Do staples set off metal detectors?!

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1) No you should not set off any metal detectors. I never have and I am almost 11 years post-op. If you are concerned about it though you could get your surgeon to write you a note stating what hardware you have inside and that it will remain for life.

Which brings me to #2) They will NOT be removing your inner staples as this would render the surgery useless and you would regain whatever you lost. If you have external staples then yes they will come out. Typically the surgeon removes them in their office around 2 weeks but these days some surgeons don't use external staples. They use steri-strips and a type of "glue" to hold you together.

One area that has always made me nervous with the staples has been MRIs and CT scans, but I've had a bunch of them in the past three years and have never had a problem with them. You will want to let everyone on your medical team and those performing the tests know what surgery you had, when you had it and that you have titanium staples internally. Once you have given them that information it SHOULD stay in your medical folder but personally I tell them each time. Better safe than sorry! It is a part of my permanent file there at the facility where I have these tests performed but once again I speak up and remind them.

Finally, the times I was most nervous about my surgery was going in through an ER as nobody seems to want to listen to the patients. You MUST become an advocate for yourself and also train any family members or friends who might accompany you what the dangers and risks are and have them speak up if you are unable to, back you up if you aren't being listened to and finally get a patient advocate if things can't be resolved. This is another instance where a letter from your surgeon would be invaluable. The main procedure that I am referring to is any where they put a scope down into your stomach which we know that our "stomach" is truly a pouch now and it can be very dangerous to have people poking objects down their blindly. This procedure should be done by a bariatric surgeon ideally and if not, then a gastro who has had a lot of experience working with our type. You should ask your surgeon for any reccomendations for people they trust to do endoscopies on the pouch. The dangerous part of just letting anyone do it is that if they don't know what they are doing and how your new anatomy is different than most people, then you get somebody just shoving the tube in blindly there is a big risk that they could damage or even puncture your pouch OR you get someone who decides that you would make an ideal teaching model.

I hope this helps and best wishes to you! Sorry this was so long. I realize that I went past what you asked but I do hope you find it useful if not now then perhaps later.

No you will not set off a metal detector.

And, an endoscopy is NOT dangerous for gastric bypass patients because it is not being passed blindly! The camera is part of the endoscope and the doctor operating it is looking at where the scope is going every millimeter of the way down. It is if they try to put down a nasogastric tube that is dangerous as this is done "blindly" and there is the possiblilty the pouch can be perforated by the tube. And if you are worried, look into getting yourself a medic alert bracelet or pendant that medical people will see on your body that says you have had gastric bypass surgery. A letter is no good if it gets lost or isn't on your actual body if you come into and emergency room and are unconscious and alone.

No, your staples are never removed inside.

I'm a nurse and I've had gastric bypass surgery.

It would probably depend on how many staples, but most likely they will.