Lapband to VSG now to RNY

[southernbanded 4]

In 2012 I had lab-band surgery. My body hated the band from the start; nothing but problems. I lost about 82 pounds with the band but mainly only due to being unable to eat and vomiting. I developed acid reflux so bad that I slept sitting up for three years. I visited my doctor in 2017 and told him I could not deal with it anymore. He suggested converting to VSG. At the time, the surgery was not known for its acid reflux issues. I was converted in Dec 2017. Acid reflux left, and for one year, I felt normal. However, immediately after the conversion surgery, I never felt restriction. I felt I could eat normally. One year after the conversion, reflux returned. Now with a hernia, gastritis, and GERD. My bariatric doctor had passed away, so I went to a gastro doctor to have an EGD done. He sent me to a surgeon who suggested converting to RNY. I did not want to have a third surgery, so I put it off for another year as I thought the medications they prescribed would help. They didn't work. We just kept increasing the dosage.

Fast-forward to this year, and I visited a new bariatric doctor who just completed another EGD on me this past Monday. All the same, issues are still there but now Barretts Esospogus. Insurance is denying the repairs as they were caused by bariatric surgery, which is ridiculous. I am a vocalist and truly worried about esophagus cancer as my lining has already been severely damaged. I will probably have to self-pay for the three-part surgery, and I am not happy about that.

I am curious has anyone else had to have all three surgeries? If so, I would like to hear your stories and success. As I mentioned, I lost with the band. However, I gained most of the weight back after the band was removed and had to wait for the VSG conversion. I never really lost weight at all the sleeve. If you had all three surgeries, did you improve with acid reflux, gastritis, GERD, and were you losing any weight? Did any of you have Barretts Esophagus? I will know my fate next Friday, Feb. 11th

[liveaboard15 1,292]

Yea my insurance specifically excludes bariatric surgery and any complications that it may arise including needing revision or whatever. It sucks.

[Toomany#s 59]

Sometimes if you keep badgering your insurance company, you can get coverage on things. Any possibility of other insurance? As far as three surgeries goes, I started with the lap band self pay in Mexico. I lost about 90 pounds, then started having chest pressure and pain. That was sourced to the band so I had it removed and the VSG done. I never really lost any weight with it due to way too much going on in my life. I wanted to go to bypass at that time, but the surgeon said that the sleeve was the better option. Approximately 11 years later, I find myself with the same chest pressure and pain, not cardiac related. I don’t really have anything come up with reflux, just the pain. I’m now scheduled for the conversion to bypass next month. I’m lucky that my insurance covers it. I worry that it might be three strikes, you’re out. My current surgeon said that he didn’t feel like I failed with the band since I kept off a good bit of the weight. I hope that things go well for you on the 11th and that somehow insurance coverage will happen.

[Toomany#s 59]

I forgot to mention to do be very careful with the Barrett’s esophagus. My husband had esophageal cancer. He is now a seven year survivor, thank God. It was a horrible ordeal, though. He can still eat very little and gets sick a lot. It sure seems like at least the hernia repair at minimum would be covered. I used to work with some surgeons who would accept insurance for the covered part and then you had to self pay for additional parts of the procedure, maybe the surgeon can work something out for you.

[GradyCat 3,693]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through all of that. I keep seeing mention of VSG causing Acid Reflux, and you mentioned that it wasn't a thing in 2017. Is that a known thing now? What causes it? I had VSG in Dec. 2018 and as far as I can tell it cured my Acid Reflux and I don't have it anymore, but I'm worried because I keep seeing people saying VSG has known Acid Reflux issues.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 801]

Both lap band and gastric sleeve operate under a "high pressure" system which can cause the sphincter to malfunction. From what I've been reading here and from personal experience with my lap band and developing gerd due to it, it's a process that takes several years to come to a head. I was on Protonix 2x daily for the last 2.5 years of having my lapband. It didn't control the reflux at all, it only caused me to develop a kidney stone from overuse of PPI's, so after 7 years of having the band placed, I had it removed.

I've seen people comment, "I control my acid by taking Prilosec, etc everyday... so it's okay to get VSG" or "I take Prilosec everyday after having my VSG and everything is fine." To me that's dangerous thinking, because I know first hand that these drugs have long term side effects. Kidney stones aren't fun.

[Guest]

I'm lap band (2006) to RNY (10 days ago). Lap Band simply never worked for me. Never lost any weight at all with it, although I lost via Keto a few years after. When it was removed last week they said it had slipped right up above my stomach. Silly things in my opinion.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 801]

Yes indeed, they are silly things that imo should've never been approved in the first place. My surgeon told me that all of the weight that I lost with my lap band, I most likely did it on my own with little help from the band. I'm looking forward to RNY soon.

[Guest]

Absolutely. I'm 10 days out from RNY so haven't felt it work yet - all the foods up until solid foods are actually the foods that you need to avoid afterwards so it's not really representative.

[catwoman7 10,973]

3 hours ago, GradyCat said:

I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through all of that. I keep seeing mention of VSG causing Acid Reflux, and you mentioned that it wasn't a thing in 2017. Is that a known thing now? What causes it? I had VSG in Dec. 2018 and as far as I can tell it cured my Acid Reflux and I don't have it anymore, but I'm worried because I keep seeing people saying VSG has known Acid Reflux issues.

it was definitely a thing in 2017. I had bypass in 2015 and specifically chose that because I was told there was a risk that VSG could make my reflux worse. I'm very surprised the OP's surgeon wasn't aware of that.

[Toomany#s 59]

54 minutes ago, WhispersOfAngel said:

Both lap band and gastric sleeve operate under a "high pressure" system which can cause the sphincter to malfunction. From what I've been reading here and from personal experience with my lap band and developing gerd due to it, it's a process that takes several years to come to a head. I was on Protonix 2x daily for the last 2.5 years of having my lapband. It didn't control the reflux at all, it only caused me to develop a kidney stone from overuse of PPI's, so after 7 years of having the band placed, I had it removed.

I've seen people comment, "I control my acid by taking Prilosec, etc everyday... so it's okay to get VSG" or "I take Prilosec everyday after having my VSG and everything is fine." To me that's dangerous thinking, because I know first hand that these drugs have long term side effects. Kidney stones aren't fun.

My primary care doctor took me off the pantoprozole due to possible side effects. I’ve already had numerous kidney stones in my life so that definitely isn’t one that I want to risk.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 801]

Very wise doctor. And sorry to hear about your previous kidney stones. I've only had the one so far and I'm not keen to experience it again. They suck.

[Dave In Houston 199]

Long term use of proton pump meds can also cause bone density problems. That's the reason I wanted to get off them after 20 years.