Scar Tissue From Previous Abdominal Surgeries

[Midwest Grateful 48]

Hi everyone!

I'm scheduled for gastric bypass on July 25th. I mentioned to my surgeon today that I was concerned he might run into a lot of scar tissue (I've had a few abdominal surgeries in the past). He informed me he'll clean up old scar tissue, but if he sees excess scarring that poses a concern he may opt to do a sleeve as a Plan B. I told him I trust his judgment.

I'm curious. Anyone here have old scar tissue cause a problem?

[GreenTealael 24,881]

When I was being converted from VSG to RNY my surgeon said I had a lot of scar tissue. It caused the surgery time to be extended but he said he took his time and got it all. It didn’t impact the quality of my WLS just added extra time in the OR.

[WanderingLass 37]

I had a giant ovarian cyst removed in 2013. Like, gallon of milk giant. It had adhered to my bowels and pretty much everything it could. They nicked my bowel in 3 spots removing the cyst. (Hysterectomy in 2000 but they took both ovaries with the cyst and my gall bladder for its own reasons, I'm always a special case.)

Forward to my sleeve a week ago, and my surgeon said that my bowel is adhered to my small intestine and had she been 2 inches to my left, she'd have been in my bowel. Scary thought! I joked I should get a tattoo there in case of emergency...

Sounds like your surgeon is well prepared!

[CarmenG 151]

Yep. I got sleeved in 2009, and in 2011, I lost my gall bladder. These days, gall bladder surgeries are laparoscopic. However, when the surgeon put a camera into my belly button to take a look, he said he couldn't see well enough because of the sleeve scar tissue. He ended up giving me an emergency open gall bladder surgery. He said he didn't have time to wake me up and ask for permission because it was dilated to 11cm and I was septic. I actually told my revision surgeon the same thing you did about the sleeve and gall bladder scar tissue he would encounter. He told me the same thing as your doc. He said it shouldn't be a problem and that he would remove scar tissue if he had to. My revision surgery last month was laparoscopic and robot-assisted.

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

Prior to my sleeve surgery, I had two exploratory surgeries for endometriosis and my gall bladder removed, so a total of 3 abdominal surgeries. No one at my surgeon's office seemed concerned about it and it was barely mentioned.

[Midwest Grateful 48]

@GreenTealael, @WanderingLass, @CarmenG, & @pintsizedmallrat...

Thank you! I appreciate your feedback. Like most of you I had my gallbladder removed (in 2017). Plus many years ago I had two cesareans, hysterectomy/oophorectomy, and two hernia repairs (the doctor who did an emergency oophorectomy cut through my first hernia repair so it had to later be redone). I'm expecting quite a bit of scar tissue. So, your comments are helpful. Amazing stories...I'm glad things worked out for you all! 💕

My surgeon did mention if the scar tissue is attached to the bowel (or small intestine, etc.) and it's too risky to work lower in the abdomen as necessary for the gastric bypass, then he will do the sleeve where he stays higher in the abdomen. I get that.

I hope you're all doing well now. WanderingLass, you JUST had your surgery, so I hope you're healing quickly. And CarmenG, you just had surgery last month. All the best to you!

[WanderingLass 37]

5 hours ago, Midwest Grateful said:

I hope you're all doing well now. WanderingLass, you JUST had your surgery, so I hope you're healing quickly. And CarmenG, you just had surgery last month. All the best to you!

I seem to be, thank you! My biggest incision is itchy so that's a good thing! I'm doing a lot of walking, including a small hill. I am looking forward to soft foods, though. The shakes are good but I don't want to burn out on them like I did riced cauliflower a few years ago.

[Jessi2023 6]

Hope your surgery went well yesterday!

This is one of my biggest fears. I had a hysterectomy 2.5 years ago and had to have a big abdominal incision because I had too much scar tissue on my cervix to remove the uterus (and the massive fibroids) through the vagina. The surgery also took 3.5 hours instead of two because I had so much scar tissue. This was likely from my previous c/sections. I am hoping that the scar tissue is all lower down and won't cause problems for the RNY. I really can't do the sleeve instead because I have severe GERD.

[Mike.J.Y 70]

How the surgery go?