What Causes A Leak? How Can We Prevent?

[WLJourneyJ 89]

i'm day 8.. and just read of a poor girl who had a leak at day 5... i saw my swallow test and all was good.. no symptoms etc.. but what can cause a leak after you are all "ok" by the swallow test.. the plan i'm on is allowing some minor soft foods (yogurt, thin oatmeal.. runny things) and purees starting next week ... but now i'm getting nervous... what causes them/

[peacequeen 434]

Mine is a mystery. I followed the rules to a t and I still got one. I got to watch my upper gi's and it looked like an area that hadn't been stapled..a small area at the top of my stomach,,we could see it bubble as I swallowed. My surgeon said it could've been from lifting myself from laying down to a sitting position, it could've pulled it loose as well as a coughing spell I had. You can eat things you aren't supposed to eat and over stuff your sleeve by eating too much or lift things that are too heavy and cause a strain on the stomach..I don't really know but these are things my surgeon and I discussed as well as some of the nurses told me while I was in the hospital. Just follow your doctors orders, take it very easy the first few weeks,,don't be afraid to ask for help.

[Essenses171 7]

Mine is a mystery. I followed the rules to a t and I still got one. I got to watch my upper gi's and it looked like an area that hadn't been stapled..a small area at the top of my stomach' date=',we could see it bubble as I swallowed. My surgeon said it could've been from lifting myself from laying down to a sitting position, it could've pulled it loose as well as a coughing spell I had. You can eat things you aren't supposed to eat and over stuff your sleeve by eating too much or lift things that are too heavy and cause a strain on the stomach..I don't really know but these are things my surgeon and I discussed as well as some of the nurses told me while I was in the hospital. Just follow your doctors orders, take it very easy the first few weeks,,don't be afraid to ask for help.[/quote']

What did they do about the leak?

[WLJourneyJ 89]

I'm a self pay. I know dr Kelly glues staples and sews but this terrifies me because it would be difficult to go back for repairs quickly and so cost prohibitive here

[peacequeen 434]

Well, I know others on the site that were treated for a leak differently..I know there has been mention of a stent put in. I had all food and liquids stopped and I was put on tpn for a month. My leak closed up on it's own. Then I was back to square one..clear liquids, full liquids..mushies..etc. It was not a pleasant experience but I'm glad I didn't have a stent,,I hear they are painful.

[Essenses171 7]

Glad everything went well. Thanks for sharing.

[WLJourneyJ 89]

What is tpn?

[WLJourneyJ 89]

I googles. Nutrition via Iv. Omg. You poor thing

[Lissa 2,631]

Tpn is liquid nutrition, usually given through a tube of some sort.

Leaks are not usually the "fault" of the patient. They are usually because you had a weak area (possibly from prior WLS like the band) or because a staple didn't seal the sleeve like it was supposed to seal it.

The best way to prevent a leak is to make sure you've chosen a surgeon who has a very good track record in regard to leaks, IMO.

[peacequeen 434]

Total parenteral nutrition..I had a picc-line that fed me..that stuff was fattening.lol I'm still about 6 weeks behind schedule.

[Star1221 270]

Tpn is liquid nutrition' date=' usually given through a tube of some sort.

Leaks are not usually the "fault" of the patient. They are usually because you had a weak area (possibly from prior WLS like the band) or because a staple didn't seal the sleeve like it was supposed to seal it.

The best way to prevent a leak is to make sure you've chosen a surgeon who has a very good track record in regard to leaks, IMO.[/quote']

Exactly Lissa. I asked so many questions ahead of time I'm sure my surgeon hated me lol. I know my dr, out of 3000 operations, only had one leak. And that was within the first 10 he did. Each one has their own way of doing things. Just keep to his plan, stop the moment you think you might be full, and you should be just fine :-)

[peacequeen 434]

I just have to stress how great my doctor is. He's done thousands of weight loss surgeries..anyone in Ky that knows about bariatric surgery knows his name. I was only the 3rd leak he or his staff had ever had. If anyone is interested,,here is a little info about my good looking doc.lol I was awfully sick but he sure was eye candy.

http://www.cbhweightloss.com/default/meet-our-team/our-surgical-bluegrass-team

[Delta..Make it Happen 29]

I totally agree with you Lissa

Make sure you ask your doctor how many surgeries he has performed and how many leaks he has had

[Lissa 2,631]

I should add that you have to take into account whether your doctor takes on higher risk cases when looking at the doctor's leak stats. My doc has had two leaks, but the day we discussed that (after surgery, mind you), he told me that taking on more complicated cases might also drive up both his leak and his mortality rates. Yet he feels compelled to take on higher risk cases (like mine) because he has a real heart for people with obesity issues. If he hadn't been willing to do my surgery, despite the risks, I might not be here today.

[shuckybucky 107]

I'm a self pay. I know dr Kelly glues staples and sews but this terrifies me because it would be difficult to go back for repairs quickly and so cost prohibitive here

If you ended up with a leak then it would be emergency services and your insurance would cover it. Once you have a leak then you have to keep stomach contents from getting into the peritoneal cavity because that cavity is basically sterile and stomache contentsgetting into it causes major infection and could ven cause death if not treated. So if you had a leak then you would be past the weight loss surgery and on to emergency services.