The Sleeve is not a Smart Surgery( my Dr. Appt. today) Vent

Do I have your attention?  My gallbladder surgeon certainly had mine when he said words to me.  I was actually asking his opinion on my acid reflux and if he thought it would improve after my gallbladder removal.  The Bariatric  NP told me that she thought it would improve.  He said that it would not improve nor would it go away.  And, that he's hearing about VSG patients who are having terrible reflux, developing Barrett's Syndrome and esophagus cancer.  Then the next words out of his mouth were "I don't think it's very smart to have the sleeve surgery".  I was stunned!! I said, well...I can't go back.  What's done is done and I had to weigh all my options and decide if I wanted to be fat, unhealthy, high blood pressure, and my body hurting vs. some acid reflux.  Furthermore, the sleeve surgery is not a new procedure and all I was asking about was controlling acid reflux.  I was also trying to figure out if this is really reflux.  I've been on a PPI for a year.  I've had gallbladder issues.  He was telling me that often people are diagnosed with acid reflux when it's a gallbladder problem.  So, then my question is ...is my problem gallbladder related or acid reflux.  I really never had acid reflux before surgery; not often anyway.  I had gastritis but nothing that was too bothersome.  I left confused and angry.

I'm going to put a call into the WLS surgeon and get his opinion.  I really don't want to take a PPI of I don't need to.  I will if I have to...experiencing chest pressure, cough, lump in throat.  I was hoping it was rebound acid and go away.  It's not horrible, just annoying.

If you're still reading...thanks, I'm just venting!!!

I would like to ask what your acid reflux ****tail of choice is?

 

 

I dont have a favorite coktail... but i have gerd acid reflux and ny doctor has me on ranitadine.... 300mg and 5 minutes after taking it my acid goes away. Sorry to hear your doctor said that.

Same here that I don't have a favorite coktail, but I do have gerd acid reflux and my doctor has me on Ranitidine 300 mg twice a day (one table in the morning and one table in the evening). I have taken acid meds. at least 4 to 5 years before I had my VSG done and still taking acid reflux to this day. On a rare occasion I do take Gaviscon Extra Strength Liquid Antacid Cool Mint Flavor.

I had terrible acid reflux and hiatal hernia problems before my vsg.  I haven't even had heartburn or any trouble at all since my surgery over 5 months ago!  I think your gall bladder doctor is wrong.  He is entitled to his opinion, but I don't think he is well-informed.

Ditto here. 

Well, and what is the point of saying this a year after the surgery? Short sighted, narrow minded jerk. Can your sleeve surgeon do your GB?

I've already had the surgery.  This was a post-op appt.  Your words are too kind...when I got the car my poor husband had to hear me spew my venom.  lol

I never had reflux prior to my VSG. Now, if I miss 2 days of my Prevacid I'm screwed. It burns & hurts so bad I'm in physical pain. I have Carafate for severe flare ups like that, but that's an as needed RX. And for what it's worth, I had a 97% blocked gallbladder at 3 months post-op, had it removed and it did NOTHING to improve my reflux. 

I agree, I had my GB removed during my Sleeve surgery and I still developed bad acid reflux.

I take Prilosec if I need it.

I guess those 224 pounds I've lost was a really stupid decision on my part. Oh well. Weird.