Anyone With Stomach Pain/Reflux Before Having Sleeve Surgery?

[Pea523 28]

Hi,

I am 4 days out, and I am starting to get worried. My stomach has been all over the place. Had an upper GI in August - negative for inflammation, small hiatal hernia, and gastric polyps.

Is anyone having surgery with any of these conditions? Did your surgeon try to convince you to have a roux-n-y instead of the sleeve? I read on line that people with reflux will get it even worse after surgery, but that nearly 50% of the people who have the sleeve already have GERD.

Just looking for some thoughts.

[Babbs 14,680]

Yup. Same stuff as you, but my surgeon didn't mention ONE WORD about doing RNY instead, which I found odd. I did know that the sleeve could make it worse, but chose to do it anyway. I do sometimes wish I had gone the bypass route to be rid of the GERD once and for all, but nothing I can do about it now really.

My surgeon kept me on liquids for 6 weeks straight after because every time I would eat, I would regurgitate it back up without fail. He thought letting the sleeve "loosen up" by keeping me on liquids would help. It did a little, but not much.

At 15 months out, it has subsided quite a bit, but I still will regurgitate or have heartburn if I eat too much or the wrong thing. I'm on Omezerapale, which I take 2x a day. I also take tums if the heartburn gets too bad. Even so, this has been totally worth it to me. I can live with a little reflux.

[Pea523 28]

I was reading this post written back in 2011 where bariatric surgeons were pleading their case to allow the sleeve to be covered by Medicare. The representive's argument is that the sleeve should be contraindicated in patients with GERD because of the worsened reoccurrence postoperatively.

@@Babbs Did you have polyps as well?

[Babbs 14,680]

@@Pea523

No polyps that they could see. Just a little inflammation. In other words, they don't really know why I regurgitate my food. I've done it all my life. Maybe someday I'll have them delve a little deeper, or look into a revision if it starts causing problems with my esophagus.

[Pea523 28]

@@Babbs I only had a little inflammation as well, but I, like you want to lose weight so badly, at this point, that I don't care. I just worry about having the RNY.

[Babbs 14,680]

Honestly @@Pea523, my husband had it 9 years ago, and he's done really well. No complications whatsoever, and has pretty much kept the weight off. He actually wanted me to get the RNY, but I'm not the best Vitamin taker, and that is something you MUST do with the byoass. Like I said, I'm basically happy with my decision for the sleeve, and the GERD has subsided some.

[Pea523 28]

Thanks. Yes I am terrible with Vitamins as well. I told my doctor that. He sees the reason for the sleeve. I'm just going to trust my dr, and go with it.