Gastric Volvulus

[ms_efflorescent 0]

My problems started back in the beginning of January with days when I couldn't eat anything and had severe pain when I would try and would vomit up anything that I attempted.

By the end of January it progressed to most days not even keeping liquids down.

I was sent for an upper GI, ULtrasound, CT scan and then finally last Monday I went in for the EGD. Everything looked normal in all these tests. I awoke Tuesday morning in pain and was in pain constantly for the entire day. I couldn't take a single sip of Water or a single bite of food without vomiting violently and sometimes I would vomit violently without even having tried take anything in.

The pain worsened on Wednesday and still I could consume nothing and spent a lot of the day doubled over the bathtub vomiting nothing.

Once Lon, my husband, got home from class I had him take me to the ER. After many hours I was admitted and Thursday the did another upper GI and another EGD which both showed that my stomach was twisted and nothing could get through.

I was rushed to emergency surgery where the problem with my stomach was corrected. They may have said something about tacking the stomach into proper position but I was really drugged and will have to verify. They do not know what was causing this only that it has been happening for some time and then correcting itself only to twist again.

I was finally released from the hospital today but will have more tests in the future to try to make sure this doesn't happen again and to check thoroughly for anomalies.

I can now drink Water again and eat which is a relief though portions are small at this point so still haven't gotten in much in any one day but things are improving and I am relieved that at least some resolution has been found.

In cases of gastric volvulus (twisting of the stomach), it cuts off blood flow to the stomach, but we were lucky and they got to correct the problem before any of my stomach tissue died so none of my stomach had to be removed.

Because of this condition my band did have to be removed though they did not believe that the band actually caused it though they say that they cannot be certain.

Dr C, if you see this, I guess you won't be needing copies of all my tests anymore but I wanted to thank you once again for all of your kindness and assitance.

[Alexandra 55]

Oh my goodness, Serena, thank heavens they were able to diagnose and fix the problem early! What a scary experience!!

Here's hoping you recover soon and completely, and are back to 100% very fast. :hug:

[Elisabethsew 50]

I'm glad the problem was resolved and that you caught it in time. Intestinal volulus can occur at anytime and there is no predicting who will experience it or when. Sometimes it resolves on its own and sometimes it needs surgical intervention.

[ms_efflorescent 0]

It was a gastric volvulus not an intestinal volvulus. Glastric volvulus is rare and can occur in children as a result of a congenital diaphramatic defect and rarely occurs in adults under the age of 50 and even above that age, it is still rare. Still it is usually case by diaphramatic defects which, at this point, they have not found in me.