Getting stricture fixed tomorrow - what to expect?

 had LAP RNY on Jan. 16th

Since Sunday I have been having a BAD time keeping "solids" down.  I do fine with liquids, protien bars, yougurts ect but when I try very thin  pieces of meat they get stuck and make me miserable for hours - like today'

So i called my surgeons office today because I told myself if it happens one more time I would call and it did this morning.  I have something stuck and I cannot even get liquids down either.

After talking to the nurse explaining everything, she then called my surgeon and my surgeon think for sure its  a stricture and so tomorrow at 2:00 they are taking care of it.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TOMORROW TO HAPPEN??  DO I need to be worried????

I am self pay so I am paying cash for it - anyone know what it costed them (or costed thier insurance company???)

Sarah, Strictures are taken care of through an endoscopy. I'm sorry, but I have no idea how much they cost. don't eat or drink anything tomorrow before having the procedure done. When you get the the hospital, they'll start an IV. That is the hardest part of it all for you. When they take you into the room, they'll inject a lovely concoction into your IV. You'll feel like they put you out but in actuality, you just got a good dose of 'forget' drugs. They'll run a tubing down your throat and at the end of the tubing is a small camera. Once that it is determined that you do indeed have a stricture, it will be dilated back open with a small balloon at the end of the tubing.  Strictures (narrowing) typically occur where the intestines are rejoined to the pouch (this location is called the 'stoma'). The stats I was given 3 yrs ago is that this usually occurs in about 20% of post-ops. It's usually caused by scar tissue growth. Normally, if a person is susseptible to strictures, they will end up having to have another endoscopy (aka endo or scope) to ensure that the stoma remains open. In rare cases, it will take more times than that (yep...I have personal experience at being one of these oddballs!). There are a few side effects associated with the endoscopy procedure but the most common one is a little bit of a sore throat...which is usually fine the next day. Others do happen, but are rare (yep, again, leave it to me!).  The stoma is usually at 12-18 mm. The smallest mine had been is 1 mm. The largest it was and gave me problems was 7 mm. The entire procedure only takes about 10-15 minutes. Your total time at the hospital with prep time & recovery is typically ~2 hours. You will be amazed at how much better you feel afterwards and can eat again! Sherri

My typical opening is 15-22 MM. I've been down as small as 4 or so and also 12 mm and had issues so everyone is pretty much different. Once I get under 15ish or so I start having the heavy feeling and what not though. According to my EOB it's about 900-1100 for my scope but St. V's tends to be a lil more expensive on stuff than your local hospital and what not. Like Sherri said the relief should be immediate though.