I had the Gastric Sleeve in 2015 and now my Gerd is alot worse. My surgeon told me last year I could convert to the bypass. I said I was going to think about it. I go for my follow up Monday and I am not sure what to do. Has anyone converted from sleeve to bypass and felt better? Is the recovery easier or the same? My diet is a mess because I am eating things to help the acid that comes up my thoat. I don't know what to do. The medication has side effects and Gerd can cause cancer. Any opinions are appreciated.

Lisa

I have a family member that had Squamous cell carcinoma (Cancer of the esophagus) caused by acid reflux. A lot of people that have acid reflux or GERD don't take it seriously and just chew tums or pop a pill but it can be dangerous. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't hesitate moving forward with the revision to bypass. Just based on the anatomy of the bypass surgery, acid reflux will be a thing of the past post-op. I can't guarantee anything but my extensive research on what surgery to get and my fear of acid reflux caused me to choose RNY.

I had my sleeve revised to an RnY last October. It took several months for the sore throat to heal, but it's much better now. Like you, I was concerned about the long-term use of PPIs. I thought the recovery was a bit faster for the revision, probably because I didn't have the tightness from the swollen sleeve.

I hope your family member is ok. Thank you so much for responding. Did you need to meet the same criteria for the revision? I don't have the comorbidities or weigh enough.

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30 minutes ago, lisa0617 said:

I hope your family member is ok.

He ended up getting laser and chemo treatment and did pull through. The family was just shocked because he's lived a pretty straight-laced life as far as not smoking or drinking ( the usual culprits for cancer). He wasn't a WLS patient, just someone with frequent heartburn. It's just not something people would associate with a chronic illness. Live and learn as they say.

I am so afraid of cancer. Right now the reflux is ruining my life. I am eating things that give me relief and they are not on a sleeve diet. How can I find the criteria for a revision? I am upset because me doctor originally was going to do the bypass and never told me it could get worse.

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6 hours ago, lisa0617 said:

How can I find the criteria for a revision?

Talk to your surgeon on Monday and see if they can get the ball rolling. I think it will give you peace of mind and a long healthy life hopefully. Keep us posted.

15 hours ago, lisa0617 said:

I am so afraid of cancer. Right now the reflux is ruining my life. I am eating things that give me relief and they are not on a sleeve diet. How can I find the criteria for a revision? I am upset because me doctor originally was going to do the bypass and never told me it could get worse.

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Lisa, a revision for reflux is not considered a weight-loss surgery. I had mine when I was only 20 lbs from goal weight. It is considered a fix to the GERD problem and does not have any weight-based criteria, just the damage caused by the GERD and whether you are responding well to non-surgical treatments.

I am hoping he will start the approval process Monday. I will let you know how I make out

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Please do let us know. This is valuable info to share! Thanks! Good luck!

Did you find the foods you tolerated different after the revision

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I had my sleeve revised to an RnY last October. It took several months for the sore throat to heal, but it's much better now. Like you, I was concerned about the long-term use of PPIs. I thought the recovery was a bit faster for the revision, probably because I didn't have the tightness from the swollen sleeve.

Did you lose weight after the revision?

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20 minutes ago, SeattleLady said:

Did you lose weight after the revision?

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Yes, I got to goal weight a couple of weeks ago.

21 hours ago, lisa0617 said:

Did you find the foods you tolerated different after the revision

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No big change for me.

Yes, I got to goal weight a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you for answering! Had you plateaued with your sleeve?



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59 minutes ago, SeattleLady said:

Thank you for answering! Had you plateaued with your sleeve?

No, in fact, the losses slowed down after the revision. But, I don't know if that had anything to do with the surgery or just that I was so close to goal.