Difficult decision

All I can tell you is that pre-op I had pretty bad reflux for at least 2-3 years.  I had the coughing situation, just as you described, but I just kept downing Tums, which I now know is terrible.  My surgeon wrote on my paperwork that I had GERD based on the information I gave during my visits.  I had a VSG almost four weeks ago and take a prilosec every morning and I'm fine - no reflux, no coughing.

I wish you the best of luck with your decision!!

Please go lurk on the rny board. I commonly see complaints that reflux started after the surgery or did not cure gerd either. So it's a tough decision. I had severe gerd before and still have it but it's totally controlled and I'm over a year out.


I wish you the best of luck.

~Lori

From what I've read here it can go either way, get worse or go away but you just don't know until it's over. I have COPD, a lung disease, so I have a pretty constant cough but there are several cough remedies that work for me from over the counter Robitusin to prescription tessalon perle which is a nice small easy to swallow pill. I think I would go with the VSG and then work with the cough when and if it appears. Good luck to you!

Before surgery I was told VSG probably would make my GERD worse. I was scoped for one of my pre-surgery tests to see if my GERD had eroded anything down there. All clear - didn't find anything. Low and behold, my surgon found and repaired a hiatal hernia when he did my sleeve. Now I seldom have GERD. I almost never take my RX for it. 

I love my sleeve. With the sleeve you'll have a complete digestive system, from top to bottom, just like you do now. The only difference between me and you is I have a teeny tiny tummy. And no hernia.