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I revised from the sleeve to RNY due to severe GERD. More and more people are having GERD following sleeve surgery. Did you have GERD problems before you had your sleeve surgery? I didn't, it was all strictly sleeve related.
The healing process is going to be different from person to person. For me, it was easier because I knew what to expect. I was very tired though. Some people have breezed through recovery, others have had a hard time.
I did not have any weight to lose, but from what I've read, it does come off slower. Get back in to the good habits, protein first and low carb. Drink lots and lots of water! Another excellent tool is the "what's on your menu today " thread on the RNY board.
I am coming up on my 11 year anniversary from my sleeve and 4 years out from my revision to RNY. In November of 2018 I developed a jejunal intususseption. Ow, ow, ow! As you said, it comes and goes but I'm getting to the point of thinking about repair. Time will tell!
Having the revision to RNY is the best thing I've ever done. It's been totally life changing...no more GERD! One or two here on the board have still had some GERD post revision to RNY. Hopefully one of them will be able to give some advice.
Best wishes to you and keep coming back!
Original surgery: VSG Feb. 2009
REVISED TO RNY FEBRUARY 2016
Height: 5'7"
Start weight: 252. Current weight: 120
I'm going to see the surgeon who originally did my gastric bypass back in in 2008, this coming February 14th, 2020. They want me to keep a food log, but I'm not sure what to put on it.... Obviously, I know what the right things are to eat and how much to eat, but I no longer have the sensation of being full after a small portion has been eaten... I take small bites, use a bariatric app timer to chew my food, don't drink with meals and I walk away when my plate is empty, BUT I always go back for more bc I'm still hungry!! I'm committed to doing the work and exercising and eating right, I just really miss my tool!! I miss the sensation of being full, which told my head stop eating!! As of now, without being full, I want to continue to eat just as I did before I had the surgery... Did anyone who has been approved for a revision have to keep a food log? If so, what did you document? ALSO, for insurance to approve, did you have to wait 6months as you did before the original surgery?
Hello OH Community!
I have finally made the decision to get a revision surgery, sleeve to bypass. A little bit of background... was sleeved in 2012. Now I have regained weight, I have severe GERD with esophageal spasms, I have a really bad migrated hiatal hernia, and apparently my original sleeve was about 3xs larger than what a sleeve is today. I have an intussescetion in my stomach where surgery was performed (Intussusception is a medical condition in which a part of the intestine folds into the section next to i*****pically involves the small bowel and less commonly the large bowel. Symptoms include abdominal pain, which may come and go, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and bloody stool). He also stated that this could affect my appetite (his exact words were "there is no way that you could regulate your appetite. It's like your stomach has healed on top of itself). He described my stomach to me as healing in the shape of an "S" instead of healing in the shape of a banana. My heartburn is so bad that the only relief is to vomit, which makes it worse. If I do too much physical activity, I get heartburn really bad that I can't sleep unless I am sleeping sitting up straight with a prevacid and some milk of magnesia. I really want relief! I also want to get pregnant but the first time my heartburn was so bad, and that was before I was sleeved. I can't imagine how bad it would be if I was pregnant. I also want to be able to work out without having the ailments of heartburn.
I want to know how the healing process was for others with a similar surgery. Did it take long to heal? Did you lose weight? (I ask because from what I have researched, you lose the weight very slow when it's a revision compared to being the first WLS) What were your reasons for having surgery? Did you have GERD as well? What was your beginning weight at revision? I know that I would have to re-learn all of the eating habits that I have picked back up along the way, which is why I am in treatment for this. I do understand that it is not a magic bullet that will just make me drop weight. I do understand that the weight gain is just as much physiological just as much as it is physical. However, I am ready for a better quality of life! I am currently in a program kinda like a medically supervised weight loss program. Surgery wouldn't be for a few months from now, but I am excited to take this next step! Please, I would prefer individuals who had a revision from sleeve to bypass to comment your experience.....
Rocky,
Thanks for your detailed explanation it's appreciated. I can understand what you are say from an anatomical standpoint and from a user standpoint as well. I have many things to consider along with doing my due diligence with research.
Thanks for suggesting some anatomical testing as well, I had not thought of this and it's a great place to begin.
Heather
This. Is. Amazing.
Thank you for being so honest about your journey. I am a pre-op and this helps me understand that there will always be a struggle, but things get better with time, education and knowing your body. I have a friend of mine in a similar situation as you were (she was open incision & stomach stapled) and has experienced a lot of issues. I would love to go to her for things, but since they no longer perform that surgery and it's considered outdated, I can't go to her for some things but I will absolutely provide her with this information so she can hopefully see the light with your story.
I love everything you have to look forward to. I have 2 small children and their pregnancies were difficult for me. Hoping to be on the end to experience life with grandbabies (but not for a long time) lol.
"I know that each pound I lose is something to be grateful for and will add to the quality and god willing length of my life."
i dont think you can revised to sleeve but probably revise to DS. Look into it..
Good Luck!
on 1/5/20 3:22 pm, edited 1/5/20 7:23 am - WI
RNY to DS is possible, but it is a very complicated surgery. If you go this route then make sure you find a surgeon that can actually perform this difficult revision. There are very few in the country that can. Do a lot of research.
There are very few revisions of RNY that are successful. The reason most RNY surgeries fail is user error....not following the WLS rules... like not drinking with meals, or for 30 minutes after, and over eating, causing the stoma to stretch. Once the stoma has stretched there is very little you can do. There are procedures that try to tighten the stoma, but they are not very successful.
If you get a revision you have to commit to becoming a very strict rule follower. No drinking with meals, Measuring and recording every bite so you don't over eat and stretch the stoma, taking your vitamins, avoiding starchy foods and eating protein first....and many of us work with a therapist that specializes in eating disorders to figure out why we choose to over eat and how to stop that cycle.
When Sparklekitty says that any surgery can fail, it's usually because we are not being compliant. The surgery was never meant to do all the work in your weight loss. You have to take it seriously and do your part by choosing to eat right and exercise. You need to figure out why you are regaining with a second WLS before you go forward with a third. Get some testing done to see if you have any mechanical failures of your surgery. If everything is working properly, then your pouch still works and behavioral changes can be made to lose weight. There are many people on this site who have lost significant regain without revisions.
HW 270 SW 236 GW 160 CW 145 (15 pounds below goal!)
VBG Aug. 7, 1986, Revised to RNY Nov. 18, 2010
No problem! Good luck with your journey!
Gastric Bypass 04/26/2017
HW=325 lbs
SW=305 lbs
CW=195 lbs
GW=170 lbs
JUST BECAUSE I CAN DOES NOT MEAN I SHOULD
Hi Daisy,
Thanks for your feedback. I cannot agree more with you. I will begin researching the DS I am familiar with the procedure but I think I need a refresher course and a visit to see a surgeon as well. Thank you for this information, it's very helpful.
Heather
