Anyone here had a sleeve to RNY revision?

Is there anyone on here who had a sleeve to RNY revision?  If so, how are you doing today?

Try posting to the revision forum. 

I was revised from the sleeve to RNY in February of this year. I'm doing really well and have absolutely no more reflux. Recovery was much faster than the recovery from the sleeve. 

Are you scheduled yet or are you just thinking about it? 

I am just having really bad reflux that is being barely controlled. I've only tried three meds so far: prilosec and dexilant and I'm treating symptoms with Gaviscon.  I'm only a month out but I'm concerned because the reflux is getting worse, not better. 

I had my band to sleeve revision in Mexico with a very good revision surgeon. He is the president of the Mexican college of bariatrics, so I'm not worried about the sleeve. But, when I checked in with a bariatric surgeon here in town when I got back, he basically told me that there is no way I could have a properly shaped sleeve if I had the band to sleeve revision in one surgery, and that I would either have to use PPIs for the rest of my life, or revise to bypass. He really didn't even ask me any questions or look at my fluoroscope pictures, - it was a very short visit, especially after he found out I did this in Mexico. 

Anyway, with this GERD that isn't getting better, and from what I've been told by the American surgeon, I am thinking that I may have to - or want to - revise to RNY to get rid of this GERD. I worry about this, though. I didn't really want bypass, although I know a couple of people who did well with it. But, with any of these surgeries, you really don't know what issues or complications you are going to have until you do it. For instance, I was never really prepared for how bad this GERD would be. I was told that I could take one prilosec a day for six months and then wean myself off of it. I was led to believe that it was temporary and could be controlled with medication. 

I would just like to know how you are doing now? Other than relief from the reflux, can you eat fairly well? without food getting stuck or dumping? Any foods you can't tolerate? any problems with malabsorption? Why did you wait so long to get the revision? Did you have reflux from the start? or did it happen later? Did insurance pay for your revision? 

Thank you for replying to my post :)

I'm doing really well. I am pretty much able to eat the same as I did with the sleeve.  At 6 weeks out I had a stricture that needed to be dialated.  It was a relatively simple procedure and have not had any problems with it since.  I my appetite has changed since then and I'm just not that hungry. 

I have had a thing or two get stuck because I wasn't paying attention to proper chewing or from eating too fast. In time it passes and things get back to normal. 

I have not dumped,  but at the same time, I haven't pushed the issue. I ate a little bit of something with 12 grams of sugar and nothing happened.  I don't like to go over 10 grams of sugar so I stay around there or lower. 

Not sure what you mean about troubles with malabsorption. My labs have all been good and I didn't lose any hair. 

I did really well with my sleeve.  I lost over 100 pounds and maintained my weight loss the entire time. I was revised to RNY because I had unrelenting GERD that didn't respond to any medications. The RNY has completely changed my life for the better, and I wish I had done it earlier. 

My insurance required a lot of testing to prove the GERD was as bad as my doctor said.  The tests fulfilled the insurance requirements and they did pay for the revision. 

I hope I've been able to answer your questions.   Good luck!

With malabsorption, I just mean have you had to have B12 shots? or an iron transfusion? But, apparently not, because your labs have all been good. 

Thank you for answering all of my questions. :)

If you had the VSG in 2009 and didn't revise to RNY until this year, why such a long time? 7 years? Was your GERD bad from the beginning? Or was it something that happened later?

I take B-12, 2500mcg sublingual , once a week. All RNY'ers need to take B-12 supplements, but not all need infusions or transfusions.

I didn't wait 7 years for the revision by choice. I kept thinking the GERD would get better with medication, diet change,  raising the head of my bed and whatever else was recommended.  It became unbearably unrelenting.  I was affected socially, psychologically and physically.  It ruled my life. Finally surgery was offered and I jumped at it. 

To answer the other part of your question, I had some mild GERD before being sleeved. We assumed it would get better with the change of diet, but as with what happens with many sleevers, it got progressively worse.

I am now completely GERD free and lovin' it.

Can i ask another question? I am only a month out but this sleeve feels tight. There is tightness in my chest and whenever i eat anything - whether i overeat or not - acid comes up and my throat gets tight and it feels like food is just sitting there at the top of my throat. This tightness is very stressful. 

Did this happen to you with the acid? Is it better after the revision?

I don't know exactly what's happening with you.  Sounds like you should talk to your doctor. Each persons experience is a personal experience,  you never know how anyone is going to respond to the surgery.  There are generalizations and expected norms,  but no one can predict with certainty what the exact outcome will be. 

The majority of persons revised from sleeve to RNY for GERD related issues have excellent outcomes. 

One poster  suggested you check in with the revision board,  and I recommend the same.  It will be beneficial to you to talk to other people to get a variety of opinions.