Ever have an ulcer cauterized?

One of my co-worker's husband had RNY done on 12/27 and was having some pain where ulcer pain is usually located at and some dark blood in his stool. He went today to be scoped and his doctor cauterized the ulcer. Needless to say we just received word that he was having some complications and is now in ICU.

I've left her a message to call if she needs to talk, wants to bounce something off of me, just any general question that maybe I can help her ask his doctor.

I've just never heard of cauterizing an ulcer this quickly and not giving him Carafate and Protonix first to treat the ulcer. If he didn't have fresh blood in his stool and dark (old blood) why cauterize it? Ugh, I'm concerned it appears the local doctors have a higher degree of complications than I'm use to seeing with surgeons I knew in the Houston area (where I had mine).  They don't do as many here as a larger metropolitan areas.

Nothing to offer other than I'm happy to swing a chicken for him ...   Hope he recovers quickly with no ill effects!

It is very important to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, so cauterizing is the best way. The dark blood in the stool indicates the bleeding is from the stomach high up not in the colon, does not mean it is not actively bleeding. Sounds like a normal course considering he had a bleeding ulcer. You treat non bleeding ulcers with meds not cautery, now that they stopped the bleeding I am sure he will be discharged on those medicines.

Audra

Audra, my concern is he was sent home and rushed back to ICU.....I haven't talked to my coworker yet to see if she knows what is going on, she rushed from work when she was called. Any information or questions you could potentially share so she can ask questions to find out what the current problem is?  I guess what I'm wondering is what would cause more complications that would have him rushed in and immediately be admitted into ICU?

My other coworker that talked to her said the ulcer was at the anastomosis......I'm pulling straws right now, just very concerned for both of them.  Would it be possible when they cauterized the ulcer it caused a leak?

Well anything is possible but it could be as simple as he started bleeding again and his blood levels were critically low so he had to rush back to ICU before he became even more unstable. It is hard to say as this surgery is complicated and can cause a lot of complications. I pray it is something simple and easily fixable.

Audra