Hi~

I was wondering if any of you veterans out there had acid reflux before you were sleeved and if so, did it get worse after the surgery??

I have a hiatal hernia which will be repaired and gerd. I take a Pepcid complete every day and before bed take tums because the acid is bothering me.

I am being sleeved on 5/7 so I'm in that emotional "Am I doing the right thing" stage... Lol

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

I'm not necessarily a veteran (sleeved Jan 21, 2014), but I can give you a little insight. I had horrible acid reflux prior to surgery. I did not have a hiatal hernia which they were worried about. I still have some issues with reflux, although nothing like before. I still take my meds everyday, but I don't have the breakthrough pain and as many problems as I did before.

First off, I am sleeved so lets get that out of the way! Lol Rarely have ANY reflux or indigestion BUT as a rule, if you have had GERD or acid reflux prior to VSG, it is not a recommended surgery as it is known to CAUSE increase in GERD.

There are several vets (LilMissDiva, Lisas Hope included) who have experienced severe GERD/acide reflux and one is in the process of revision from sleeve to RNY because of it.

I would seriously consider now, talk to your Doctor strongly about this and also those who are experiencing this now. It's worth your time to truly research to make sure that the sleeve is what is best for you and your history. Best to you and keep us updated.

First off, I am sleeved so lets get that out of the way! Lol Rarely have ANY reflux or indigestion BUT as a rule, if you have had GERD or acid reflux prior to VSG, it is not a recommended surgery as it is known to CAUSE increase in GERD. There are several vets (LilMissDiva, Lisas Hope included) who have experienced severe GERD/acide reflux and one is in the process of revision from sleeve to RNY because of it. I would seriously consider now, talk to your Doctor strongly about this and also those who are experiencing this now. It's worth your time to truly research to make sure that the sleeve is what is best for you and your history. Best to you and keep us updated.

Thanks Georgia! I'm definitely going to do some more research. My surgeon said that I will have to take prescription medication for the reflux after surgery. I also think a lot of the reflux that I'm experiencing now is due to my poor diet. Thanks again for your advice!

I was sleeved 3/29, so it's still early, but I've only had one episode of reflux bothering since surgery.

Before surgery I had really bad GERD and had been taking Prilosec twice a day for about 5 years. My surgeon suspected a hiatal hernia, but didn't find one when he got in there.

I've continued taking the Prilosec post-op and have been fine most of the time.