failed ERCP
As to the ERCP... I was surprised they were even going to attempt it. going in through the esophagus, through the pouch, down to the Y junction, and up back to teh stomach area..... that would take a LOONG tool, and be quite convoluted. I was told that ERCP (for my sphincter of oddi issues) is prettty much contraindicated in an RNY patient. Sounds like in attempting to maneuver the tool down one thing and up another, the inevitable moving around of the tool in your esophagus bruised stuff up, which would probably result in increased mucous formation and that sick-throat sensation you described.
When you say a hole through your old stomach, he's going to go in laproscopically through your stomach wall, then down to the bile duct (a short journey, relatively)? That sounds about like what was described to me if I wanted to get to the bottom of GB-like symptoms. If my symptoms don't go away on their own any of these times, that's what the docs will have to do to find out what is going on.
Since you already know you have a stone in the duct (?) then there isn't much else to be done. If it was just exploratory, to see if you do, there's something called the MRCP... an MRI scan that can do a lot or all (not sure) of what an ERCP can do but that is less risky overall.
~Lady Lithia~ 200 lbs lost!
March 9, 2011 - Coccygectomy!
I chased my dreams, and my dreams, they caught me!
Ide like to take mucinex or something for this mucous, but not sure it would help where it isnt caused by a cold. My innards feel very bried up, which I guess makes sense given three hours of prodding and pushing. I guess it surprises me because i figured theres no nerve endings there.
My doc drew a diagram of the three steps to try to get the stones. The ERCP was first, then the second option is the incision through my old stomach to use a shorter route to get to the stone, which risks a leak...yuck. Third option is an open surgery to get the stone, take the gb out, and tie my tubes while theyre in there lol. I had trouble back in auguest (bypass was in may) and ended up in surgery number two then, with the same symptoms, but they didnt see any stones then on hida scan. so doc fixed some adhesions and a hernia and sewed me up. I KNEw the actigall was helping then, and told them so. But she said where I didnt have stones that didnt make sense. I guess the moral is..trust your body. So surgery number three didnt work, and I will have number four pretty quick now. Trying to keep positive, but Ide really like this to be over soon.
I have been referred to a specialist to have an ERCP after RNY. My doctor drew the pictures and told me that the specialist has been doing these on RNY patients for a long time. He explained that he may not be able to get to the area he needs to but this doctor is my best shot. If he cannot get the scope where it needs to be then I will have to have an open procedure - by open, I do mean open because I have serious scar tissue and some other wonderful leftovers from when my bypass came apart internally and I became septic. I would like to hear from anyone who has had a successful ERCP after gastric bypass.
I, too, am surprised that they tried doing it that way. When I had pancreatitis and had to have my gallbladder out, the surgeon warned me that he might run into a problem with a stone in the common duct (and I had to sign an authorization for him to do the additional procedure if it was necessary, since it would mean more than just the lap surgery), but he indicated that there was only one reliable way to deal with that and that most other attempts are unsuccessful (and that he didn't want to have to subject me to a second surgery).
I am so sorry you now have to go through the additional procedure.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
My wife had a braiatric-assisted ERCP in December 2012. We hope it worked--they cut openings in the bile and pancreas ducts. However, she got really bad pancreatitis and was in the hospital for 17 days. Now she might have an ulcer from the stress of the pancreatitis. Ugh. However, she hasn't had pancreatitis since.
But that wasn't necessary. Luckily and firstly, I had done a lot of research and I KNEW exactly what was going on with my body from the start....I had my gallbladder removed long ago and I had already diagnosed myself with either SOD or having another stone before RNY. But, nevertheless, my surgeon(s) were VERY VERY GOOD! RNY surgeon went in as an expert and led the scope through my NEW AND REARRANGED digestive system, lapriscopically. Then the GI surgeon (same guy who did the ERCP) went in and 'found my stone'. My stone was way up high in the CBD branches and he found that to be particularly interesting and could have posed to be challenging but he was EXCELLENT. They actually used some of the previous insertion areas that were used for the RNY. One of the areas was very sore because the scope was larger. So, this was a surgery and not a procedure. For them to do an ERCP on you after RNY is technically an impossibility!!! They can't do an ERCP on a RNY patient.
I believe that they did have to enter in through my remnant, but I'm not clear on that fact right now. They might have.