Gastroparesis and gastric bypass

Okay, thank you so much. It really gives me comfort to know that I am not alone. Thank you I will keep you updated. I am in the process of waiting to find out if my insurance is going to pay for it without the 6 months of weight management. Since the surgery isn't because of my weight.

I am scheduled for bypass on Dec 20.  I was banded in 2008 and it eroded earlier this year.  This caused me to have gastroparesis (most likely form the vagus nerve being cut/injured).  From all I have read, the only possible cure for gp is bypass.

My insurance company (Kaiser / CO) says that even though this surgery  will potentally cure this problem it is still considered ":elective" and I will have to pay out of pocket 30 %.  This is going to be $7-10K.  I am not happy about this, but at least I will lose weight, and hopefully be cured.

Thank you, I wish you well on your surgery. I can understand how it can be determined elective if it will make your quality of life better, but I know how insurance companies are. I used to work for two of them. How are you dealing with your gastroparesis?

I have dealt with gastroparesis for about 14 years. It has gotten increasingly worse the past few years, requiring multiple lengthy hospital stays. The last severe episode caused a 35 lb weight loss in 5 days. My gi doc at the time simply put me on erythromycin and nausea meds and said see ya. My primary referred me to a gi in dallas who said, and I quote, " your only sick because of the nausea, take phenagren, get your sugars down (I'm diabetic) and youll be fine." None of the GI'S in tyler would touch me for wls becuase of the GP, and my doc said the pacemaker thing for this is a waste of surgery. I and my dr were very frustrated. I decided to do my own research and found Dr Duperier at BMI of TX. They have been doing Gastric bypass as treatment for GP for many years. They are one of a handful of surgeons who do. I never found ANY information saying, nor have any docs ever stated, that it causes GP. I am having my surgery in 9 days and I am soooo exicted! I look at it this way, it can only help, it cant get worse :) i will post after I recover.

Hi, my mom is suffering from gastroparesis and has been for some time. She has the pacemaker but it has stopped working and she is in severe pain and weighing her options. We are looking to the gastric bypass surgery as a possible solution, and I am trying to find out how people are responding to the surgery.

I hope your surgery went well, can you please let me know how things went? Are your symptoms improved? Would you recommend this surgery to others?

 

Thank you!

I have gastroparesis & I after a lot of research found that a stomach sleeve had been done by a doctor in the North East at one the teaching universities to several of her patients that have gastroparesis. From what I read when she did the surgery her patients stomach "reset themselves" & started processing foods like they should. So I reached out to Dr. Givens here in West Columbia to see if they would be willing to attempt doing the stomach sleeve on me as well for weight loss as well as gastroparesis. He & his fellow doctors agreed, thankfully, & I am able to eat anything that I want now with NO PROBLEMS & NO MEDICINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before having the surgery all I could eat was mashed potatoes, gravy & sting beans, so I would defiantly say that it was a success & worth looking into. It has been 3 years since I had my surgery & would not change a thing!!!!!!

I wish you luck & hope this helps!!

Gastric Bypass will not help with gastroparesis BUT a gastric sleeve WILL!!!

I did a lot of research when I found out that I had gastroparesis and nothing would stay down & I have a son that I knew that I had to find a way to get better for him. My aunt by marriage also has gastroparesis and the doctors talked her into having a pace maker like thing placed on her vagus nerve in the bottom of her stomach. She has had nothing but problems with it and is not getting better. So I started doing a lot of research online and found a doctor up north that does nothing but work with patients with gastroparesis. She found that patients who had a gastric sleeve done who had gastroparesis were able to start eating regular foods again without getting sick or having that feeling of being stuffed, nauseous, bloated or feeling like you ate everything that was cooked for Christmas dinner all at one time. So I printed everything off and went and talked to the SC Obesity Center here in Lexington, SC and saw Dr. Givens and explained the reason that I was wanting the surgery. He did explain that since they always have 2 surgeons in the operating room, that he would have to talk to all of the other doctors and see if they were willing to give it a try. I went back in a few days or so & he said that they all agreed that with the information that I brought in & then the information that they researched and found, that they would be willing to give it a try. As long as I understood that there was NO guarantee of any kind that it would get rid of or even help with my gastroparesis. I told him, as long as they were willing to give it a try, that was all I was asking. So I had my Sleeve done on Oct. 31, 2010 and I am SO GLAD THAT THEY SAID YES AND I DID TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I can eat whatever I want but in moderation, which is a lot better than mashed potatoes and gravy and smashed string beans or raspberry sherbet. Those were the only things that would stay down.

I pray that you have as much success that I have had with the gastric sleeve. It is great being "normal" again!!!

Best wishes!!

Amy