Reflux a problem for VSG'ers?

The nice folks at my Bariatric surgeon's office told me today that they have just recently discovered that people with sleeves suffer much more reflux than standard.  Because my reflux is already so severe,  they are discussing if they will even do a sleeve on me, or if I will have to have a bypass.  

I'll go along with whatever they decide, and if they decide I need an RNY, so be it.  But I'm pretty nervous about that. 

Btw, I can't figure out how to edit my profile.  So --- I don't still live in Texas --- had to move to Missouri (not that it matters much). 

Angie

I did not have reflux prior to surgery, but have suffered now close to two years with it. KNowing how much it sucks, if I had severe reflux prior to surgery, I probably would have opted for the RNY. My surgeon has recommended a RNY revision for me, but unles I start dealing with esophogeal erosion, I wont consider it because I'm really opposed to the RNY, but for right now, my reflux is bad but still within the realms of manageable. 

 

RNY (Roux en Y gastric bypass is the full name) and bypass are two names for the same surgery...

To the OP, reflux can happen indeed. Or you can be lucky and not get it. Perhaps a hiatal hernia repair would solve it for you. It can also develop years later. And as you know, being pre op and having it, many non WLS folks also have GERD (same as reflux).

Good luck in what you decide.

I'm only 5 days post op, so take it only by my limited experience.....

Pre op, I did not suffer from reflux. Surgery gave me instant reflux. My surgeon puts all his VSGers on 6 months min of prevacid.

Thanks, folks! I sure appreciate your sharing your experiences with me. This forum is good as gold!

Angie

This is one of those things were it really just depends. A lot of obese people have reflex. A lot of them also have a hiatal hernia. Hiatal hernias cause reflux. If you get your hiatal hernia repaired during your WLS, then most likely your reflux will eventually go away as your sleeve matures. 

However, it's not a sure thing and some people who never had reflux before the sleeve do get it after. This is because the sleeve is a high pressure system and for some people that does result in reflux.

For me, I had reflux pre-op but I didn't realize it because I didn't have classic symptoms. I thought I had allergies. Then, as it got closer to the surgery, it got worse and I had heartburn all the time. Nothing would touch it --  no pills, no adjustment to my diet -- it was horrible. During surgery, my surgeon repaired my hiatal hernia. Post-op, I still had heartburn but it was treatable with a PPI. Overtime, I've been able to get off the PPI. Once in a while, I have to go back on the PPI as my heartburn comes back but it's nothing like pre-op when nothing I did would touch it and I only have to go on the PPI about once every 1.5 years.

I'm one who never had reflux before surgery.  I'm only 3 weeks post-op and have had really bad acid reflux for the last 3 days.  I'm hoping it goes away.  I'm taking the ppi, per my surgeon, and sleeping with lots of pillows!

Like another poster responded, YOU decide which procedure will be right for you.  The doctor can only advise.  I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

This should not be new information for your surgeons office.  My surgeon told me this a year ago, and it was common knowledge at that time from all of my research.  That being said, I will share my experience in reference to GERD thus far. 

I have had GERD for years and have been on Nexium (40 mg) for years.  My surgeon explained to me up front that the risk of the GERD worsening was there, and although he normally preferred the Sleeve, he would opt for either sleeve or RNY for me due to my history of GERD.  I made the choice to take the risk and go with the sleeve because I didnt' want to face the malnourishment and dumping syndrome if I could help it. 

I had surgery about 4.5 months ago.  This past week I had to have an EGD done becuase of some belly pain and reflux.  I have been on up to 80 mg of Nexium a day (only for a short period), and have to avoid all fried or spicy foods.  I don't as of yet have an ulcer, but I do have some redness in the tummy for which I am being treated. 

For me, the reflux is currently worse than it was prior to surgery, even with the weight loss, however, I am still hoping that in time, and with more weight loss it may improve.  I have been told that absolute worst case scenario, if we cannot control it any other way I can be revised to a RNY.

I too had reflux for many years pre-op, and post op, it is a very, very common side effect of VSG -- and both my GI doc and surgeon basically said that the post op reflux predictions are a crapshoot -- some people who never had it get it, some people who had it get better, some get it at the 3-5 year mark, etc.  

The GI docs will pretty much always recommend an RNY because it is considered the gold standard for overweight people who have reflux.  My GI doc said he doesn't recommend reflux surgery for overweight patients - -he recommends RNY.  He listened to why I didn't want RNY (and I have a history of anemia), and did say that none of his patients had gotten worse after VSG.

My VSG surgeon wouldn't commit to VSG until after all my upper and lower GI testing was completed -- and he did say that RNY revision was always a possibility if my reflux could not be controlled with medication in the future.

So, if your GI doc and your surgeon both recommend RNY after the testing, I suggest you take their advice very seriously.  However, I don't see that you've talked with your GI doc -- and there are sleeve techniques that help combat the reflux.  So, research your options and your surgeons very carefully so can be informed, comfortable with your decision and understand your post-surgical options!

Good luck on your journey!

I had moderate to severe reflux prior to surgery and (knock on wood) mine has improved.  Maybe it's because of the horrible foods I used to eat or the weight loss, probably a mixture of the two.  I also had h-pylori, gastritis, and three ulcers.  These were all healed before surgery, of course.  Knowing that my reflux could become worse after surgery, I took my chances and opted for the sleeve.  I control it better with omeprazole instead of ranitidine, which didn't work well for me.  I was taking four 20 mg. pills, but am down to one now.  Sometimes it creeps back, but I'm trying to pay attention to which foods cause it and avoid them.  I hope that helps you know that not all reflux gets worse, some improve.