I am pretty sure I want the sleeve, but my friend has got me thinking about gastric bypass because I have GERD and it can get worse with the sleeve (or so I am told). Can you all share your experience whether it be the sleeve or bypass? I would like to know the good, bad and ugly about both procedures, so I can try and make an informed decision. Thank you.

Has your surgeon given a recommendation based on the GERD? There are some people who need a revision to a bypass due to acid reflux, and a number of people have a bypass as an initial surgery due to them having a lot of reflux/GERD. I don't know that it gets worse for everyone after a sleeve but it would be interesting to see the percentage who have a revision to bypass due to GERD but had it prior to their sleeve.

I have a sleeve, it is early days yet for me and I am still on an acid reducer which I will be finishing later this week, but so far so good. Before my surgery I hadn't had acid reflux in over 18 months or so, based on that my surgeon was happy to recommend a sleeve, had the reflux been current he would have wanted to do a bypass.

If you do the Sleeve you are going to run the risk of having to have a revision. I was approved for my surgery despite having acid issues because I DON'T have GERD, but rather something called EOS. I was going to have issues with acid whether I had Bypass or DS (which involves a sleeved stomach). My disorder is an allergy disorder and the acid is worse 1. when I either eat or am around what I'm allergic to, 2. at night, or 3. if I eat something acidic. I only take my acid reducers at night. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend the Sleeve to someone who has GERD. Trust me, weight loss surgery is no joke and it's a bumpy recovery in the beginning. The gas, the liquid diet, the puree stage, etc. Having to go through the 2 week pre-diet all over again if it doesn't stick the first time... You have to look at everything and then ask yourself if you are willing to take the risk of having to do it all over again if your GERD gets WORSE. In the end, the choice is yours, whatever that choice may be because it's your life and YOU are the one living it, not someone else... I wish you the best of luck on whatever choice you make!

I had a slipped lap band that I had to have removed and a revision done. I also thought I wanted a sleeve but my surgeon strongly recommended a bypass because I already had terrible GERD before my lap band. I took his advice and have been very happy with the decision. It's your choice, but be well informed before you decide. Good luck!

I have GERD and I still got a VSG.I am about 4 months post op (I think) and I haven't had any issues but I am not very far post op. If I could go back, I would get the bypass because I have all these fears that I won't get to my ultimate goal weight (135). Another reason I would get RNY is because you are statistically more likely to lose more weight and keep it off. However, getting the VSG does not mean you can't lose a lot of weight. Some people have fantastic results with the VSG and genetics also plays a role.

See my response to this post. My thoughts and opinions haven't changed.

I had such bad Gerd after my sleeve that I ended up with a fistula (whole) in my stomach and was revised to the bypass. If you already have Gerd I would recommend the bypass. Good luck with your decision!

11 hours ago, Buterflymomma said:

I am pretty sure I want the sleeve, but my friend has got me thinking about gastric bypass because I have GERD and it can get worse with the sleeve (or so I am told). Can you all share your experience whether it be the sleeve or bypass? I would like to know the good, bad and ugly about both procedures, so I can try and make an informed decision. Thank you.

I was leaning more towards the sleeve but my surgeon recommended a mini bypass. Same recovery time and better long term results.

I'll admit i was very scared of the bypass but i had absolutely no pain, just discomfort from the gas. I had a minor bleed 1 day post op but it was fixed with compression bandages and a tranexamic acid iv.

No regrets whatsoever.

Edited April 13, 20206 yr by Sabs211

I had GERD prior to surgery as well, so my surgeon recommended bypass (he said he'd do either, but strongly recommended that I consider bypass). So I did. I know not everyone gets GERD after sleeve (or if they have it beforehand, like I did, it doesn't ALWAYS get worse), but I didn't want to take the risk.

that's a question for your dr. Does he/she know you have GERD? Were you DX with GERD? Of course, not all patients will get GERD... I never got with band and so far not with Sleeve.

Start with your Dr...... here and other site you ask this question you will get a hundred different answers....

3 hours ago, BayougirlMrsS said:

that's a question for your dr. Does he/she know you have GERD? Were you DX with GERD? Of course, not all patients will get GERD... I never got with band and so far not with Sleeve.

