Leak test for VSG

[nextchapter]

I am wondering if any VS had a leak test before leaving the hospital. I thought I read other had this done.
I forgot to ask the surgeon when I last saw him. I called the office and talked to the PA who said the surgeon doesn’t do them for VS.

[Happy966]

My surgeon told me they did one on me while I was still under. There is a lot of variability on this topic from what I've read.

[califsleevin]

Mine does one while in surgery and then another one the next morning before he allows any ingestion. Some do none (except presumably one while still in the OR - I hope!) but that does make me a bit nervous about those docs who do outpatient VSGs.

[redbabe08]

i did not have one.

[Deleted]

Mine does three, once when you are still under, once when the drain is in, and once with contrast.. Some do, some don't- just surgeons choice.

[nandmsmom]

My doc does them in the OR. He hasn't had a leak yet.

[muffinsmom]

So my surgeon does three. One is an air test while in the OR, he looks for bubbles. A day or so later they do a contrast test where you swallow this foul stuff and they x-ray. (They show you a pic of your sleeve as it looks on the X-ray, that's pretty cool.) Then at some point they ask you to drink this blue stuff and see if it shows up in the drain bag. (Aceves keeps you for 3 nites in the hosp.) I can't remember what order the contrast and blue stuff is in, I just remember they did both.

[Lee]

I don't know what my surgeon did in the OR but the next day I had to drink something while a tech watched it go through my system to look for leaks. I was so glad it was over as they didn't allow me ice chips or water until the test was completed. Once that was over I had to drink 1ounce of fluids every 15 minutes for two hours to make sure I could keep it down. Then home! I was in the hospital less than 24 hours so it was considered out patient. They refunded me what I paid to stay the night. That was very cool.

[Avonlea]

My surgeon did a leak test the day after. It was xray with contrast. I wasn't allowed to drink anything by mouth (other than chewing on ice chips) until the leak test came back negative.

[air]

i sometimes see people who have had leaks show up 5 - 12 weeks post op. people say the leak showed up later because the stomach had been 'swollen' all that time and when the swelling went down that's when it showed up.

immediately after surgery though, wouldn't your stomach have NOT swelled up yet? i mean if they do it while you are still under? it's freshly sliced and hasn't had time to get inflammed and angry. also they blow up (with air or whatever so it's full) what they pulled out and check that for leaks too? so would it be presumptuous to say that a leak that shows up weeks later was caused by something other than the actual surgery? (who knows what, couging, throwing up any kind of pressure)?

i am going to dr. aceves. i have asked about what precautions he takes for leaks from his email liason lady (nina) and she gave me answers i felt confident with. i have read on another site that all leaks are caused by surgery. i am not sure i believe that. not that the patient did something bad to cause it, but it a pressure system caused some of the tissue to seperate. please correct me if you know different.

i came across a youtube video that also states this pressure theory.

a few doctors talking about complications about 2 minutes in (stenosis causing pressure = leak)

[pattipop]

Three....same as all Aceves patients.

[Catie]

I can't speak to what he did in the OR, but I did not have a leak test before discharge from the hospital. I actually asked and he said, in his opinion, they were not conclusive due to swelling, so he discontinued doing them a couple of years ago. He did give me lots of info on what to look for and warning signs when at home.

[Dudette]

I was an Aceves DS patient (but my stomach is basically a VSG). I got three as well. The did the contrast/X-ray test the day before I was discharged from the hospital. My gag reflex kicked in while I was drinking the contrast liquid and I barfed up blue stuff all over their expensive Xray machine. ROTFL! That was fun! ;-D

[roseselene]

Mine did one the day after surgery prior to allowing anything by mouth. Drinking the contrast was absolutely hideous, but I made it through it.
Amy

[muffinsmom]

Aceves patient here, and the others are correct, he does three - one in the OR with air (looks for bubbles). And then the contrast X-ray, then the blue dye test in the drain. I can't exactly remember when each one was done, although seems as if the contrast one was the day following surgery.

[pumpkin]

I have no clue, I didn't even go in for a sleeve.