After a forum from yesterday. The worry I had about getting GERD is a lot stronger. The thought of it happening to me scares me. When I do do acid reflux (which is not often ) it does make me sick. This is a out of pocket surgery for me. My insurance doesn't cover wls. So I can't afford this surgery and then have to pay to get bypass if I get GERD. My mood now is so different. I was so happy I made the decision to get the surgery. And after yesterday today I'm scared and sad. I need positive thoughts ❤️

Educate yourself...talk to the Doctor, don't take everything on here as gospel. People have personal stories to tell that you may not know the entire picture of their situation which may explain some of the issues that they have and you may or may not have.

7 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Educate yourself...talk to the Doctor, don't take everything on here as gospel. People have personal stories to tell that you may not know the entire picture of their situation which may explain some of the issues that they have and you may or may not have.

YESSSSSS 1000%!!! These sites are great for so many reasons, but they are personal to each person. They are not doctors, they are not surgeons.

Is there a reason you do not want to do bypass in lieu of sleeve? I started down the sleeve route and switched to bypass due to the whole GERD/hiatal hernia issue (I already suffered and did not want it to continue or get worse).

Only you can decide if the risks are worth the payoff. It is especially acute when you are self pay, which I understand because I also was self pay. I'm also afraid of GERD, but the risk for me is worth the payoff. But, I have many weight related issues and knew the surgery was key for me making a major change. I needed to in order to literally save my life and make it past 60. I also wasn't comfortable with bypass, so I am taking a calculated risk. I know that GERD is a serious risk, but will deal with that if it comes.

I'll be honest - if I were your BMI I am not sure what my choice would have been but this choice is so individual it is hard to give good advice. I would definitely have a frank and honest conversation with your surgical team regarding potential risks vs. payoff. If you still are nervous, then I wouldn't do it. Maybe give yourself time to process things, and reassess in a few months. This surgery really requires that you are mentally ready for it, so if you aren't, don't do it.

Good luck!

Can't you get RNY or MGB then?

I was given the option of Sleeve vs Bypass but chose bypass because I didn't want the risk of revision if GERD and also wanted a surgery that had better statistics to back up given my history of PCOS.

So have you considered of Bypass? I think out of pocket means it may little more expensive for you to get bypass but do give it a thought and do your research to ease your nerves.

Also like others mentioned, you shouldn't get intimidated by certain some a experiences. If some have had not so great experience, there are also others out here who have found success and turned a new leaf in their lives. Every experience is different and not everyone is going to describe their detailed medical history here.

So best option for you is to speak to your surgical team and see what they have to say about your dilemma.

1 hour ago, Robz said:

After a forum from yesterday. The worry I had about getting GERD is a lot stronger. The thought of it happening to me scares me. When I do do acid reflux (which is not often ) it does make me sick. This is a out of pocket surgery for me. My insurance doesn't cover wls. So I can't afford this surgery and then have to pay to get bypass if I get GERD. My mood now is so different. I was so happy I made the decision to get the surgery. And after yesterday today I'm scared and sad. I need positive thoughts ❤️

Read this article! It helped me.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579881/

It goes into depth about rates of GERD post gastric sleeve. In many cases, it actually reduces GERD. It is rare that GERD develops if you don't already have it. And the rate of GERD after 3 years is very low. Lower than your risk by just being an obese person. I read those horror stories and then did some looking into the actual research. This is a metanalysis of many studies, not just one study. The one quoted recently in the forums has a sample size of 16 people.

29 minutes ago, Flab-U-Less Forever said:

Is there a reason you do not want to do bypass in lieu of sleeve? I started down the sleeve route and switched to bypass due to the whole GERD/hiatal hernia issue (I already suffered and did not want it to continue or get worse).

I'm not big enough for bypass. I have health reasons to get the wls now. But my bmi is only 36

43 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Educate yourself...talk to the Doctor, don't take everything on here as gospel. People have personal stories to tell that you may not know the entire picture of their situation which may explain some of the issues that they have and you may or may not have.

I am. I guess I came to this forum to put to rest the fear of GERD but it's only elevated it. My coworker had it done in January and is doing great. She had GERD and was on 2 pills a day for it. Now she down to 1. I was ok until I read people saying it can happen year or more after surgery. The only people I know that has had the surgery has been with in this last year.

5 minutes ago, tristynftw said:

Read this article! It helped me.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579881/

Thanks for sharing. Meta-analysis is the best kinda literature and trumps any single study.

6 minutes ago, Robz said:

I'm not big enough for bypass. I have health reasons to get the wls now. But my bmi is only 36

My BMI was 35 and the surgeon said he recommended sleeve for me and felt that bypass was overkill for me but said he would still do it if I was really adamant in getting it. Maybe if you explain your concerns your feelings would too.

1 hour ago, Robz said:

This is a out of pocket surgery for me. My insurance doesn't cover wls. So I can't afford this surgery and then have to pay to get bypass if I get GERD.

MGB, man. Give it a look.

I was really worried about GERD, but there are medication absorption issues with bypass that made me a bad candidate for that. I am six months out and have had zero issues with GERD. Before surgery I would have GERD if I overate. of course, now it's hard to overeat, but even when I feel uncomfortably full, I still don't get GERD.

You might decide to wait on surgery, but if you have other health conditions, you might be at risk. Just keep in mind that surgery may not fix co-morbidities, even if the surgeon says it will.

1 hour ago, Robz said:

I'm not big enough for bypass. I have health reasons to get the wls now. But my bmi is only 36

Mine was 35 and I got RNY. Who says you aren't big enough? If this is self pay, you can certainly get RNY.

1 hour ago, MiniGastricBypassDude said:

MGB, man. Give it a look.

Ok educate me.... what is MGB??