About reflux again

Hi, folks! I'm not looking for hard answers here, and I will ask a surgeon this question again, but they never seem to have any time to really answer questions, so I thought I'd ask y'all if you know or have heard anything about reflux being made worse by VSG.

I was scheduled for a sleeve, but at the last minute, my surgeon pulled the plug because people are having worse reflux after VSG or band surgery. They are funneling everybody into RNY now.

My reflux was bad every day, but I just take an omeprazole pill in the morning and don't think about it again.

I'll try to ask the docs, but do you think there's a level where you can't take enough omeprazole or similar to make the reflux bearable? I mean, are they talking about becoming so bad that it's not relievable?

This is very important to me! I really really really don't want RNY, but I'll do whatever I have to. Any discussion you guys could give me back on this would be greatly appreciated!

Angie in Missouri

I guess since you already had acid reflux that is a concern, since the intensity may increase. I never had any reflux issues prior to the band in 2008, but it did occur and the sleeve has increased that intensity. When I had the band I would get it almost every other day, one day chicken was ok and the next it was killing me. I understand your concern with the RNY, I needed wls that was the least invasive. Good luck!

Well i had reflux before surgery was not that bad was controled with meds and after surgery it got a lot worse that I had issue's eating and drinking I am now taking meds which helps.

The thing is if your reflux gets too bad it can cause damage to your esophagus 

I'm in the same boat as you.  I had my upper GI done and it shows that I have severe acid reflux.  Doctor suggested RnY but I really don't want that.  It seems to be a crap shoot as to who's gets better, and who's gets worse.  I have been reading a LOT of posts about this and it seems like a majority of people can control it by watching what time they eat before they go to bed, increasing medication, elevating head in bed, and watching which foods trigger it.  Now, he did say that if it is unbearable I can revise to the Rny if I have to.  I am scheduled for the sleeve on June 10.  Hoping for a good result!  Good luck to you!

Mine for sure got worse since VSG 9 weeks ago.  I am on the max dose of Nexium.  My surgeon thinks it will just get better in time.  I had an Upper GI after surgery and yes, it is bad.  I am worried that the Nexium blocks calcium absorption.

Based only on what I've read on the boards these past few years - if your reflux is the result of a hiatal hernia, and the hernia is successfully repaired during surgery, then reflux tends to diminish or go away.  Hiatal hernias don't always show up during pre-op testing.  The surgeon "discovers" them during surgery.

Some opine that making a sleeve too small creates more pressure than can be handled, resulting in worsening reflux.  But who knows how small is "too small" for you.

People who've never had reflux are unlikely to develop it with the sleeve, except for immediately post-op when the stomach is healing and over-producing acid.  Most docs have their patients on some sort of acid reducer or blocker for a few weeks/months after surgery for that.  People who went into surgery with reflux have 1. gotten better; 2.  gotten worse; 3. stayed the same.  There are a few sleeve patients who've revised to RNY because of the reflux, but they are exceptions, not the rule.

Hope this helped!

Thanks so much for your replies! They're a big help! Maybe I'll talk to them about VSG with possible revision to RNY. The kinds of problems they post about on the RNY forum scare me to death.

Thanks again!

Angie in Missouri, US

I see that you have a BMI of 57.8. Has no one suggested the DS to you? The DS has the same stomach as the VSG, except it's usually left a little larger---which reduces the likelihood of making your GERD worse. (In fact, it completely cured mine, and mine was REALLY bad.) The DS has the very best long-term, maintained weight-loss stats for patients of any size, but especially so for those of us with a BMI of 50 or greater. I too was scared of the RNY, and I delayed getting WLS for a few years because I didn't know about the DS and did NOT want the RNY.

I'm 6 weeks post op, and I too, had acid reflux before surgery, and it ramped up in just the last week or so.  I called my surgeons' office today, since I also take omeprazole 20 mg.  I was told that I can take 2 instead of one--one in the morning and one at night.  I'm doing this for the first time today, so I'll post in a few days the results.  Good luck to you!!

I'm pre-op, scheduled for RNY (but still haunting the VSG board, as you can tell). I really, really wanted the sleeve - but it's no go because of acid and bile reflux. I consulted 2 surgeons, different medical groups, and both say the sleeve isn't a good choice with pre-existing reflux. Like it or not, RNY, even with its own host of issues is apparently my best WLS option. I MUST do something to gain control of this obesity, so I'm determined to utilize the RNY to its full potential and keep on top of vitamins and labs. Regardless, I'm quite envious of the sleevers with their tiny stomachs and intact plumbing... and excellent results!

I have one good friend with the sleeve who has nightmare issues with reflux unless she max doses with PPIs. Her husband has a VSG, too, and no reflux problems at all.