Search the Community

November 16!

How exciting! I had a fundolipcation years ago & after ten years it was discovered that it had failed at some point. And that my esophagus was L shaped & 1/2 of my stomach was above my diaphragm! I had a bypass to fix all of that and lost over 60 pounds. I feel so much better now! Good luck & God’s blessings on you tomorrow!

How exciting! I had a fundolipcation years ago & after ten years it was discovered that it had failed at some point. And that my esophagus was L shaped & 1/2 of my stomach was above my diaphragm! I had a bypass to fix all of that and lost over 60 pounds. I feel so much better now! Good luck & God’s blessings on you tomorrow!

I haven't had that revision, but a lot of people have - mostly because of reflux. I had reflux before I had surgery, so I went with bypass the first time.

PS - I just did a quick google search on this. This is NOT a scholarly article, so there's that - but it does mention that bile reflux (as opposed to acid reflux) can occur in about 5% of mini-bypass patients. It goes on to say they see it more in sleeve to mini-bypass revision patients than they do with non-revisions. Again, I don't know what kind of research is behind this because this isn't a scholarly article - they may just be basing this on their specific patients. But again, let your clinic know what's going on. Hopefully it's just some kind of flare-up. https://mexicobariatriccenter.com/bile-reflux-after-mini-gastric-bypass-surgery/

I know regular gastric bypass usually cures GERD, but I don't know about mini-bypass. It might (usually, anyway), I just don't know enough about that surgery to know one way or the other. I'd let your clinic know what's going on. Hopefully it's just a flare-up and bumping up for PPI for a while might help - but ask them before doing anything (I'm not a medical person...)

Hello everyone! I just wanted to see who was going to be joining me in November 2023 for surgery. I am super anxious and just looking for others who i can talk with about the upcoming changes and build a little support group. My surgery is 06 Nov 2023! I am planning to start my pre op diet 23 Oct and dreading it but I know its the first step to being a new person. Anyone else feeling the jitters before their surgery?

Hi All, I had a sleeve revision to mini bypass 4 weeks ago. I had a brief period of relief from the acid reflux (due to GERD) but now it is back. I am taking a PPI every PM and find I wake in the middle of the night with a burning bile sensation. I chew a few tums. Also during the day, I don’t have much of an appetite (yay) but I find that if I don’t eat every 3 hours or so, the burning returns and I can taste bile. Has anyone had this? I had really hoped this revision would be the end all for this issue and I was so optimistic but now I’m almost worse off than before the surgery…….

I had it done, and honestly, the recovery was SO SO SO much easier with the bypass than the sleeve for me. I had a ton of complications and the revision was the best thing possible. My only regret is that I wish I had just done the bypass to begin with. Losing weight with a revision goes A LOT slower, and you don't lose nearly as much as you do with the initial surgery. But you'll feel so much better and be able to get back to living your life.

Hey everyone, My name is Sarah. I am 34 years old. I had VSG 13 years ago. Going from 335 pounds down to 180 in 18 months, I was considered a success. I have been through 2 pregnancies and as the years passed, the pounds crept back on. I am currently back to 290, and i suffer from SEVERE GERD daily. If I do not take heartburn medication several times a daily, i will be in agony and vomiting stomach acid despite what I choose to eat. I have had an endoscopy and I have a hiatial hernia and a lot of scar tissue. I am going to be converting my sleeve to a full gastric bypass in the upcoming month. During the procedure my hiatial hernia will be repaired and excess scar tissue removed. I am wanting to know if anyone else has had this conversion surgery. How did you feel afterward? How was the recovery and do you feel the conversion was it worth it? Who has gained weight back after sleeve and do you suffer from severe GERD and heartburn daily? Thank you for any input Sarah

Hello all, had bypass surgery on 09/13/23. It’s been up and down. Struggling to get this protein and my liquids in. So working on that. I think what is getting me the most is my anxiety and the feeling of impending doom. Anyone else struggle with anxiety and our new baby belly?

