How common are bowel obstructions and how did you know?

Since surgery getting closer wondering how common are bowel obstructions and how do you know you have them?  How are they treated?  So many things to think about and worry about!

 Talk to your surgeon.  He/She should have stats on that from the surgeries that he/she has done.

I've never had one.  Mine was an open surgery.

None of the complications of RNY surgery are common -- if they were, the procedure wouldn't be performed by surgeons or paid for by insurance companies. The overall rate of complications from RNY surgery is very low, but complications DO happen. Bowel obstructions, which are generally caused by scar tissue, are a possible complication of any abdominal surgery and can occur years after the original surgery. Symptoms include cramping belly pain that comes and goes, constipation without gas, and bloating. Partial bowel obstructions can sometimes be treated medically (with medication and other treatments) but complete obstructions require surgery.

 I don't know the % of people that get them after RNY but I don't think it's a specific RNY complication.. it can happen to anyone that has had any abdominal surgery.. adhesions form around the colon and can cause a blockage, I think the main treatment is surgery.. but I'm no expert.  Complications are scary if you think about it too much.. but I think the risk of comlications from obesity are much more of a threat to your life.  I was so scared before the surgery, but I did so much research I knew the complications and the benefits I decided the benefits outweighed the complications and then I had to stop thinking about it it's out of our hands after that.  The odds are overwhelminly in your favor that your surgery will happen without a hitch and you will improve your health and live a long complication free life.  Best of luck to you, try to stop worrying!!

I had a bowel obstruction.. If you havent been to the bathroom for a few days then you should stop eating any food at all..Water  only.. start miralax, etc. Even soaking in epsom salts.  Mine was do to compaction... different than a twist of the intestines.Eventually, was prescribed a Lactulose..after 3 days finally went to the bathroom non stop..

If you think you have a bowel obstruction  CALL YOUR DOC IMMEDIATELY.. I was told to stop eating any food.. water only.. start taking Miralax. massage your entire abdomen//soak in epsom salts warm bath//.You must WALK too.. .if no results in 3 days then they start on the surgery frame of mind...

I didnt need surgery..

That sounds more like impaction rather than obstruction.  Laxatives will generally NOT help a true  obstruction, which is one of the reasons it is life threatening.

Lora

Bowel obstructions are not any more common after RNY than after any other abdominal surgery (and are not specific in any way to having had a RNY)... significantly less than 10% (but I do not remember the exact statistic anymore since my surgery was over 4 years ago).  Please do not waste energy worrying about it.

If you develop an obstruction, you will have SEVERE abdominal pain so you will KNOW that something is very wrong and that you need to go to the ER.

Lora

Here is some info from WEBMD:

Bowel Obstruction - Topic Overview

 

 

What is a bowel obstruction?

A bowel obstruction happens when either your small or large intestine is partly or completely blocked. The blockage prevents food, fluids, and gas from moving through the intestines in the normal way. The blockage may cause severe pain that comes and goes.

This topic covers a blockage caused by tumors, scar tissue, or twisting or narrowing of the intestines. It does not cover ileus, which most commonly happens after surgery on the belly (abdominal surgery).

What causes a bowel obstruction?

Tumors, scar tissue (adhesions), or twisting or narrowing of the intestines can cause a bowel obstruction. These are called mechanical obstructions .

In the small intestine, scar tissue is most often the cause. Other causes include hernias and Crohn's disease, which can twist or narrow the intestine, and tumors, which can block the intestine. A blockage also can happen if one part of the intestine folds like a telescope into another part, which is called intussusception.

In the large intestine, cancer is most often the cause. Other causes are severe constipation from a hard mass of stool, and narrowing of the intestine caused by diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disease.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include:

• Cramping and belly pain that comes and goes. The pain can occur around or below the belly button.
• Vomiting.
• Bloating.
• Constipation and a lack of gas, if the intestine is completely blocked.
• Diarrhea, if the intestine is partly blocked.

Call your doctor right away if your belly pain is severe and constant. This may mean that your intestine's blood supply has been cut off or that you have a hole in your intestine. This is an emergency.

How is a bowel obstruction diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and other digestive problems you've had. He or she will check your belly for tenderness and bloating.

Your doctor may do:

• An abdominal X-ray, which can find blockages in the small and large intestines.
• A CT scan of the belly, which helps your doctor see whether the blockage is partial or complete.

How is it treated?

Most bowel obstructions are treated in the hospital.

In the hospital, your doctor will give you medicine and fluids through a vein (IV). To help you stay comfortable, your doctor may place a tiny tube called a nasogastric (NG) tube through your nose and down into your stomach. The tube removes fluids and gas and helps relieve pain and pressure. You will not be given anything to eat or drink.

Most bowel obstructions are partial blockages that get better on their own. Some people may need more treatment. These treatments include using liquids or air (enemas) or small mesh tubes (stents) to open up the blockage.

Surgery is almost always needed when the intestine is completely blocked or when the blood supply is cut off. You may need a colostomy or an ileostomy after surgery. The diseased part of the intestine is removed, and the remaining part is sewn to an opening in the skin. Stool passes out of the body through the opening and collects in a disposable colostomy bag.

If your blockage was caused by another health problem, such as diverticulitis, the blockage may come back if you don't treat that health problem

I had a bowel obstruction about 6 weeks after surgery. I had just been released to eat anything in moderation the day before. I thought I had eaten too much, too fast, or the wrong thing and that I had plugged my pouch with something. I was hurting in my pouch area and thought I could just wait until it digested.  4-hours of intense pain later, I went to the ER...2 days later, I had surgery to correct the obstruction.
The surgery was no worse than my by-pass and I have had NO problems since.  My dr. was totally surprised that this happened to me...he has done over 3000 gastric by-passes and I was his first obstruction...so I would have to say it is not common.  Would I do it again after this?  You bet I would !!!  The pain from this is nothing compared to all the suffering I have had for weighing 300 lb. for 30 years !!
Go into this surgery optimistic and don't worry needlessly...deal with what happens one day at a time.
This surgery changed my life and I now look forward to each day and each new challenge !!!