Band to Sleeve to Bypass?

It's funny you posted about your experience, since I likewise haven't been on in years and just returned for some advice.  I had a similar experience.  I didn't start with the band, I started with the sleeve in 2009. 

Almost as soon as I was eating, I started having heartburn.  Which got progressively worse.  I know what you mean when you say you are dependent on the Prilosec.

My situation may be a little different, but I spoke to another surgeon to discuss my options.  He presented the option of VSG to RNY as well as the option to "re-sleeve" me.  In part, he noticed on a barium swallow that my stomach had become dilated and there was a pouch near the top where acid was collecting and then easily going back up my esophagus.  He thought that trying to re-sleeve first was less invasive and drastic. And that in a young otherwise healthy person, that a RNY might lead to its own issues.  Plus, once you do that there's no going back.  I wouldn't welcome the thought of a third surgery but if this doesn't fix the heartburn, I might do it.  I just got home from the revision yesterday, so I don't have a lot of time to say whether the heartburn is gone or not.  My surgeon thought there was a 95% chance I'd no longer have any issues.  I'm hoping he's correct and that I don't fall into the other 5%.

Trust me when I say my reflux was bad, and for now at least, I'm happy with fixing the sleeve instead of jumping to the more drastic RNY.  Plus, I also have some weight to lose so I don't think the mere fact that you also want to lose weight should be a hindrance.

I can let you know when I get back to solid foods whether I start experiencing heartburn again.  For now, its just clear liquids.  Good luck!

I will keep you up to date!  I have a endoscopy with biopsy later this month with my GI doctor, some concerns that something may be going on. Then I have an appt with the surgeon to get more info. I really am not thrilled about the idea of a third surgery. It's scary and the timing is very bad as I am interviewing for a new job and it's likely I will start something new very soon. But, I have to take care of me because I am so tired of always feeling ill.

Thank you to EVERYONE for posting and giving your insight and thoughts. It helps to get info from others and even opinions.

Update:

So the endo and biopsy came out well. Which is good but confusing. I don't understand how I have such bad reflux that I can't get through the day if I miss meds, but my endo just showed some mild redness. The endo doctor makes me feel like I am nuts as well as she said I should get off the prilosec because it will cause damage in the long run and she's not understanding that I tried and the time I was off it I was barely functional and sometimes taking my daily prilosec isn't enough and I take zantac as well. It's all very frustrating.

Also, surgeon said I am not a candidate for surgery, which is fine by me as I did not want another surgery just want a proper solution to the heartburn and all that is going on. Have another appt with him later this month and hopefully will get more information then. Just very frustrated and confused with it all.

I had the sleeve in 2009. I had acid reflux prior to the sleeve, and I woke up the second day after the sleeve with it just KILLING me. I have had it every day since. I have taken PPIs (I go from one to another to another, and they all quit working after a few weeks or a month or so) every day. Last Fall, the insurance denied a revision, but I guess they coded it for weight loss. I started seeing a gastro. He did all kinds of tests. He found polyps in my stomach from the PPIs (thankfully benign) and erosion in my esophagus. I had a gastric emptying study (normal). Then he did a Bravo test.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/esophageal_ph_test/hic_the_48-hour_bravo_esophageal_ph_test.aspx

That showed up as highly abnormal. It was THE WORST TEST. I had to go off PPIs for two weeks. Thought I was going to DIE. But I survived.

Now I've seen my original surgeon, and they coded it for my hiatal hernia (oh yeah, I have one of those too) so we're waiting to see if the insurance will approve RnY as a treatment for GERD and the hiatal hernia. I was supposed to hear something today, but she didn't call. So I assume that's bad news. I will call tomorrow and if it is not good news, will start the appeal process.

My point, though, was to ask your gastro doc for a Bravo study. It might be useful in deciding how to proceed.

Goodness! I hope they approve you, that all sounds so painful and uncomfortable. Crossing fingers for you.

My endo said she sees no reason for me to have further appts with her that unless something major comes up I can see her again in a year. Since my endoscopy and biopsy turned out well she sees nothing wrong with me. It makes me feel a bit crazy. I am not imagining this pain that makes it feel as if I dinosaur lives my chest and throat, but the endoscopy and biopsy showed nothing was wrong. She also said if she hadn't known before hand she wouldn't have known my stomach was operated on as it looks normal in size. At this point I'm on the brink of just giving up and dealing with it all as it is. I will continue to watch what I eat and such but I guess I will have to live with the long term effects of GERD and taking Prilosec.

Could you change doctors????

A dinosaur living in my chest is just how I would describe my GERD!

She's actually the endo specialist for that hospital. I'd have to go outside of the network for another which would be a process.

I mean't dragon but they're kind of one in the same no? :)

When I started my revision process I was told not to bother with Sleeve or DS since I too had ridiculous amounts of GERD and reflux.  

I ended up getting an RNY and while it's been fairly recent still I've got zero regrets.

I woke up after my surgery and the nurse there asked me how I was feeling.  I thought for a moment and realized that for the first time in years my stomach didn't hurt.  Sure I was on a lot of pain medication but I'm pretty sure it's a good sign when you feel better immediately after having my entire stomach and intestines operated on than I had in years.

If I'd known 4 yrs ago that I'd be better off with RNY because of my GERD I would have gone with it for sure