Gastric Sleeve Stomach Pouch – Can the Stich Unravel?

Medically Reviewed by Katelyn J. Mock, US-Registered Dietician (R.D.)

Question – Did anybody else get nervous that they will bust the seam of their stomach pouch?

(I drank a little more soup juice than I probably should have last night and I am paying for it this morning. Makes me nervous!)

Answer – You won’t bust the seam of your stomach pouch, but it sure can feel like it is close. Not that eating until you were more than full was purposeful, but that’s the power of eating slowly, pausing between bites and strictly following the post-op gastric sleeve diet.

• Your pouch is adaptable and capable of holding more food.
• This fact can gradually make you eat more than what is required.
•  Sometimes during surgery, the sphincter muscles are altered.
• This leaves the stomach open and enhances its ability to accommodate more food.

Gastrointestinal Leak

Usually, eating beyond the point of fullness does not lead to a gastric leak. The University of Rochester Medical Center ^[1]“Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery: Anastomotic Leaking.” University of Rochester Medical Center
View in Article, calls for looking for the following symptoms especially after gastric bypass for early detection of anastomotic leaking, irrespective of the cause.

• Increased heart rate
• Low levels of blood pressure
• Nausea
• Pain in the abdomen as well as the left shoulder area
• Fever

An important factor that can cause a gastric leak is the size of the gastric sleeve bougie. Studies show that patients with a smaller bougie size were more prone to gastric leaks as opposed to patients who used a bigger bougie size.^[2]Abou Rashed, Antoine, Melkart Basile, and Hicham El Masri. “Gastric Leaks Post Sleeve Gastrectomy: Review of Its Prevention and Management.” World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG 20.38 (2014): 13904–13910. PMC. Web.
View in Article

This Post Addresses

• Pouch rupture post-bariatric surgery
• Ways to prevent stretching of the stomach after WLS
• What happens if you eat too much after gastric sleeve surgery?
• Can I tear open my new pouch?
• Can you stretch your stomach after gastric sleeve?

References:

1. “Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery: Anastomotic Leaking.” University of Rochester Medical Center,
2. Abou Rashed, Antoine, Melkart Basile, and Hicham El Masri. “Gastric Leaks Post Sleeve Gastrectomy: Review of Its Prevention and Management.” World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG 20.38 (2014): 13904–13910. PMC. Web.