Anyone With Barretts Esophagus? Help!

[justme360 2]

Hi, im 22 ive been diagnosed with barretts just a week before my surgery. The doctors sat me doen and scared the crap out of me with barretts is only seen in patiens 40 or over and since mine is progressing so fast they wont do anything but the rny which I was totally against. They kept repeating cancer and the treatments that I wouldnt be able to have if I have a sleeve and get the cancer. I also need a hernia repair amd have problems with gerd since I was a little kid.

What should I do? Does anyone have barretts and hernia repair and still have good results with sleeve as far as acid reduction??

Guys im freaking out and need advice asap is the cancer scare really that serious with barretts esophagus?

Sorry for the long post

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

There are people who have severe acid reflux/GERD with the sleeve. The majority of us don't, but I do know people who have a very hard time keeping it under control. These are people who had no trouble with it before they were sleeved.

Barretts is very serious. You need to do a lot of research before you make any decisions.

[MoreganK 164]

I was diagnosed with the start on barrtt's and I'm 35. Mysore and I made a decision to go ahead with my sleeve &6 months from now il go get it checked out again, ad if needed treated at hat time. But, mine is not fast professing Luke you described. It is something you should take seriously, and perhaps consider treating it first.

[Writergirl 230]

When I had my pre-surgical endoscopy they discovered I had Barrett's. My bari sugeon did NOT want to sleeve me, but wanted to do the RNY. I called my gastroenterologist and we had a LONG talk. He told me that the issue with Barrett's isn't reflux, it's ACID, and he would be putting me on an acid reducer every day for the rest of my life. He said he would prefer I have NO surgery, but understood why it was necessary. He said he has many, many patients with severe complications from RNY, but NONE from the sleeve. He said that so many things would have to happen before my Barrett's turned to cancer, and we would be monitoring it closely, and he didn't think I should overly worry about it.

I asked him point blank if I got cancer if the sleeve would preclude treatment, and he said no. After talking, I felt very comfortable about getting the sleeve. However, I hooked my bari surgeon and gastro up so they could talk it out. Afterwards, my bariatric surgeon agreed I could get the sleeve, but told me that if acid was a huge problem I'd have to revert to the RNY in a later surgery.

Right after the surgery, I had a lot of acid. Now, I have days when it seems worse, but overall I'm feeling pretty good. I also had a hiatal hernia repair, and I think that took care of some of it.

I know this is a really tough decision, and I think it depends a lot on how advanced your Barrett's is. But don't hesitate to seek a second opinion, and don't rush into this surgery if a little more time would improve the Barrett's. I'm supposed to have an endoscopy this summer to see how it looks 1 year out (from my last one--not surgery). I will add this... after having had one surgery, the thought of ever having to go through a second procedure makes me shudder. So, if there's a really huge possibility you might have to do that (have the sleeve then later the RNY), you might want to decide to go with the RNY right from the start. I love my sleeve, though, and so far, have no regrets.

[shortypants 26]

My grand father had barretts....becareful. Do ALOT of research on both. I would even talk to an oncologist, anybody I could get my hands on! Educate yourself. I myself had 3 diffferent cancers, and i'm 42. I dont want to scare you. Yes it's serious. Get your blood PH checked, and if it's off, start to alkalize your blood before you get too ill! Look into juicing, and getting healthy before any surgery. Start now by cutting out all processed foods, and sugar.

[justme360 2]

I really apreciate your answers but do you guys think I should listen to surgeons and do the rny?

They say that'll completly heal the acid problem so theres a way lower chance of barretts evolving further.. Damn why do I always have to be that one in a million, everything I have is always way to early for my age or completely unpredictable im so depressed and tired of getting all this bad news. Im doing another endoscopy in 2 wks and I can't make myself believe this is just gonna be a scare that turns out to be nothing

:-(

[justme360 2]

@#shortypants

Which cancers and how did you treat them? Im so sorry you have to go through all that my father almost had a heart attack when he found out what my docs were saying about the barretts he drank and cried all night last night. I couldnt imagine my family being strong enough to actually encourage me, they would be to hurt themselves to be able to support me with words i'm the one conbincing them everything will be ok,,,but man does this life throw sh!!t at us

[Wheetsin 714]

I know a handful of people who have developed Barrets after their WLS, due to the GERD that was caused. Several banded people I know developed Barrets (presumably) from living with their slips/severe GERD for years. I do not know anyone who was diagnosed with Barrets, and then had WLS.

I'm not entirely sure how the sleeve would impact treatments for Barrets. Were they discussing surgical or non-surgical treatments? Surely the surgical treatments would be fine, but that's usually for more advanced cases. I don't know the full range of non-surgical treatments, but the ones I do know about - I can't imagine the sleeve would make them harder or impossible. But that's not something I was ever trained in, so his is just my best guess based on what little I do know.