There is a good reason to avoid the RNY revision if you can - the reactive hypoglycemia and marginal ulcer (and all of the medical care limitations that stem from it) issues, but it's not the end of the world, either if that's what you need. It's a common procedure that's been done in one form or another for 140 years, so its quirks and features are well known (but I would rather avoid its quirks if I can). I would certainly get a second, and even third, opinion on it, as while the sleeve is a fairly straightforward procedure most to do these days, repairing one that isn't working correctly is not necessarily so. Most bariatric surgeons started out with the bypass, so that is their comfort zone and they often prefer to go back to the familiar when things get a bit complicated, while there are some who have gone deeper into the sleeve and specialized in it and related procedures, such as the DS, and they are more comfortable doing things that others wouldn't do. We sometimes hear on these forums that "you can't do a Nissen (fundoplication) on a sleeve as there isn't any fundus left (well, not much) yet there are some who routinely perform them. Between that and meshing, there are options, and an RNY doesn't necessarily fix the potential recurring problem, as it, too, yield a small stomach pouch that is subject to herniating. If possible, for a second opinion, I would seek out a surgeon who does the DS (duodenal switch) as that is a good proxy for one who is well experienced with dealing with sleeves, and is more comfortable with more complex procedures as well. If they recommend an RNY revision, too, then that's a pretty solid confirmation of what's appropriate for your specific case.

Scheduled for November 16th!

In the early stages after bypass, there is a higher risk of dumping. I think that's why we're told to steer clear of the carby foods (aside from the weight loss aspect of things). I'm with @Arabesque, it's important that you consume highly-nutritious foods right now, while you're restricted. Perhaps adding fat will help? Again, with the risk of dumping, there may be some trial and error to work through. But fat is calorie-dense. Can you tolerate protein shakes? Adding a few of those each day might be a good way to boost your calories. Also, excess protein is stored as fat - that might be helpful for you.

So I had a revision to bypass at a very low weight (120 pounds) due to GERD. I saw three separate doctors for second opinions as I was quite concerned about losing too much weight by having the bypass. I have struggled to keep weight on for years due to the GERD and the vomiting it has caused me to have to deal with... and it was destroying my esophagus and stomach lining. That said, the GERD is gone, so Yay.... but I am still quite concerned about keeping my weight up. I am 4 weeks post surgery and down to 107 pounds. I am getting in all of my protein and liquids as I have been asked to, and this week I am finally allowed to eat more soft food. That said, I want to eat stuff that is more dense calorically - and that would normally not be allowed.... such as pasta...because I think that will help me keep the weight up better. I had some chef boyardee ravioli yesterday an it was definitely soft enough,... and had 8 grams of protein in the 1/4 cup I was able to eat. So, although it had more carbs than is suggested - I liked that - as I am trying to regain what I have lost... Is there ANY reason why I should not be able to eat pasta or bread products (toasted) if I can handle them.... besides them being bad for weight loss? Or is there something that could hurt my new anatomy? I don't want to break rules and injure myself, but I do want to keep my weight up. The nutritionist at Kaiser has been fairly silent when getting back to me... and keeps treating me like all the other patients.... I don't need to lose weight... I need to keep it on. And, yes, I've had to lose weight in the past.... just not since 2016. I know how to eat to keep weight off... just not quite how to eat to put weight on at this point. Thanks all for any help/ideas.

I agree.. you definitely get to be more picky about who you share your energy with. I've shared that I had WLS with one man I was going to give a chance to. But then he said you don't look like you were big, then he wanted to go on an eating binge date because he says he's a "foodie" and the last straw was him saying he wanted to go out for drinks. I already told him I never drank before my bypass. Definitely not about to start now... He told me sleep apnea came from getting up during the night to drink water. So to me, these things were deal breakers because I already told him what it was. So nope... no thanks. I passed and told myself that I shouldn't have to tell grown people how to act. Google is free..it takes a minute to search bariatric surgeries and sleep apnea. We deserve to be respected regardless of size. Long story short, I'm getting lots of attention now. But they need to bring the right energy and mentality. You have the right to be picky.

