Sleeve to bypass revision...anyone?

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TinaShrinks
TinaShrinks Posts: 19 Member
edited August 2021 in Social Groups
I was sleeved 12/15 and immediately had horrible reflux. Just a few months after, I was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus. My reflux is so bad that I have sores in my throat and mouth. I take omeprazole twice a day (40mg each time) and still throw up constantly and have the sores, a chronic cough, and the something stuck in my throat feeling. I have precancerous cells found via endoscopy.

So that's number one reason I am having revision to bypass.

I'll also be honest and say I ate like crap and gained my weight back. I could blame it on my shoulder surgeries...eating for convenience and self-soothing. I could blame it on the death of my grandparents who were more like my parents. Or my mom getting cancer, etc.. I mean all lead to emotional eating and bad choices but it was me that made those choices.

I'm in therapy now and I am wiser. I can do this.

So... anyone else go through this?

Replies

  • cma444
    cma444 Posts: 1 Member
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    I feel your pain. I had the sleeve done in February 2013. I developed sever GERD. For the most part priolosec did the job. Fast forward to December 2019. The meds stopped doing their job. I h a d to keep adding on meds and things got worse. I sought out a new bariatric doctor since I no longer associated with my old one (long story). The new doctor teamed up with another GI to figure things out. In the meantime I got worse. I developed an esophageal motility disorder (where a part of mine stopped working) along with 4 esophageal ulcers. Fun times. They were all caused by my sleeve. Come to find out this is a common result of the sleeve. Who would have thought. My only solution was to have a revision to bypass in December 2020. I had gained back all my sleeve weight loss since 2013. The bypass has helped lose some of that weight but it has been really slow (my new doctor and nutritionist had prepared me for that). I had a ton of tests done last year. My esophagus doctor repeated those tests this spring (after the bypass) and things are back to normal. I am no longer on acid reflux meds. Still struggle mentally but that is something I am working on. Reach out if you need support or have questions.
  • azalea4175
    azalea4175 Posts: 290 Member
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    i haven't scheduled my surgery yet, but am having rny because of acid reflux (instead of sleeve). Many people have to have the revision later, you are not alone.
  • TinaShrinks
    TinaShrinks Posts: 19 Member
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    Thank you for the replies. Support is so huge.
  • Marissachapasko
    Marissachapasko Posts: 25 Member
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    Here to get revision too for severe gerd, looking for friends with similar stories.
  • mae7365
    mae7365 Posts: 66 Member
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    I had GERD for years before my sleeve surgery in 2015, but I was never really told that it would get severe following surgery. Fast forward to 2020, medication no longer controls the reflux, I had severe gastritis and esophagitis. Had the bypass surgery in October 2020 and my life has changed dramatically since then. I no longer have to sit in a chair to sleep, not one episode of acid reflux AND I've lost 60 pounds. I've joined two gyms, do aqua fitness classes 2X/week and Zumba 2X/week. I walk 5 miles, 5 days/week and I'm the healthiest I've been since my 20's (I'm 65)!

    I'd like to believe that the science of GERD following Sleeve wasn't as convincing when I had my sleeve surgery in 2015. Now I know that my history of GERD should have been a red flag. But I'm in a great place now and as I always tell my family "You can't changed your decisions from the past". So this was the journey I was meant to have and I'm just so thrilled that it got me to where I am now.
  • lilysgastricbypassjourney
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    I'm so sorry. Sounds like you've been through a lot but you're on the right path to healing.

    Yes, the GERD is the main reason I've chosen gastric bypass. I've heard rough experiences for those who had GERD prior to getting the sleeve that it only gets worse. I'm not a doctor but if you do the revision to the bypass it should greatly help with the GERD symptoms (based on all the testimonies I've seen online/youtube, etc.).