I can tell you that I had pretty bad reflux with my slipped band, but not too frequently. When it happened it was major, and might recur for a few nights, but these "spells" were several weeks/months apart. Until the very end, anyway. I've had some nighttime reflux with the sleeve, but not the MAJOR reflux I would have. E,g, reflux with my band woke me up, bolt upright in bed coughing and trying to ge the taste out of my mouth. It'd feel like I'd vomited in my sleep. And sometimes things I ate hours & hours ago would be in my mouth. I kept mints on my nightstand so that I could suck one to get rid of the taste, but there was no way I could go back to bed. if I so much as dozed off, even while sitting up, I would continue to reflux. All night long.

With the sleeve it's more like I wake up with a little cough and know I've refluxed, but it didn't make it to my mouth and I can go back to sleep. I've had two bouts (out of maybe 3 or 4 total) that were a little worse, but still a cake walk compared to my band days.

Does that help? I don't know. Part of the Barrets is to stop the reflux if you can, and I guess the point I'm making is that the sleeve might not help much with that. I think that of the two, RNY is supposed to have the better track record of reducing or eliminating GERD post-op. That may be why you're being told it's the only option.

Have you been tested for dysplasia?

[JDHenin 165]

My first endoscopy the Gastro doc said I had Barrett's. He then made me go for an endoscopic ultrasound to confirm. I ended up going to a diff Gastro doc because the first ones office didnt do them in their office. I had to travel miles away. So the second doc said I didn't have it when they did the ultrasound. My surgeon got the first report and saw Barrett's and said he COULD not do the sleeve and explained all the problems I would /could face. I was so bummed cuz I didn't want rny. The second Gastro said that it's very important that they are biopsying the correct area. Sometimes they test too high. It took a lot of convincing from him to my surgeon that I didn't have it, and that it was ok to proceed with sleeve.

They told me that if I did indeed have it, then the sleeve would most likely make any acid reflux problem much worse after the surgery.

I can't tell u what to do. But if I did indeed have this condition then I would opt for RNY, even tho I didn't want it at all. I don't think it's worth the risk.

[I_did_it! 33]

I had never heard of Barretts esophagus before this post. I have had tons of acid reflux daily since I was sleeved four weeks ago. I NEVER had this pre-surgery...it really sucks. But now that I have read this I will be sure to alert my doctor to test me for it if the reflux continues. Now I have two questions:

1.) Did anyone have bad reflux after the sleeve, that eventually subsided?

2.) What are the treatments for Barrett's if caught early?

[JDHenin 165]

I had never heard of Barretts esophagus before this post. I have had tons of acid reflux daily since I was sleeved four weeks ago. I NEVER had this pre-surgery...it really sucks. But now that I have read this I will be sure to alert my doctor to test me for it if the reflux continues. Now I have two questions:

1.) Did anyone have bad reflux after the sleeve' date=' that eventually subsided?

2.) What are the treatments for Barrett's if caught early?[/quote']

I never had reflux before surgery. But was tokd that a lot of ppl don't feel it. Now after surgery, I still don't have it. But I take Dexilant every day. I was told I have some acid erosion. This should repair it. As far as treatment I think it's just something that will need to be monitored with yearly endoscopies. It could eventually become cancerous. But my doctor said that most people that have Barrett's don't even know they have It

[justme360 2]

I did another endoscopy and the doc that did it said it looks like inflamation, NOT BARRETTS

So now im so phsyched, I thought I would get bad news but I didnt.

Thank God and thanks to all of you that supported me with your experiences and answers during a very confusing and emotional time.

This community really is a blessing.

[craigcu 96]

I've had barretts for years, been treated for it with acid blockers. Now planning for the sleeve and my doctors are cautious (one doc wont do it, another will). I know how to keep up with the barretts and watch for progression and take steps (had an ablatement already).

Does a sleeve increase GERD risk/acid production? Or is it same level of aci production, just smaller pouch to contain the acid?

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I've had barretts for years, been treated for it with acid blockers. Now planning for the sleeve and my doctors are cautious (one doc wont do it, another will). I know how to keep up with the barretts and watch for progression and take steps (had an ablatement already).

Does a sleeve increase GERD risk/acid production? Or is it same level of aci production, just smaller pouch to contain the acid?

Be very cautious with Barrett's. Personally, I would not have the sleeve with Barrett's. My husband had Barrett's esophagus (did not have WLS), took acid blockers (PPI's) and had yearly endoscopies and went from one year with no dysplasia to esophageal cancer the next and died two years later despite being caught early and given a good prognosis. Esophageal cancer is a very difficult cancer to treat. His treatment was to remove his esophagus and pull up his stomach to create a new one. Can that be done with the sleeve? Ask your surgeon that question.

There's a reason some surgeons won't do the sleeve on patients with Barrett's esophagus.

[craigcu 96]

Thanks for this, Cleos Mom, I am very sorry for your loss. My docs have discussed the issue that a sleeve reduces the surgical alternatives for esophageal cancer if it occurs. Having barretts was a precursor to your husbands cancer? But he had not had WLS, correct?

thanks again for sharing your story.