ERCP after RNY - questions

[Djmohr 6,965]

I have been having severe back pain since last June. I have been through a multitude of procedures because of my spine history. Although the MRI of my thoracic spine shows some problems they are not significant enough to cause this pain. In November I had surgery to remove a nonfunctional neurostimulator thinking the leads were impacting a nerve. Following that surgery the pain in my midback and right side including the ribs grew worse. They started me on Vicodin and kept me on it for several months now. It did not touch this pain. I had my shoulder repaired on 2/12 and they added MS Contin along with the Vicodin. That finally helped make me more comfortable.

I was referred back to my PCP this week and she has run blood work to check my kidney, liver and pancreatic function simply to rule them out. I had my gallbladder removed 25 years ago.

My blood work came back normal. She changed me to a fentanyl patch because all of these pills are not good. I have a history of stage 3 kidney disease so I have to be careful.

Today she called and is requesting that I have an ERCP test to check the bile ducts, at the pancreas, liver and where the gallbladder used to be to rule out stones there.

Since having RNY, I moved states and had to find new doctors here with a different health insurance. I scheduled an appointment with a gi doctor here in Wisconsin, I have heard that you have to be very careful with any type of test like this one after having bypass but I am not sure of how to handle this. I did ask if they had a doctor that specializes in Bariatric patients and I got the canned answer that they all understand that surgery and I shouldn't worry about it.

Do I need to do anything special? Has anyone had this test post RNY and if so can you share your experience. I just want to make sure that I ask the right questions.

[CINNAMON 2015 43]

I didn't have that test, but had RNY last May & had to have Carpal Tunnel surgery a few weeks ago. I was told we can't be intubated the regular way so they opted for I.V. Twilight sleep & that worked just fine. I also wear a Medic Alert Bracelet listing the gastric by pass. Hope that helps a little!

[ForeverHealthy 22]

Wait....go back to the part where you can't be intubated.....???? So any surgeries post RNY, you can't have general anesthesia????

What is ERCP....?

[brindall 17]

I've never heard that we can't be intubated the same way but I have heard that we can't have a nasogastric tube but down the same way, for obvious reasons. Tell us more about the intubation part!!

[brindall 17]

ERCP is when they take a scope and go down to your pancreatic ducts to look for stones or blockages I believe. It has to be done very carefully in general and much more so post RNY because the anatomy is different after RNY. I had one done before RNY.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@

I have been intutabed 3 times for surgery following my RNY. Just 2 weeks ago in fact.

Whoever has told you that has it completely wrong. This was one of my biggest questions when I had a 3 level cervical fusion in June.

Now following that surgery, they sometimes like to use video because I cannot tip my back far enough.

I have been told that if I need this ERCP test they will need to use someone who is very familiar with bypass. So I was curious if anyone had that experience.

[tdeb 9]

Good luck to you! I had an ERCP performed after my gallbladder was removed and I was still having a huge amount of pain due to a retained stone. This occurred prior to bypass, but one of the potential complications is developing pancreatitis. It was explained to me that the pancreas is an angry and grudge holding organ that can be easily irritated. I think the risk was about 5%, wouldn't you know I got it. That lead to 9 days in he hospital and a painful recovery.

I'm not trying to freak you out, rather reinforce what you already seam t know about being particular cautious that the person who performs your procedure is very aware of your anatomy to minimize the risk of this painful risk happening to you.

Good luck to you! I had an ERCP performed after my gallbladder was removed and I was still having a huge amount of pain due to a retained stone. This occurred prior to bypass, but one of the potential complications is developing pancreatitis. It was explained to me that the pancreas is an angry and grudge holding organ that can be easily irritated. I think the risk was about 5%, wouldn't you know I got it. That lead to 9 days in he hospital and a painful recovery.

I'm not trying to freak you out, rather reinforce what you already seam t know about being particular cautious that the person who performs your procedure is very aware of your anatomy to minimize the risk of this painful risk happening to you.

[CINNAMON 2015 43]

No I said can't be intubated the REGULAR way. I guess there is a special procedure.

[Lovin' Cleveland 0]

I hope from the date of this post that you had a successful ERCP. I am sitting here typing, in the same pain that I had 3yrs ago when I too had to go through an ERCP. First, let me say, I have had many surgeries since my 2002 RNY and have never had a question or concern about the breathing tube during surgery, so I hope that went okay for you. My gallbladder was removed in 2006; I wish it was told to weightloss individuals that your gallbladder will go bad when you have a significant weightloss, but, nope, that's the worst pain EVER and I have had children, knee surgeries, etc. That 1-10 scale on pain a GB is a 12! OK, so the ERCP. I started getted pain in the upper right quadrant and it went through to my back. Doctors to specialists and basically got a "suck it up buttercup." Well, then the screaming run to the ER and the Liver counts were off the charts. No doctor wanted to touch my case. Finally, the head of gastro at the University in town said sure, I'll do it, but it it complicated. First, they put a feeding tube into my original bypassed stomach. A 45min procedure that took over 4hrs. Apparently our stomachs kinda shrink massivelyand turn hard and leathery. And then was hospitalized a couple of days for that. The stomach tube then had to heal and while it was healing I had to drain the bile out of the tube into Water bottles and throw away. It was my own personal nightmare. Once that was done and I had the ERCP done through the feeding tube over to the liver ducts.....that tooks less than an hour and that evil feeding tube was removed at the same time. All and all, it took over 6 weeks time. Well.....I am very unhappy to say that the same darn pain is back and I am hoping that in the past 3yrs medical technology has improved.

Perhaps you can give me few pointers on how to direct the doctors.....I don't want to go through that nightmare again; but I am tired of this horrible pain.

[chasingpolaris321 214]

I have Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction which causes severe pain in the Upper Right Quadrant due to increased bile duct pressure during attacks. It's worth looking into for people who had their gallbladders out but still experience severe abdominal pain. For me, attacks happen when taking any kind of narcotic pain medicine.