Stomach stapling

[Pamy]

I had this done and now I get heartburn and acid reflux that goes into my lung and I get pneumonia.  I was wondering if throwing up all the time is normal after this type of surgery, food gets stuck in teh plastic ring they put around stomach and nothing stays down for all night sometimes, even water comes up.  Also, can this cause stomach cancer?

[Pamy]

Thanks for you opinion.  I need to find a gastroenterologist in the Cleveland area.  Lately, I have been eating more than usual and hope my staples are still there!! I wonder if they can bust and if so, how could you tell?

[Dr. Erik]

Very unlikely that this can cause stomach cancer, unless stomach cancer runs in your family. You can get vomitting from eating too much. Your stomach is much smaller now and cannot tolerate too much food. Have you tried any of the Prototn pump Inhibitors like Nexium, prevacid, protonix or aciphex? If not, it is worth a try. Also, Reglan (Metoclopromide) is worth a try. It accelerates emptying of the stomach which can help. Please discuss these options with your Gastroenterologist.