Vagotomy and Pyloroplasty Operation

Hi, @ihatemystomach - I think your user name says it all. I'm sorry that your digestive system has never been what you'd call normal with IBS mixed and dumping syndrome.

I'd like to introduce you to a few members who may have some input for you about improving your condition and/or may be knowledgeable about the vagotomy and pyloroplasty you had previously @beachpoet @stever1 @wanda777 @denisef @brendaharvey @adaiello @aheid.

What symptom is currently giving you the most trouble, ihatemystomach?

I had a high vagotomy because they reconnected my stomach to the esophagus in the neck. They also did a pylororoplasty during this procedure. Thankfully no IBS. I do have dumping syndrome. Medical people will just tell you to "eat small frequent meals" "like a bird". I'm new at this. I'm only 15 months since this procedure, so I haven't normalized yet. Here's what I have found. My symptoms are volume related. If I take that one last bite, I dump. I can take all the liquids I want (including alcohol) and this gets absorbed in the stomaphagus fast enough. I can have food after I have liquids. If I eat food first and then have liquid, I dump. Too much fried foods (shrimp basket with fries and hushpuppies) I dump. Even if I only eat 1/2 of the fried seafood basket, I dump. If I walk after I eat, I dump. Now dumping for me is a little different than most people and no MD can explain this. My normal heart rate is in the low 50's to high 40's. Heart function is great. When I dump, my heart rate goes to over 80 and sometimes to 110. I feel like $hit. Light headed, zero and i mean zero energy. I don't get belly pain. If i do get diarrhea, it happens the next day. I do find that if I notice my heart rate going up, I lay down as quick as possible. Countless times, I have left a restaurant to lay down in the car, or skipped doing dishes and went right to the lazy boy. If I catch it quick, I'm good in 1/2 hour. If I try to power through it, I'll be out cold for 2-4 hours. I did speak with one retired general surgeon and he said that there are a few more things to try. One was a medication that I can't remember the name, but he said to go see a general surgeon from his prior group and if he didn't know it then the young guy can call him. I have yet to do this. The other was some kind of fiber that I also haven't tried yet. He said ignore the instructions and only take it with 3 ounces of water before I eat. that way if I do dump, it will be this fiber that goes into the small intestine first and will be much better tolerated. I will be trying this soon, but I have to figure out what fiber he's talking about first. That's all I have, but will post again after I do some experimenting and consulting the new general surgeon.

These procedures have fallen out of vogue. 30 years ago they were common. I have not had the need to assist on one in past 10 years. When I mention them in M & M conferences I label myself as an “old flatulence” person.

Thank god. So, what operation or treatment is used now? My latest ailment is mucus/phlegm in the top of my chest and throat. It's at its worst first thing when I wake up. When I spit it out, it's brown in colour and thick enough that water doesn't dissolve it away. I've been to my GP, and she thought it was acid reflux! She prescribed Omeprazole 20mg. I'm now thinking about how it is possible after my operation to actually reduce stomach acid and, if my GP is right, if it will have a damaging effect on my digestive system due to the changes that were made when they operated.

I can't answer your questions but if you think you may have laryngopharyngeal reflux (it affects the throat, nose and ears) you can get free advice from the web site of ENT Jamie Koufman. You can try taking her advice and if it works, great. If not, your search continues. Good luck!

@lisalucier

Hi also had a vagotomy and pyloraplasty many years ago. I hada perforated duodenal ulcer and had emergency surgery 45 years ago in 1981. I was told by the resident surgeons that I was so lucky that a partular surgeon was in town (Tucson) and agreed to do the surgery. Apparently this was not something that was wide spread knowledge then. I would like to connect with you somehow to compare notes. After all these years I'm happy to report that I am still alive. Maybe would not be if I hadn't made it to the hospital. I was feeling okay but had a major stress going on with my girl friend that had moved to NC. I wanted to move there but she resisted it. I actually found a job at Duke University and debated to follow her there anyway. So I had been laid off and was starting a new job. Went to work and came home and was throwing Frisbee to my dog when all of a sudden I didnt feel good. I laid down on my bed and that is when the perforation in my duodénum became known as the acid was going into my cavity. I could not get up to go to the phone. Luckily my room mate was there and took me to the hospital. That was after another friend's dad visited. He was a doctor. He gave me a pill that would relax my stomach muscles and said get to a hospital.

The surgery was that night. I was a sick puppy for a week or so in the hospital.

Long story but I have a lot of things that I've learned about my digestive system and how to handle the pyloraplasty and vagotomy.

After a year of not drinking any alcohol but lots of Mayalox, I pretty much have had a normal life of eating whatever I wanted. I never went through any education about what would happen, though lot's did because of the surgery. I became hypo glycemic at times without knowing why. I had dumping though I didnt know what that was. Id tell my doctors but they probably had no patients like me so they would say you have IBS. I just continued on with life and dealing with it.

I still have acid because I have had reflux episodes. I about 15 years after the surgery I was getting a lot of pain in my stomach. I went sometimes worse than others. I had a gall bladder inflamed noted after a 1998 CT scan. Had that removed and that also added to the puzzle. Again, I pretty much ate anything I wanted and even went through a period of heavy drinking but glad to say I was able to quit, with help, 15 years ago.

Now in my 70s I have issues with constipation. Through the help of AI, I know more about my digestive complications then ever. I have to take several other medicines now that I'm old...lol.

i12rok or Randy
9/2026

Did not know how to start my own thread so did a reply here.

Similar stuff here, surgery in 1981 for bleeding ulcer, they removed the deodenum and cut the vegas nerve and possibly some of the stomach base?. After a moderate recovery, I ate fairly normally from age 25 to 65, then started having dumping and weight loss, low iron too. Ive been working hard to find something to help, but told my issue cant be fixed, but just treated, so Im on Acarbose to slow down my stomach along w/over the counter Immodium AD. THis combo seems to be working somewhat, but I still must adhere to a strict diet and eat/drinking schedule: No dairy, no drinking 30 minutes before/after eating, stay away from straight sugar. Im thankful to be alive at age 71 and as active as I am, but too bad the surgeons didnt know back then how to fix the ulcer issue. george penick/NC

@burrpenick - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. This is a perfect place to start, because others in this discussion are talking about the same procedures you indicated you had.

Are you hoping to find a simpler regimen to follow in the future? What are your hopes for your condition going forward?

@i12rok just reread your story, Im 71 and our stories are pretty similar. I dont have the medical records for what was done- just memory, but I think they removed my duodenum and some of the small bottom of the stomach. Any yes, I was OK after a month or so and then could eat most anything. I did stay away from booze cause when I did drink, I sometimes had a sore spot in my stomach. But, when I hit age 66 or so the dumping just started. I was diagnosed with Colitis during a colonoscopy and got Budesonide pills for that, but things didnt get fixed, so they tried Prednozone, no better and its dangerous, so back to Budesonide, no better again, and now on Acarbose- I read about it here I think or on AI, for diabetics but seemed to help dumping. So are its helped, but I also still take 2 Amodium ADs per day and one of the Acarbose before each meal. Have hemmoroids too, that I have to manage cause I cant afford to lose any blood! Let me know if you have any fixes and I"ll do the same.