Am I still welcomed here at Vertical Sleeve?

[PdxMan 4,292]

Before the sleeve, everything gave me reflux even Rolaids! After having the sleeve my reflux is gone!

Why not consult another surgeon?

I am in the same camp as FeelsMe2. I had severe reflux and and now, post-sleeve, my reflux is gone.

Talk with another Dr. I would be wary of a Dr's experience if this is the sole reason for not doing a VSG on you.

[skinnyroxie 4]

I too have had reflux for many years. sometimes I have had to take 2 nexiums a day. I have a hiatal hernia. My dr is doing sleeve and fixing hiatal hernia at time of surgery. Keep trying if this is what you want. Hope all goes well.

[mswisdom 42]

I don't feel anything. I never even had heartburn. That's why I was stunned when they said I had reflux. I'm going to push the issue about the sleeve because that's what I really want. I saw my surgeon in April, don't know when I'll see her shin but I'm about to make a call.

[LifetimeLoser 208]

I feel anyone that has been trying to lose weight for a lifetime has the same struggles. I go to a support group with my comprehensive weight loss program which has sleeve, band, and bypass patients and we all seem to have the same struggles and go through the same things. I don't see why you still won't be welcomed. Your path may be slightly different, but we are headed towards the same destination.

[Fixerupper 335]

I was initially scheduled for RNY because of my reflux although I wanted the sleeve. My reflux was horrible. I chickened out of my RNY two days before surgery and met with my surgeon. We talked a lot about the sleeve and he told me there was a chance my reflux would worsen but that it was not guaranteed. I have been sleeved now for three months and my reflux is actually better. I still have it and I do still have to take my PPI everyday but if I do that and avoid eating right before lying down it is very manageable. I think the hernia they repaired during my sleeve surgery may have had something to do with it as well. My surgeon told me that if my reflux was worse after sleeve it could be revised to an RNY although I really didn't want anymore surgeries. It's a hard decision and I wish you the best of luck! I still have the RNY talk app on my phone and still check in with the group I would have been with from time to time

[Fixerupper 335]

I don't feel anything. I never even had heartburn. That's why I was stunned when they said I had reflux. I'm going to push the issue about the sleeve because that's what I really want. I saw my surgeon in April, don't know when I'll see her shin but I'm about to make a call.

That actually sounds weird that they are telling someone they have reflux who has no symptoms (no burning? no cough?) and even stranger that it would prevent you from being sleeved. My reflux involved vomiting multiple times a day. I think you should get a second opinion.

[1gorgeousgodzilla 192]

I don't feel anything. I never even had heartburn. That's why I was stunned when they said I had reflux. I'm going to push the issue about the sleeve because that's what I really want. I saw my surgeon in April' date=' don't know when I'll see her shin but I'm about to make a call.[/quote']

I think you MIGHT have what I have. The technical name is Laryngopharyngeal Reflux, but doctors also call it silent reflux because there are no symptoms (no heartburn or coughing- just a raspy voice on occasion and post nasal drip). I'm fact I thought my ENT was a quack when he diagnosed me because I KNEW it was allergies and post nasal drip haha. My surgeon knows about this and I'm getting sleeved Monday.

I concur with the others who have suggested talking with your doctor or getting a second opinion. Best of luck to ya!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

as OP have said - go see another dr

its true that all surgeons have different thoughts

once you are post op WLS - whether it be the bypass

HOPEFULLY the sleeve - different docs will follow you post op, giving you different instructions, rules

All NUTS are different too

on the board that is a common conversation

i love your name - mswisdom

show/use your wisdom - talk to another doc - and maybe another

sounds like your "wisdom" is showing you the right way - to having WLS with the sleeve

stand by your convictions

don't be intimidated by your "prospective" doc, or any other doc - or other people in the world in general

good luck

kathy

[ribearty 544]

I am in the same camp as FeelsMe2. I had severe reflux and and now, post-sleeve, my reflux is gone.

Talk with another Dr. I would be wary of a Dr's experience if this is the sole reason for not doing a VSG on you.

Just reading this is giving me hope. I currently have lap band and want revision surgery to the sleeve. I have had severe heart burn even on Rx meds for it for over three years. One of my biggest fears is that it will be worse after I have my surgery. My doctor is aware of the heart burn, did an endoscopy and said I was still a viable candidate. Now I just need a surgery date.

