gallbladder was removed during rny but i have a ?
One in five individuals experience something called Sphincter of Oddi Syndrome following GB removal. This is a small sphincter leading from the Pancreas that doesn't expand/contract properly, and every now and again, particularly after a buildup of cholesterol laden foods, it malfunctions causing pain.
The problem with this is that it cannot be verified without an ERCP which cannot be done on those of us with a gastric bypass. I know of one person on here whose doctor TRIED to do it, but the instrumentation is just not long enough to go through the pouch, down to the Y junction, then up the Jejunem to where the sphincter is. There is something called an MRCP which is an MRI version of this test, some places might offer it.
The problem beyond diagnosis is that if they diagnose it, to fix it, they sort of cut the sphincter to make it stop misbehaving. One time in four this leads to pancreatitis which is NOT FUN.
SO.... since for me it means I have to have surgery to diagnose it, and the surgery to fix it has a high likelihood of causing me really serious complications, and since the pain (for me) only comes between four and six times a year, I live with it. I've lived with it for ten years now.
Google Sphincter of Oddi and you'll get information.
You might discuss it with your Gastroenterologist or Weight Loss surgeon. Everything I've read says that while the dysfunction CAN itself lead to pancreatitis, the odds of that are much lower than if you get surgery.
I take a percocet on the day, or several days in a row that I am feeling symptoms, and it passes. Then I'm good, and careful not to have cholesterol laden foods for a while (animal products)
The problem with this is that it cannot be verified without an ERCP which cannot be done on those of us with a gastric bypass. I know of one person on here whose doctor TRIED to do it, but the instrumentation is just not long enough to go through the pouch, down to the Y junction, then up the Jejunem to where the sphincter is. There is something called an MRCP which is an MRI version of this test, some places might offer it.
The problem beyond diagnosis is that if they diagnose it, to fix it, they sort of cut the sphincter to make it stop misbehaving. One time in four this leads to pancreatitis which is NOT FUN.
SO.... since for me it means I have to have surgery to diagnose it, and the surgery to fix it has a high likelihood of causing me really serious complications, and since the pain (for me) only comes between four and six times a year, I live with it. I've lived with it for ten years now.
Google Sphincter of Oddi and you'll get information.
You might discuss it with your Gastroenterologist or Weight Loss surgeon. Everything I've read says that while the dysfunction CAN itself lead to pancreatitis, the odds of that are much lower than if you get surgery.
I take a percocet on the day, or several days in a row that I am feeling symptoms, and it passes. Then I'm good, and careful not to have cholesterol laden foods for a while (animal products)
~Lady Lithia~ 200 lbs lost!
March 9, 2011 - Coccygectomy!
I chased my dreams, and my dreams, they caught me!
I had my gall bladder out 4 years before my RNY and ended up with pancreatitis and in the hospital for about a week. I had gone to my PCP about a week before I ended up in the hospital and my liver enzymes were high. He was puzzled because this is an indication of gall bladder issues. He scheduled a CT scan but the day before the scan I ended up in the hospital. My RNY surgeon and a gastro surgeon cleaned out the stones and created a bile duct large enough for a stone to pass through. I knew what had happened by reading about it here.
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