So I had my first appointment with Dr. Choi at Montifiore Hospital on December 20th and I must say I felt real comfortable with her. She's a great surgeon and has great feed back. Only thing that really made me sad was when she asked me with surgery I was looking into to get. I said VSG of course! Lol and she said she Doesn't recommend VSG for anyone with really bad Acid Reflux and a Hiatal hernia which would be repaired but she said might return in about 5 years. Bummer!!!! I really was looking into vSG and now this whole thing puts everyone on to another path.. Has anyone had a hiatal hernia repaired and or acid reflux and has had VSG? I need some advice !! She says she Would be happy to do either surgery , but i just have to know that there would be a risk of my reflux returning and being much worse then before surgery.. That would put me on iron , calcium and antacid medicine for the rest of my life! Help!!!! Lol

Yaaa your a NY'er lol... Welcome!!!

My friend got her surgery done in May 23, 2012 @ Montifiore.... she had a great experience.

My moms friend got her surgery done @ Harlem hospital. They removed a hernia (or 2) and she got the VSG done.and she is totally fine... looking great!

From personal experience, make your research.

I've been thinking about surgery for about 4 years, gone to several hospitals and all doctors are different.

The best thing that you did was coming on here and asking this question. So you can get info from people's experience. Also don't be afraid to Google!!! I google everything lol.

I went to St. Lukes, Harlem, Mt, Sinai, Lenox Hill and Finally Columbia Presbyterian (orientations)

I had doctors tell me to get on birth control and another who told me birth control puts me at risk for blood clots and should be stopped 1 month before surgery and resumed a month after surgery.

I had doctors say i need to wait 2 years before having a baby, others have told me one year.

Same info with recovery time etc.

If you want the Sleeve you do the sleeve. Just do all the research that you need to make you satisfied with your decision.... Best of Luck!!

Feel free to ask me questions! I'm from Manhattan, just got approved and i meet my surgeon on Jan 30 (columbia presbyterian) to discuss surgery and surgery date.

I wanted to get the lap band until last year dec 12, 2011 met the NP at columbia and she went into details and i was like DING DING i want the sleeve lol. Got home, did research and felt that for my lifestyle i prefer VSG. GOOD LUCK!!!

Thanks so much for your prompt response and congrats on getting approved so fast! I really wish you the best on this journey and hoping for the best outcome with mines. I really do want VSG I'm just not comfortable with my intestines being moved around. My dad passed away from colon cancer and I don't know what the future may bring hopefully god willing ill be ok but I also worry about having so much stomach removed but like you said I have to do my research. I've been researching for the past 4 years as well. Went to Lenox seminar 2 times and now montifiore. It's hard decision but something's gotta give! Thanks a again...

Hit here. I just had the sleeve on Dec. 18th and am doing really well. I also had a large hiatal hernia fixed at the same time, which I just found out due to my Dr.s request to have a upper endoscopy before he would do the surgery.

Turns out I have Barrett's Esophagus which means the lining of the stomach replaces the lining of the bottom half of the esophagus turning the squamous cells to stomach cells as the stomach cells protect you against the burn of having heartburn. This will either heal itself (doc cays) or I can have office treatments to laser it off with the idea the new cells that grow back would be the normal squamous cells. Having Barrett's gives you a .5% chance of developing stomach or esophagus cancer.

My Dr. Didn't suggest that we change my surgery to a bypass procedure but I will be asking about it at my 3 week checkup.

I am pretty sure I still would have chosen the sleeve though. Good luck to you! :-)

i just had VSG and hernia repair also from Bradley Needleman at the Ohio State University Medical Center- he said nothing of the sort to me... i was sleeved on 12/13/12

i just had VSG and hernia repair also from Bradley Needleman at the Ohio State University Medical Center- he said nothing of the sort to me... i was sleeved on 12/13/12

Well my doc said that you won't feel the reflux come Back till a few months to a year.. in her experience she's seen reflux come back and year or two after the surgery.

My Dr brought up the same thing and said in some patients who have reflux prior to sleeve get it worse after.

But he also stated that a lot of their rny patients are complaining of reflux and supposedly you're not supposed to get reflux with that procedure or have a better chance of not getting it.

So my Dr feels as long as your reflux isn't that bad to begin with and you treat it after surgery then it's okay. But to each their own.

I did not have a hernia repair but there a many on here who did. Good luck.

Just do your research and ask lots of questions.

Thanks for all your advices.. I'm still so confused about which surgery to pick . I think that if I have to pick RNY I rather try and lose the weight on my own. I just feel there's too much involved with RNY. I will keep doing my research! Thanks! ;(