Acid Reflux and the best surgery
Reflux can be a big problem with VSG. The best surgery for resolving reflux is RNY.
6'3" tall, male.
Highest weight was 475. RNY on 08/21/12. Current weight: 198.
M1 -24; M2 -21; M3 -19; M4 -21; M5 -13; M6 -21; M7 -10; M8 -16; M9 -10; M10 -8; M11 -6; M12 -5.
on 3/4/15 8:23 am - WI
I had a VBG in 1986 and suffered from severe GERD from day one. I revised to RNY and my reflux is cured. I woke up from surgery with no reflux pain and not one moment of suffering since. VSG can sometimes make GERD worse.
I had GERD bad! It would wake me up in the middle of the night. I had Gastric Bypass in 2001 and haven't had GERD since then.
Cathy
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I agree with the others if you have reflux then the sleeve is not what you want to have done it is a high pressure system type surgery like the lap band is. That increases acid and pushes it up the esophagus causing severe damage, not to mention the constant pain. I know because I have it from the band and it is pure hell to try to live with. I am begging my GI doc to fix it so I can sleep at night and be able to eat a meal without it causing the horrendous burning. If you want relief or at least for it not to get worse the only surgery that will help is the RNY (gastric bypass). These folks know what they are talking about!
The sleeve is contraindicated if you suffer from acid reflux prior to surgery. The RNY is the best option.
Even though I didn't have acid reflux before my VSG, I have it now. My surgeon says that 30% of VSG patients with no prior GERD history develop it after surgery. I have to take a PPI every day to keep it under control.
I met a woman last night at a support group that had a revision from a sleeve to an RNY because her acid reflux became so terrible. I wouldn't push my luck if I were you.
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on 3/5/15 11:56 pm
Your doctor went to med school and has performed LOTS of surgeries, and presumably made his recommendation based on all of that. Why would you want to override an expert opinion?
Sparklekitty / Julie / Nerdy Little Secret (#42)
Roller derby - cycling - triathlon
VSG 2013, RNY conversion 2019 due to GERD. Trendweight here!
The research definitely shows that RNY is the best surgery for reflux patients. Now that said, my surgeon says he will do a nissen fundoplication type wrap at the time of the sleeve, so still suggests the sleeve for me. But if he hadn't suggested that, and wasn't familiar with the procedure, I would go with RNY. My only reason for sleeve over RNY is a family hx of severe arthritis of the hands that I want to be able to take NSAIDs for if need be. I have only minor pain now, but that could change. My mother is crippled from the arthritis, and my aunt also has the same thing.
this is what my surgeon does, from what I understand. (seeing him tuesday and will as more then.) http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1679-45082014000300287&script=sci_arttext