnot going in two different directions. So basically like I never had the surgery. I go on 3/28 to figure out next steps and a surgery. How has your recovery process been? I am curious on what to expect.