How long after surgery can you still die because of WLS?

thanks ;)

Bowel obstructions and twisted bowels are the lurking potential possibilities, even long-term out from surgery.

This is the one thing that always has, and still does, really scare me about WLS surgery, because I saw it happen to another family member a year after her surgery.

Symptoms -- severe, excruciating, much-worse-than-childbirth-in-terms-of-pain symptoms -- occurred very suddenly and got worse very quickly and for no apparent specific reason. She nearly died.

Thankfully, she was brought to a major hospital just in time (by ambulance, because her husband (my brother) was afraid to move/touch her, she was screaming in such agony), and she went in for emergency surgery to have a part of her intestine removed that had turned gangrenous. Her WLS doctor/surgeon, who did this operation as well, said at the time that if she hadn't gone to the hospital when she did, she would have been dead within 24 hours.

Now, these conditions can happen to anyone, anytime, whether they've had WLS, or not. But, WLS patients are more susceptible to them.

Be ever vigilant of maintaining constant high water/liquid intake (This is one of the reasons that that is so important to us) and do your darnedest to never let yourself become seriously constipated.

At least, these are the recommendations I've been given as suggestions for how to TRY to help prevent bowel obstructions and twisted bowels. Doing those things still might not help, of course, but they certainly won't hurt.

Having had a large bowel obstruction 4 years ago I can say this is the worst pain I have ever felt....not even child birth cut close.....though anyone can have an obstruction.....even those whom have never had abdominal surgery.  The symptoms can vary from patient to patient also.....commonly one can not pass gas nor a BM....vomiting clear mucus....severe abdominal pain.....loss of apetite.....and obstructions are easily misdiagnosed.  Heres a little info on both large and small bowel obstructions......large bowel obstructions are more commonly life threatening though both can be if not treated properly and quickly.....

Bowel Obstruction - Symptoms

 

 

The symptoms of a bowel obstruction depend on whether the blockage is in the small intestine (small-bowel obstruction) or the large intestine (large-bowel obstruction).

Small-bowel obstruction

• Abdominal pain. Most small-bowel obstructions cause waves of cramping abdominal pain. The pain occurs around the belly button (periumbilical area). If an obstruction goes on for a while, the pain may decrease because the bowel stops contracting. Continuous severe pain in one area can mean that the blockage has cut off the bowel's blood supply. This is called a bowel strangulation and requires emergency treatment.
• Vomiting. Small-bowel obstructions usually cause vomiting. The vomit is usually green if the obstruction is in the upper small intestine and brown if it is in the lower small intestine.
• Elimination problems. Constipation and inability to pass gas are common signs of a bowel obstruction. However, when the bowel is partially blocked, you may have diarrhea and pass some gas. If you have a complete obstruction, you may have a bowel movement if there is stool below the obstruction.
• Bloating. Blockages may cause bloating in the lower abdomen. You may also hear gurgling sounds coming from your belly. With a complete obstruction, your doctor may hear high-pitched sounds when listening with a stethoscope. The sounds decrease as movement of the bowel slows.

Large-bowel obstruction

• Abdominal pain. Blockage of the large intestine usually causes abdominal pain below the belly button. The pain may vary in intensity. Severe, constant pain may mean that your intestine's blood supply has been cut off or that you have a hole in your intestine. This is a medical emergency. Call your doctor immediately.
• Bloating. Generalized abdominal bloating usually occurs around the belly button and in the pelvic area.
• Diarrhea or constipation. Either of these symptoms may occur, depending on how complete the obstruction is. Your stools may be thin.
• Vomiting. This symptom is not common with a large-bowel (colonic) obstruction. If vomiting occurs, it usually happens late in the illness.

Blockages caused by cancer may cause symptoms such as blood in the stool, weakness, weight loss, and lack of appetite.

Bowel obstructions in newborns

Key signs of obstruction in newborns are green vomit and failure to pass the first stool, which is made of a thick, greenish black substance called meconium.

Several other conditions can cause similar symptoms.

Her story sounds a lot like mine. Only I had stomach pain for a long, long time. Spent 7 days in the hospital b/c of it. I left in just as much pain as I arrived. What was happening was my intestines would twist (PAIN) and then untwist. Glad your SIL is ok.

bowel obstruction  huh.............cause of death? the people i have met that have had bowel obstructions are ones who have also had a hysterectomy , tummy tuck, gall bladder surgery, seems stomach area surgeries cause bowel obstructions...,, I have to have a hernia repair soon and was offered a free tummy tuck, but i wont take it because of this observation ,.. My future is precious

I guess your talking about adhesions where scar tissue connects between an area that has been cut and whatever it attached to inside while it heals.

During your herniaoperation, you have that happening anyway, so having your free tummy tuck (OMG, your so lucky to have this offered to you) poses no greater threat that the original progedure, so I'd have it if I were you....flat tummy in jeans..wooo hooooo!

I am 9 year post WLS and at 3 years I had an obstruction that was fixed, at 5 years I had Bowel obstructions times 2 with hernias and ended up in the ER by ambulance and almost died.  The surgeon I had Dr Featherstone was the most wonderful dr I have had.  You can get obstrutions from many things I was told and there is no way to prevent them.  I had no pain until about 1 hr before the ambulance was called and I started vomiting and sweating profusely.  My son called 911 thank god otherwise if I had convinced him to wait even a couple hours longer I would of been Dead.  If you have any thing unusal call immediately especially because of being a WLS patient.

Thank you so much for yr response. This was the kinda answer I was looking for.I hope you are well from now on.

You can die of complications from your WLS until...well...the day you die. Sorry-- fact of life.

i just found this excellent presentation by Tufts Medical Center which is locally acknowledged i think to be the best, or among the very best WLS clinic available in the Boston area - interestingly sponsored in part by OH.  It's lengthy but a lot of great information for anyone looking for information about complications and how they should be handled.

http://www.surgerycme.com/120105/flash120105.html