Hi All-

I'm new to the site- I was leaning towards a band, but during my pre-op consult I mentioned to my surgeon that I have Eosinphyllic Esophagitis- basically my esophagus will spasm and I'll get food stuck in my throat (only happens with certain foods, happens only about once a week or so). I was given a presription for it when I was diagnosed about a year ago, but it doesnt happen so often, and I'm able to push food down with a piece of bread, so I stopped taking the prescription.

According to my surgeon, because the band blocks food from entering the stomach quickly, it can force food to stay in the esophagus, and if my esophagus spasms, it will make things incredibly difficult for me. She said there's a chance I wouldnt be able to have solids at all. She highly recommended the sleeve, and I've been researching and lurking for the past month since my appointment. She said that because it doesnt block the food from entering the stomach, its enough of a 'funnel' to prevent food from backing up into the esophagus.

I have a follow up appointment with her tomorrow, and at this point I'm excited about moving forward with the sleeve. But I'm still concerned about potential complications and want to be sure I don't rush into anything.

Anyone out there with the same or a similar condition? How has the sleeve worked out for you?

On a separate note- I have a chronic violent cough (caused by acid reflux)- can coughing inrease the risk for leaks?

I'm going to talk to the surgeon about all of this tomorrow, but any feedback from you guys would be helpful!

I wasn't officially diagnosed, but I was constantly choking on things. Since the surgery I've had no problems at all, especially since in the beginning everything is liquids and purees. Now that I'm graduating to normal food, I've been great! Once in a blue moon it feels a bit scary, but once I relax, all is fine.

That's great! I was supposed to meet with my surgeon today, but she had an emergency and couldnt meet, so I met with another surgeon in the practice-It was actually really good to get a second opinion on everything- he reiterated what she said about the band, and reassured me that my cough and the esophagitis would not cause complications with the sleeve surgery. We went through all of the complications in detail, and he told me what they do to prevent them and diagnose them if they do occur. He was very blunt about the complications, which was something I've been looking for, because although rare, they do happen and I want to be fully aware of what i'm getting myself into. I scheduled a follow up with my surgeon in mid/late december, at which point I'll be ready to submit to insurance (assuming all goes well with they psych eval next week). Thanks for the feedback!