Question about the "Old Stomach" after RNY

My appologies if this has been asked in the past.....


Since my old stomach will be bypassed, and our stomach is designed to have digestive juices to process food...and if our old stomach will never get food again, won't the digestive juices over time do damage to the old stomach lining?

Any insight on this? Thanks!

My understanding is that we still use these digestive juices from the remnant stomach. The juices just mix with the food once it's already in the intenstines through the reconnected roux limb. Your body still produces and uses these juices to digest the food, just in a different way and at a different time than normal. This is why we need to really chew our food, so that it can pass through the new opening and so it is small enough to be broken down by the digestive juices later on. So I don't think there is left over just sitting there eating away at the remnant stomach. I hope this makes sense...

If you have concerns or questions still though, and no one else answers, make sure you follow up with your centre so you are crystal clear on everything before surgery. 

Best of luck!

I understand that the digestive fluids are still used in the top part of the small intestines, I'm just wondering if there has been any studies done on the health of the old stomach 10+ years from now.

Thanks very much for your response!

 Oh well that I don't know... 

Ask your clinic. They would know best!

Will do

Thank you miss smily k!

You can still get ulcers in your "old" stomach, that's part of the reason why we need to be so careful about NSAIDs.

but yeah, ask the surgeon about that.

Our stomachs have mucous producing cells that continuously produce an alkaline mucous to protect the stomach lining from the low pH of the hydrochloric acid being secreted by the parietal cells. This occurs regardless of whether food is present or not.

I don't believe, and someone please correct me if I am wrong, that our "old stomach" is in any higher danger of damage due to the bypass.

Thea

Now that's some great insight! 3 cheers for mucous !

In the long-term studies I've read (10+ and 15+ years) they stress no NSAIDs and no smoking to avoid ulcers in the remnant stomach. The risk is not higher in the remnant stomach (other than immediately after surgery while healing) if these things are avoided.

I read that  hunger feelings can be caused in the bypassed stomach so it must have some digestive juices flowing in there. I just remember being told there is no way to moniter the old stomach as it will no longer show in exrays etc.. so if a prob arises maybe more invasive things are in order to determine the problem?