Start with your Dr...... here and other site you ask this question you will get a hundred different answers....

I have a message in to my Doctor. I thought I would ask here for experiences while I wait for a response. Yes I am diagnosed with GERD and severe esophagitis.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT have a Gastric Bypass surgery! My son had the sleeve done and had severe Acid Reflux and is now doing great! He looks awesome and feels awesome and no longer suffers as bad from GERD which also depends a lot on what your food choices are.
I on the other hand had Gastric Bypass surgery and I no longer absorb any nutrients, I suffer horribly from Vitamin Deficiencies ~ AND Malabsorption, i have so much skin hanging off me, lost most of my teeth and hair and have osteoporosis, hypersomnia, ... diagnosis that I didn’t have previously to having this surgery. I can’t get any doctors to help me. I have been begging for vitamin infusions because I don’t absorb anything in pill or gummy forms. I feel like I’m loosing my fight at this point. The surgery was in 2006. I’m so tired, never have a drop of energy, I live in a recliner, I can’t go shopping or out anywhere because I have no energy ever. I’m literally dying because of that surgery. PLEASE don’t do it!

15 hours ago, Buterflymomma said:

I have a message in to my Doctor. I thought I would ask here for experiences while I wait for a response. Yes I am diagnosed with GERD and severe esophagitis.

DX GERD is definitely something that you should get your dr's opinion. I personally think all WLS have the potential to have issues specific to it, but lost have issues with GERD. Its because of what's going on in the stomach.... The stomach is either blocked off (band, which i had for almost 8 years, no GERD) or sleeve, BP and others where they are removing or manipulating the stomach.... and when you overeat, food has to go someplace, and if not down.... UP. And coming UP all the time because one can't control their portions is a problem. I found if you eat the right portions and avoid eating high acid food and late at night, the better you are
Most people that had the band, sleeve, GB... etc will promote their SX. I loved the band and still do. She left me 3+ years ago and i miss her everyday. But the sleeve has been great too..... Both have their pros and cons.

2 hours ago, Loosing my fight said:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT have a Gastric Bypass surgery! My son had the sleeve done and had severe Acid Reflux and is now doing great! He looks awesome and feels awesome and no longer suffers as bad from GERD which also depends a lot on what your food choices are.
I on the other hand had Gastric Bypass surgery and I no longer absorb any nutrients, I suffer horribly from Vitamin Deficiencies ~ AND Malabsorption, i have so much skin hanging off me, lost most of my teeth and hair and have osteoporosis, hypersomnia, ... diagnosis that I didn’t have previously to having this surgery. I can’t get any doctors to help me. I have been begging for vitamin infusions because I don’t absorb anything in pill or Gummy forms. I feel like I’m loosing my fight at this point. The surgery was in 2006. I’m so tired, never have a drop of energy, I live in a recliner, I can’t go shopping or out anywhere because I have no energy ever. I’m literally dying because of that surgery. PLEASE don’t do it!

I'm really sorry this happened to you, but this kind of thing is extremely rare. People can have bad complications from the sleeve, too, but as with bypass, they are very rare. I've been involved in the bariatric community for several years and you almost never hear about this kind of thing. The vast majority of people who've had either kind of surgery have had either no complications at all or very minor ones that were an easy fix.

P.S. You only joined this forum two hours ago? If you'd have been on here for several years, you'd know what you described almost never happens. I've been on this and another popular bariatric forum for about six years, and volunteer with bariatric patients at my clinic, and I can count the number of severe cases like this one on hand....

Edited April 14, 20206 yr by catwoman7

Complications from gastric bypass are very rare, especially these days with more advanced techniques available to surgeons.

I couldn't be happier with my decision to have a mini bypass.

3 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

The vast majority of people who've had either kind of surgery have had either no complications at all or very minor ones that were an easy fix.

I agree. I had a minor bleed from one of my port sites 1 day post op but it was easily treated with compression dressings and a tranexamic acid IV.

My surgeon said it was due to limited cardiovascular instability.

Not having surgery would have been almost certain death if i carried on the way i was going.

Couldn't be happier with the whole process.