Stricture

[caleksa 48]

Can anyone share with me how they found out they had a stricture, what kind if testing the surgeon did, how quickly they fixed it and how they fixed it. Is it another hospital stay?

I know that's a lot of questions but I am pretty sure I have one and my surgeon situation is complicated.

Surgery was 7/1 and everything has been going perfect until yesterday. Now I can't even get down fluids.

[Jacqueline K 93]

Oh goodness. Mine started about 3 weeks post op. I was only able to drink and eat Soup. Anything that needed chewing- even puréed things would get stuck. The pain was nearly unbearable, horrible nausea, and the food would often come back up.

My doctor wouldn't so a scope until his patients are 6 weeks post op. I was so frustrated with that but had no choice but to wait. At 6 weeks I called to make appt and he wanted me to go to ER to get tests done first. I went in on a Wednesday afternoon (this was 7/10 so not long ago). They did barium swallow test and gastrografin too. The barium test showed the stricture as the tablet got stuck. They also put me on fluids as I was so dehydrated my pee was brown and I had a UTI. They admitted me. I had the scope done this next morning. They found and stretched the stricture.

They didn't let me go home until Friday as they wanted to make sure I could eat before I went home. So I ended up staying 2 nights which was more than I stayed for my bypass! I still deal with nausea and some vomiting when food doesn't agree but things aren't getting stuck anymore.

They told me once you have a stricture you may need 2-3 scopes to totally keep it open. So far mine is doing fine with the one scope. But it's only been a few weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't come back!

Good luck to you! I hope that helps you. I don't think most people have to stay that long. Mine may have been because of UTI and dehydration too- I ended up getting 6 bags of fluids.

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[ArmyOfMe 82]

Pretty much what Jacqueline said. We had surgery one week apart with the same surgeon. I too had a stricture shortly after surgery. Same feeling: everything down my throat would get stuck, followed by cold chills, hyperventilating, pain, regurgitation. I was lucky as my stricture seemed to heal on its own. I still get the stuck feeling but not as aggressive. I blame myself for not paying attention to my eating technique. Good luck, though. Hopefully, they can do the scope and give you relief.

[Sheri h 18]

I guess mine was a mild one I started out being able to swallow pureed foods to not being able to swallow Water my surgeon did a scope the same day I had the complaint and would have done my dilation that same day but because I am on blood thinner she had to have me off of it for 5 days to be safe but 5 days later I was at hospital with nothing by mouth they put in iv for versed 15 min after I counted to 2 I was waking up and it was done. No pain, no bleeding and I was able to drink that day but back on pureed food by day 2.

[Sheri h 18]

and by the way walked in hospital and out in less than 3 hours and I was told the only reason it took so long it was the day after we had the deadly tornado in Moore Oklahoma had to drive to different hospital because the little hospital that my surgeon worked out of was destroyed so things were in a little disarray.

[caleksa 48]

Just got back from the hospital, they went ahead and scoped me. No stricture, turns out its an ulcer in my new stomach. I think this is worse, two more medications to add to my daily routine. They said they don't know what caused it but it should heal up.