Hi everyone. My name's Ryan and I'm from the United Kingdom and I had my gastric sleeve on September 25th - I was initially due to have a gastric bypass but once I was under, they realised it wasn't safe to perform that on me so I was switched to the sleeve. I hope to meet people in a similar circumstance to share our journeys with. 😊

On Monday, I had revision from sleeve to bypass. The pain at first was cruel! However, today, it got better. I am excited, relieved, and hopeful! I fought for this tool. Now, it's time to use the tool and self-control for a positive lifetime outcome! Here, I go! Sent from my SM-G996U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

When I had my revision from sleeve to bypass, I was on Omeprazole and was slowly weaned off. Just stopping completely can cause that rebound issue, so he had me taking the full dose every day for the first 4 weeks. Then every other day for 2 weeks, then 3x a week for 2 weeks, then I went off them completely. And I had absolutely no issues at all. I had to have the revision because I originally had the sleeve and had MAJOR complications (incredible gerd that required 80mg of Nexium per day, still had break through reflux so Pepcid was added as needed, and then pre-cancerous polyps developed all through my stomach and duodenum, requiring 5 surgeries for remove everything). My surgeon wanted me on the PPI and to do a gradual step down to wean off to protect my stomach and allow it to heal so there wouldn't be any additional issues. I would say maybe try stepping down gradually off the PPI and see if that helps.

I’ve had more than one dr tell me I need to take these for the rest of my life to prevent ulcers developing. In fact, just this week a dr told me of someone ending up in the ER with this exact thing! Have to choose your battles. But I would advise anyone that had gastric bypass RNY consult drs before trying to take a different approach.

Ooh yours is just a day after mine! I'm scheduled on the 16th for gastric bypass for which I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am 😴 FINALLY. I first met with my surgeon in November 2021, and after a lot of ups and downs, I have finally made it! I started Ozempic in March this year and have lost 53 lbs, and a total of 68 lbs from my high weight of 276. Today is my last dose, as my surgery is in just over 2 weeks. Feels so weird to say that. Today I had my endoscopy and the doctor told me that I'm cleared. Plus, I found out the other day that my insurance gave their approval, so I'm all set to go! As far as pre-op diet, starting one month before surgery, I've been limited to 45g carbs/day. One week before surgery, I have to do a full liquid diet with a max of 35 carbs/day. Good luck everyone!!!

You certainly need to get a second, and probably third, opinion to find out what's going on; they should be able to explain to you, in layman's terms, what your situation is and what the options are for treating it. That is usually a straightforward and insurable step here in the States, but I don't know what hoops you may have to jump through in the UK. It does sound like something's not right in what they did (which is why you want a second, impartial and uninvolved opinion,) as strictures are not common with sleeves that are done correctly; they are common and easily treated with an endoscopic dilation in and RNY, and that may work with a sleeve stricture, or may not depending on what caused it (usually a misshaping of the sleeve.) I did quite a bit of research on these topics a few years ago when they found a cancerous polyp in my stomach; fortunately it was very early and all treatable endoscopically, but all of these various options were discussed and researched. There are some Facebook groups specifically for patients with partial or total gastrectomies, which is what they are proposing for you. The most common approach here, and what it sounds like they are proposing for you, is a Billroth 2 gastrectomy, which has been around for about 140 years, and is the basis of the RNY gastric bypass, The main difference between a partial or total gastrectomy is whether they can use some of the remaining stomach to form an RNY like pouch (partial) or remove all of the stomach and attach the esophagus directly to a loop of intestine, or an additional roux limb as in the RNY, and form "stomach" pouch in the intestine where the esophagus is attached. So, going without the stomach is possible and entirely livable (there are several books on Amazon about "eating without a stomach" which go over what is basically a normal bariatric diet progression.) To the surgeons I was dealing with (at a major regional cancer center,) the total gastrectomy was a much bigger deal surgically and recovery wise than the partial, as attaching the esophagus directly into the intestine was a much touchier procedure with a more extended recovery and healing time (on a feeding tube for several months,) than going through even a small pouch of stomach tissue - something else to consider with whatever choice you have in surgeons (try to find one who has done a lot of these.) One of the things that stood out as fairly common amongst the Facebook group was problems with bile reflux, and you can see how that could easily happen by looking at the altered anatomy. The surgeon I was dealing with said that he did not experience those problems if he kept the various limbs within certain minimum lengths (which presumably some other surgeons didn't do in order to minimize malabsorption and weight loss,) so another point to consider in finding a surgeon who has some direct experience with these problems.

I am having a bypass on 25th October. I'm UK based so not had to lose any weight beforehand and so I'm currently around 270lbs and 5ft 8inches tall. I start my pre-op on October 11th and it's a yogurt and soup diet which should be relatively ok as I love both. Not sure if I'll love both at the end of the two weeks though!! Best of luck to all of you having surgeries early October!

Bypass 4-11

My sleeve is scheduled for Nov 15 ! So excited !