Can food get "stuck" with a sleeve?

happyteacher
on 2/1/12 7:05 am

I get we are supposed to follow the phases, chew and then chew some more. My brother in law talked about food getting stuck and how it is no fun. He had the RNY though- is this an issue for sleevers?

1Mo: -21 2Mo: -16 3Mo: -12 4MO - 13 5MO: -11 6MO: -10 7MO: -10.3 8MO: -6 9 MO: -5 with slight regain from the original -10 MO 10: -8 MO 11: +1 MO 12: -1.4

Mo 13-14: 0 Mo 15:-10 (meds side effect)

BMI 23.7

CW: 184 Goal in 8 months 4 days!! 6' 2'' EWL 108%

150+ pounds lost

hwag5149
on 2/1/12 7:25 am

WLS on 12/12/11 with

We have a normal functioning stomach so this is no more of an issue for us than it was pre op unless the something went wrong with the surgery I guess.

HW 380.8+ SW- 371.4 CW- 234.4 GW- 200

tripmom02
on 2/1/12 7:32 am - NJ

VSG on 08/01/11 with

No, you are not going to get food stuck the way a bander or RNY would (trust me, been there done that LOL), it can feel uncomfortable or even slightly painful if you eat too fast or too much, and even get sliming or foamies, but it is NOTHING compared to what it's like to be "stuck" with other procedures.

Courtney - Lap band to VSG revision

MizzEvil
on 2/1/12 8:16 am - Phoenix, AZ

VSG on 03/16/12 with

What is sliming and foamies??

Mom4Jazz
on 2/1/12 10:54 am

VSG on 04/18/11 with

Disgusting is what it is, but since you asked:

When you overeat, your poor tiny sleeve is full and food might even back up a little into the esophagus.

Now, you're not aware of this, but you constantly swallow saliva (and snot if your nose is draining). If your sleeve is overfull, this stuff tries to go down, fails and comes back up bringing small parts and flavors of the food with it. Gross, but it's just spit you hoped never to see again.

Highest weight: 335 lbs, BMI 50.9
Pre-op weight: 319 lbs, BMI 48.5
Current range: 135 - 139 lbs, BMI 20.5 - 21
Goal range: 140-144,BMI 21.3 - 22 (currently trying to gain back 5 pounds)

175+ lbs lost, maintaining since February 2012

BriarRose
on 2/1/12 7:35 am

VSG on 01/24/11 with

Not really. sometimes it FEELS like something is stuck, but it is usually the new feeling of being full. Because we have functioning valves and not just stomas (holes) for the food to go through, we don't have the "stuck" problems. However, my surgeon does tell of a patient who decided to eat what he decided was "healthy" at three weeks out -- a whole apple with skin and granola. Surgeon said he had to go in and take the contents of the stomach out and fix a leak caused by it...os be cautious about eating according to your surgeon's instructions about advancing diet after surgery.

Briar Rose

High Wt 300 lbs. Pre-op Wt loss 34 lbs.

Sara R.
on 2/1/12 9:22 am

VSG on 12/28/11 with

Yes is the basic answer. If you continue to eat past your full phase it will feel like you are going to choke or have pain at the opening of your stomach. If you do not chew your food it will cause pressure going into the stomach. and finally, if you have a hiatel hernia repair you will have discomfort for the first few weeks regardless of bite sizes and fullness.

happyteacher
on 2/1/12 9:40 am

VSG on 12/19/11 with

Ok, I am glad to read this. I have only had a bit of an issue here and there with swallowing- during the first couple weeks only. The doc said due to the reflux endured previously that the esophogus was not as pliable as a normal one- hence the swallowing issue. I didn't think this counted as something being stuck in the way that the brother in law described it, but thought I would check. He is entirely unable to eat bread because it gets stuck. Good to know that we will function pretty close to normal :)

I do get that if one overeats there are issues- I was inquiring about managed portion sizes.

Foamies- if you eat too much or too fast you may feel the need (or actually) to spit up. When you do it is a foamy mess. I think- hasn't happened to me.

Thank you everybody for the replies :)

1Mo: -21 2Mo: -16 3Mo: -12 4MO - 13 5MO: -11 6MO: -10 7MO: -10.3 8MO: -6 9 MO: -5 with slight regain from the original -10 MO 10: -8 MO 11: +1 MO 12: -1.4

Mo 13-14: 0 Mo 15:-10 (meds side effect)

BMI 23.7

CW: 184 Goal in 8 months 4 days!! 6' 2'' EWL 108%

150+ pounds lost

tripmom02
on 2/1/12 9:58 am - NJ

VSG on 08/01/11 with

When I got stuck with band it was b/c food was literally too big to move though the band and would get lodged inside it, nothing short of forcing myself to puke (or my body doing it for me) would dislodge that food, sometimes it would take hours of pain and uncomfortable pressure before it would move though or come back up, you are not going to get that ever with Sleeve. It was a nightmare (and is actually one of the reasons that the band has such dismal stats, people can't get down dense proteins b/c they get lodged in there, so they resort to eating things that slide though which totally defeats the purpose of the band).

I have something called esophageal dysmotility which was caused by my band, so I totally understand the swallowing thing, it's a giant PITB!

Courtney - Lap band to VSG revision

MochaGal
on 2/1/12 11:21 am

VSG on 11/14/11 with

Thank you for this post! I had thought I had something stuck (I have a sleeve) and was told to go back to liquids until I saw the surgeon again: major pressure and tightness in sternum area. Hard to eat more than a couple ounces at a time for awhile. When I saw him, it had passed and I was fine again. He reminded me to eat slowly and not that much. I really had thought I had done that, but figured it must have been too much or the food I had eaten (had bacon that was tough--maybe hadn't chewed well enough, I thought. But he said rice could stick as well.) However, now reading these posts, I DID have a hiatal hernia repair during my surgery--I am wondering now if that was part of the problem. It's good to know things may not always be like that. I'm careful, but now I won't be freaking out-stressing with every bite.
Hope you too will not have any more problems as well. :)
Mary Lou

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"~Phil 4:13

Vrtualfire
on 2/1/12 1:56 pm - MN

VSG on 01/13/12 with

These posts are so helpful! I still have the golf ball tightness feeling in my throat about 75% of the time regardless if i have had nothing bu****er so I dunno. Hope it passes.

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Weight Loss Surgery Directory

Can food get "stuck" with a sleeve?