Scope #1

I check into IMC and go through the normal routine that is required. I am taken back into the procedure room and Dr. Frech explains what he will do and all the possible risks of doing this procedure. I am given propofol and knocked out.

I wake up in the recovery room. Dr. Frech comes in and explains what he has found. Where Dr. Rasmussen cut out my stomach and surgically reconnected it to the small intestine had basically closed off. Dr. Frech said it was so tight that he could not even get the scope camera through, so by his measurements the opening was less than 9.8mm. Which is half of what it should be, Dr. Rasmussen left this opening at 20mm at the surgery. Dr. Frech was able to dilate the connection to a 16.5mm. He thinks he may have to do it a few more times before it will stay open. I am supposed to contact him if I feel the need to do it again.

I see Dr. Rasmussen the following week. I give him the rundown of what Dr. Frech found in the scope procedure. I also inform him that I am still not really eating and am still having a lot of pain in my abdomen. He thinks that maybe the connection has closed off again and wants the scope repeated and the dilation done if necessary. He is also thinking that I may need to have a feeding tube if I am not able to eat. He really wants me to keep pushing the protein shakes so I get some sort of nutrition in.

I see Dr. Frech on the same day in the afternoon. I relay the concerns of Dr. Rasmussen to him and we decide the best thing to do is repeat the scope but he cannot safely do another one for at least 2 weeks. He also thinks that doing the feeding tube is jumping the gun. He wants to wait on that and see what happens with the scope. We schedule the scope for 2 weeks out.