[mswisdom 42]

Well my 6 month pcp visits will be over in Oct. (Would have been Sept. But my doc stop airlift fridays the date if my July appt which made me miss that month).

The scheduler will be pulling my PCP records and submitting everything in month 5(Sept.) I should have a date by then. I left a message that I need to talk to my surgeon beforehand because I want the sleeve. To me she has some explaining to do to why she won't do it and I have no signs if reflux until she said I had it.

There was another doctor I was looking into in the beginning and I may have to goto him for a second opinion. He's head of the board of directors for surgery and he performs them in another town.

I don't want all this work to be for nothing. Bon Secours health system is the only one I found in the Hampton Roads Virginia area that has No program fees. I just paid $120 for 6-1hr personal training sessions.

Surgeons affliated with other hospitals here feel that the sky is the limit on what they can charge you for their 'package'.....Obesity is a Billion dollar industry these days isn't it?

Plus I'm leaving the state in May 2014 and I don't have time to jump through all these hoops to get approved again....mind you I have more than enough ailments now, two stents in my heart....at 31yrs, bmi of 61, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and just found in March that I'm a diabetic. So I really need this.

Not saying I'm going to take anything they give me but we will have to talk. I didn't even know that people can revised the sleeve to the bypass until I started coming here.

Just wish me luck! No matter what I'm going to be okay.

[jensjoy28 351]

Reflux is so common amongst obese patients that if that alone was justification not to do VSG there would be a LOT more of us on the RNY forum...

Here is an article that may be helpful in your follow-up conversation

http://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/laparoscopic-sleeve-gastrectomy-with-hiatal-hernia-repair-a-retrospective-case-series-and-review-or-literature/

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

Not saying I'm going to take anything they give me

mswisdom

please stand by your above "wise" statement

the tests/hoops you've already gone through "should" be "transferable" to any procedure, inc. the sleeve

if you are told you might be delayed, a month et al................

don't just give in to save a little time, or you are sick of all those hoops

the sleeve is a wonderful procedure

if you have the sleeve - "if" it reallllly doesn't work with the heartburn situation (hopefully it would fix prob)

people have gone from the sleeve to gastric bypass

but as OP say, heartburn is usually improved/erased with the help of the sleeve

please don't "jump" into a major life changing situation with any WLS

i'm sure you know this, but the gastric bypass "messes" with your intestines - and you have malabsorbtion problems/issues

neither of those problems are an issue with the "wonderful" sleeve

good luck

kathy

[mswisdom 42]

mswisdom

please stand by your above "wise" statement

the tests/hoops you've already gone through "should" be "transferable" to any procedure' date=' inc. the sleeve

if you are told you might be delayed, a month et al................

don't just give in to save a little time, or you are sick of all those hoops

the sleeve is a wonderful procedure

if you have the sleeve - "if" it reallllly doesn't work with the heartburn situation (hopefully it would fix prob)

people have gone from the sleeve to gastric bypass

but as OP say, heartburn is usually improved/erased with the help of the sleeve

please don't "jump" into a major life changing situation with any WLS

i'm sure you know this, but the gastric bypass "messes" with your intestines - and you have malabsorbtion problems/issues

neither of those problems are an issue with the "wonderful" sleeve

good luck

kathy[/quote']

I'm with you there Kathy. I went to my general surgeon today and while I was there I told him about the problem I'm having. He told me to hold on and got a weight loss surgeon he knows on th phone and explained to situation to him. He told him to give me his number and call to make an appt. He said that some test will have to be refine bit he can talk to me about everything once I'm in his office and he sees for himself what the problem is.

I went outside and called IMMEDIATELY and left a message on the answering machine for an appt. I also emailed my scheduler and informed her that I'm not comfortable with Dr. Salzbergs recommendation and that I need to come in and sit down with her so we can talk.

I feel so much better now that I aired my problem and have gotten so much good feedback from this forum. It really means a lot and I thank EVERYONE that posted to this topic.

The sleeve is in my heart and since there is no turning back I want to get this right the first time.

[Leleboo 104]

I have reflux also and have been taking meds for it for years and my doctor didn't rule out the sleeve because of it (sleeved) 3/18/2013. I haven't experienced any worsening symptoms.