• American Bariatrics is a free online Bariatric Support Group. Register for your free account and get access to all of our great features!

Sleeve to Bypass revision questions

Kris W

Kris W

Member
Hi all,
I had a sleeve done in 2009 which changed my life! SW 250- 10 months later I was 151, settled in long term at 160! 7 yrs in I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and put on Lyrica which gave me 30 lb gain in 3 months. That extra weight has stuck with me since. I'm currently 186. My GERD is terrible now, I just had a Upper GI swallow test which showed a hiatal hernia and abnormal esophagus. I saw a weight loss surgeon yesterday for what I thought was discussion on nutrition and possible medications and he said I needed a revision to Bypass to stop the reflux from doing more damage.

Im terrified of going through this procedure again. The sleeve has become my normal. I eat small amounts but at 12 yrs out I dont have to really worry about what I eat (mostly healthy). Id love input from Bypass patients and especially anyone who has had the revision.
Many thanks,
Kris
 
Hi Kris, welcome! So sorry that you have Fibromyalgia (I have it too) and that the medicine caused you weight gain. I had the sleeve a year ago and lost 135 lbs which I am very grateful for but struggle now to lose more. I don't take Lyrica for the Fibro but I do take Paxil which is another weight gainer and I don't know if that makes it harder for me to get any lower. I go for my 1 year follow up July 2nd and will certainly ask.

I can understand you not wanting to go through another procedure but I do know that having an abnormal esophagus from GERD can be problematic and even serious as it could lead to permanent damage and even cancer. My husband's esophagus was in pretty bad shape about 10 years or so ago and he was prescribed omeprazole and his follow up endoscopies have been very good. So I don't know if that is an option for you.

Congrats on your success after sleeve surgery and wish you luck in whatever decision you make in figuring out how to deal with the GERD.
 
Kris W said:
Thanks Judy!
I've been on Omeprozole for 7 yrs! (which sent up red flags for osteoporosis which I was also just diagnosed with) Getting Old isnt for the faint of heart! lol Congrats on your weight loss~ awesome~
Kris
Click to expand...

Oh my, well I wasn't aware about osteoporosis. So sorry, I hope you find a good solution. No getting old(er) does not come easy. Sometimes we just have to decide by weighing the options for treatment and then how will your overall quality of health be with or without the treatment.
 
Judy said it right quality of health also quality of life is important in making your decision. My respiratory meds causes side effect of Gerd, so I was recommended bypass surgery. My surgery was feb 15 and I am down 48 pounds today after surgery. I am not complaining. I will have heartburn meds for life.
 
Roni said:
Judy said it right quality of health also quality of life is important in making your decision. My respiratory meds causes side effect of Gerd, so I was recommended bypass surgery. My surgery was feb 15 and I am down 48 pounds today after surgery. I am not complaining. I will have heartburn meds for life.
Click to expand...
Hi Roni,
So you had bypass and still have Gerd? I was under the understanding that the bypass disconnected the travel pass for Gerd to occur. That all of the stomach acids drained directly into intestines?
Kris
 
Kris W said:
Hi Roni,
So you had bypass and still have Gerd? I was under the understanding that the bypass disconnected the travel pass for Gerd to occur. That all of the stomach acids drained directly into intestines?
Kris
Click to expand...

Hi, Kris. I had the bypass in June of last year. One of the reasons I chose bypass over sleeve was the fact that I had (have) Barrett's Esophagus. I was also under the impression that acid reflux would be a thing of the past. This is MOSTLY the case. There are still some foods that cause me to have acid reflux. It is not nearly as bad. I do not wake up choking on acid, for example. However, the stomach you are left still produces some acid and if you eat something that does not agree with you (high fat foods mostly) it can still cause excess acid, even in your tiny stomach. If you already have damage to your esophagus, that does not go away, which makes any acid reflux more painful than your average heart burn. There is literally no way for them to disconnect your esophagus from your stomach. Even if they have to remove part of the esophagus due to cancer or something, they have to rebuild and reconnect.
That being said, my condition is probably 98% better than it was. If you have severe reflux, I would absolutely recommend a bypass. Best of luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top