Hey guys ive had the sleeve done roughly 10 years ago when i was 21 years of age, did well lost all of my weight was in the best shape of my life and in the last 3 years now at 32 years of age I have suffered from extreme gerd 2 hital hernias repaies and now on my 3rd hital hernia and have gained 35 lbs back .

Intermittent shoulder and left under armpit/rib pain

I have seen a new bariatric doctor who seems very understanding and knowledgeable and has offered me to options.

1 revise to gastric bypass
Or
2 repair the hital hernia and put in a linx magnet system to help with gerd.

I really don't know what to do here. I have regained some of my weight and in the last 3 years have been in pain with shoulder and chest due to what I belive is my hital hernias and Gerd.

I wanted to get with the community and ask you guys/gals first hand what you recommend and why.

One topic that came up was ulcers with the bypass and medications that i take such as meloxicam. Which i can switch to something else.

I currently take omeperazole, temazpam,meloxicam and duloxetine.

A big part of me wants to get the bypass just becuase I have regained the weight but he kind of scared me with complications that some people can have with bypass.

I dont see much talk her about the linx system for sleevers is this something new that most people just don't know about or doctors just performing for bariatric patients?

Please give me your thoughts

Edited January 16, 20215 yr by Justalfe

there are more potential complications with bypass than with sleeve, but then, major complications with either surgery are pretty uncommon. I do hear about ulcers occasionally here on BP, but not that often. Not sure what other complications he was referring to...I know there's a risk of bowel obstruction, but that's pretty rare. Dumping? That's a minor one that happens to about 30% of us, but it can be controlled by avoiding or limiting sugar (and for some, fat). Did he bring up anything else?

I've never heard of the linx system before, but how great would it be to get off of all that medicine?

Well, GERD is nothing to mess around with, as it can lead to cancer of the esophagus. If it were me, I'd just go for the bypass and get the HH fixed at the same time. That's what I had done, and can't be happier. My GERD resulted in a Barretts polyp - very high cancer risk. Since the surgery I have had no GERD issues, and subsequent exams and biopsies have shown that the Barretts is completely resolved. Personally, I think it is riskier to keep going under the knife, trying to fix things bit by bit.

21 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

Thank you for the input

there are more potential complications with bypass than with sleeve, but then, major complications with either surgery are pretty uncommon. I do hear about ulcers occasionally here on BP, but not that often. Not sure what other complications he was referring to...I know there's a risk of bowel obstruction, but that's pretty rare. Dumping? That's a minor one that happens to about 30% of us, but it can be controlled by avoiding or limiting sugar (and for some, fat). Did he bring up anything else?

I agree with you im tired of going under the knife and just want mt life back. Its looking like i will probably go with the bypass I just wanted to know if there's anything i should know that's not really talked about or published on bypaas

I know i will have to take supplements for the rest of my life. (I currently don't take any with vsg and blood work is perfect)

And i have to be careful on what pills i take.

Dumping syndrome i understand.

What about an occasional alcoholic drink?

Anything else?

Quote

Well, GERD is nothing to mess around with, as it can lead to cancer of the esophagus. If it were me, I'd just go for the bypass and get the HH fixed at the same time. That's what I had done, and can't be happier. My GERD resulted in a Barretts polyp - very high cancer risk. Since the surgery I have had no GERD issues, and subsequent exams and biopsies have shown that the Barretts is completely resolved. Personally, I think it is riskier to keep going under the knife, trying to fix things bit by bit.

Edited January 17, 20215 yr by Justalfe

18 hours ago, GradyCat said:

I've never heard of the linx system before, but how great would it be to get off of all that medicine?

Apparently its a new device thats doing wonders

I have not had a drink yet, but people in my support group say a few things about it: you get drunk really fast and it goes through your system quickly, so it is easy to have a lot of alcohol in one night and not in a good way (when the effects wear off so quickly). They also say it is an easy addiction transfer with bypass. Lastly, some dump with alcohol. Everyone recommends trying it at home at a non-event so that you can see how it hits you. But you might not be able to drink again. I wouldn’t anyway if GERD was an issue.

I’ve got the same issue and was given the option of Linx. Nobody has heard of it even my doctor friends and that makes me nervous. Plus I find nothing about Linx on a sleeve person.

20 hours ago, valiemet said:

I’ve got the same issue and was given the option of Linx. Nobody has heard of it even my doctor friends and that makes me nervous. Plus I find nothing about Linx on a sleeve person.

Im finding out this is new to the sleeve community as everyone was just converting to gastric for gerd. We would be the guinny pigs in putting the magnets around our esophagus.

What do you plan on doing?

Correct! I’ve never had reflux before. I don’t know what to do, trying to figure it out.

Well i got to make a patchy decision or a life changing one in less than 3 weeks and really don't know what to do..

But i have to do something..barrets at 31 is not joke

I had a sleeve with GERD too, and my surgeon in the first appointment had LINX as an option. Having read about the trouble lapbanders have, with esophageal erosion and slippage and other nasty complications I was not enthusiastic about a foreign body being placed around my esophagus. It turned out I was not a LINX candidate due to other conditions so I revised to bypass.

If it helps, through research and my medical friends bypass is the way to go. That is the most popular route. I wish you the best and sorry it’s been difficult