Where is your extra Stomach?

Question for some old timers or anyone who might know.  10 years ago was it common for the doctor to leave the portioned off part of your stomach inside you or was it more common for it to be removed?  Was this practice of the RNY? 

I know of several distal RNY folks who had the remnant stomach removed. The remnant of the DS sleeve stomach is always removed to my knowledge.

--gina

I thought it was always removed also but a friend of mine who had the surgery 8 months after I did just had to go in for exploratory surgery to find out what was going on with her (they thought it may be an intestinal blockage) and the real issue was the stapled off portion of the stomach was left in her and started to grow into her spleen.  She had to have her spleen removed.

That is the first I've heard of a DSr having a their stomach only stapled off. Who was her surgeon?

The same Surgeon as mine, this is why I am worried.  I love my surgeon but the DS was not popular back then and who knows what the thought process was. 

That's true. I wonder if you might be able to get a copy of your op report from the hospital?  You need to know if he routinely stapled of the stomach rather than creating a separate sleeve.

I am going to call the Hospital Tomorrow and get a copy.  She had food backing up in the second stomach and it was causing her other issues. 

Sounds to me like your friend actually had an RNY, not a DS. It's common to leave the remnant stomach with the RNY, because it's still making digestive enzymes. The pylorus is still attached to the remnant stomach and allows these enzymes to drain down the BP limb and into the common channel.

The excess stomach tissue in the DS procedure would have no outlet, and not much in the way of blood supply. I doubt it could live long.

No I am positive it was the DS, as I said we share the same Doctor.

Dr. Simpson has a bit of a rep for doing unconventional procedures, but leaving a remnant stomach in a DSer---dangerous. In your shoes, I'd not only get my operative report, I'd also get checked out by an internist ASAP. The stomach portion not used in a DS simply isn't a functional organ and has no business still being inside you.