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  1. #1
    Gastric Sleeve Member AshleyinTX's Avatar
    Surgery date
    07/02/2014
    Surgeon
    Dr Charles Smith
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Last Activity
    11-20-2019 06:42 PM
    Posts
    3
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    Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
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    Default 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    Hello Friends. Joined the forum today. I had my GSV 5 years ago last July and do not regret the decision. I have had good results with weight loss and have maintained the weight loss so far with some effort. About 2 years ago, I started having increasing episodes of severe upper epi-gastric pain, and have had bouts of nausea and vomiting pretty much since I had the surgery. I had a hernia diagnosed at the time of the surgery which was supposed to be repaired, but now I suspect it never was. It has also returned worse than ever.
    I can deal with the nausea and even the vomiting if I were told that it was something that I was going to have to learn to live with the rest of my life. I would learn to live with it somehow. What I cannot deal with is the pain. It is horrific. Last month I had three visits to the emergency room in one week, once when I was out of town (on my birthday in Las Vegas!) and ended up being hospitalized for a week. The pain is indescribable. My PCP and my GI doctor just stare at me blankly and tell me that my tests all come back pretty normal and don't explain the severity of my pain. One says it's GERD, one says it's probably to do with the hernia. I'm treated like I'm crazy or looking for drugs. I assure you I am neither.
    Because I am a medical professional and happen to work at the hospital I was finally admitted to, I went behind everyone's back and finally got the bariatric coordinator of the hospital to get (second opinion) another surgical consult with a decent bariatric specialist who told me he did see this condition in sleeved patients come up years after the sleeve. Finally! someone who believed me! The downside was the only true "cure" was a revision to a bypass.
    Because of my low weight, (I am 118 lbs) I may now be facing a feeding tube during recovery. I do not want to face a full bypass because I don't really don't want to lose any more weight, but I can't live like this any more. I throw up most of what I eat. I am tired all the time, in pain all the time, nauseated literally all the time.
    Is anyone else facing anthing serious like this - had a revision done due to severe GERD?
    Who knew GERD was such a serious thing?
    Any help or anyone else that has even had a revision I would like to hear your story.
    Thanks out there!


  2. Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Weight Loss Agents
  3. #2
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    02/12/2020
    Surgeon
    Dr Mario Morales
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Last Activity
    04-27-2020 02:46 PM
    Location
    St Charles, Mo USA
    Posts
    45
    Said "Thanks" 22 Times
    Was Thanked 19 Times in 18 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 2 Times

    Default Re: 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    So sorry to hear what you are going through. I have not had surgery yet but my doctor suggested I get the bypass for that very reason. He said it may save me going through a revision to bypass latter. I guess I need to do more research and hopefully find out how common it is to have Gerd with gastric sleeve. When I had the lap band I had acid reflux so bad that I slept in a lazy boy chair for 2 years. I also had the vomitting and nausea all the time. I know what you are going through and it is hell. I'm glad you got a second opinion. Sorry that I have no answers for you but thank you so much for sharing.


  4. #3
    Gastric Sleeve Member kenson's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    01/13/2014
    Surgeon
    Dr. Karl Strom
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Last Activity
    06-29-2023 07:07 PM
    Posts
    1,354
    Said "Thanks" 43 Times
    Was Thanked 726 Times in 509 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 51 Times
    Blog Entries
    27

    Default Re: 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    Ashley,
    Welcome to the forum. So sorry for what you are going through. I hope that you can find some relief.



  5. #4
    Gastric Sleeve Member Katrina's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Katrina
    Surgery date
    11/04/2014
    Surgeon
    Dr. Borland
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Last Activity
    06-22-2023 07:11 PM
    Location
    Mobile, Alabama
    Posts
    749
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    Blog Entries
    34

    Default Re: 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    I am also 5 years out and have vomited just about every single day in those 5 years. I have terrible reflux/gerd. As far as I know, bypass is the only fix. I was worried about doing the revision because of low weight too. However, I've done some reading lately that gives me hope that it won't be a worry. It seems that not only do people not really lose any weight after the conversion, some even gain because they're not vomiting all the time anymore. I think I'm going to look into it seriously sometime early next year.
    No pre-op diet
    Day of surgery 11/4/14: 5'4" 213lbs
    1 month: 187
    2 months: 171
    3 months: 155
    4 months: 148
    5 months: 142
    6 months: 136
    7 months: 131
    8 months: 125
    9 months: 120
    10 months: 114
    11 months: 111
    1 year: 109
    1.5 years: 105
    2 years: 108
    2.5 years: 102
    3 years: 113
    4 years: 115
    5 years: 115
    6 years: 117



  6. #5
    Gastric Sleeve Member scrappin spud's Avatar
    Surgery date
    10/16/2009
    Surgeon
    Dr. Anthony Davis
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Last Activity
    07-28-2020 03:47 PM
    Posts
    5
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    Default Re: 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    I too am concerned about GERD as it mimics so many things, not to mention pulmonary issues. I have had my lap band since 2009 and have recently developed severe GERD. I have had an upper GI and endoscopy to discover that my band has slipped and I will have it removed. My biggest concern/question, when you have a sleeve are you able to eat "real" protein like chicken, fish and beef without problems? I have found that with the GERD, I tend to consume high calorie foods like protein drinks, smoothies and the like to avoid food getting caught and no GERD. I would love to be able to eat a munch on a raw veggies and have a bite of a really good steak or chicken off the grill. Thanks for your help.

  7. Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Weight Loss Agents
  8. #6
    Gastric Sleeve Member Aydensmomma's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Teri
    Surgery date
    12/30/2014
    Surgeon
    Dr. Shady Macaron
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Last Activity
    06-11-2022 11:06 AM
    Location
    CT USA
    Posts
    455
    Said "Thanks" 3 Times
    Was Thanked 314 Times in 206 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 1,510 Times
    Blog Entries
    75

    Default Re: 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    I'm 5 years out and I don't have the issues that you have and I'm sorry that your going through everything. I couldn't imagine. I just wanted to say that if you got the bypass you might not loose additional weight. I think of it like this, right now everything you take in is coming out. After bypass everything you take in will hopefully stay in, it will small amounts but it will end up being more then what your taking in now.
    Not sure if that makes sense....sometimes things make sense in my head and not when I write them down :-)
    I hope you can feel better asap!!
    sleeved 12/30/14 @255lbs Goal 140lbs
    3/3/15- 208lbs 6/14/15- 163lbs
    lost 92lbs in 1st 6mo
    9/10/15- 139 1/5/2016 - 128lbs
    lost 128lbs in 1 year
    4/4/16 - 123lbs 7/4/16 - 129lbs 12/3/16- 130
    still 128lb loss@2 year mark-11lbs below goal
    gained 13lbs by 3 year mark weighing 142lbs
    Gained up to 158 by 3 years 3 months!
    3.5 years back to 142
    hoping to stay between 140lbs-145lbs
    4 years hanging in between 145 and 150
    5 year mark! ugh! Up to 160! Time to get back track!

  9. #7
    Gastric Sleeve Member Sandra3's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Sandra
    Surgery date
    01/20/2016
    Surgeon
    Dr W
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Last Activity
    06-25-2020 09:15 AM
    Location
    France
    Posts
    1,363
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    Blog Entries
    62

    Default Re: 5 years out and facing a revision due to pain/GERD - SCARED

    Hi Ashley,

    I'm sorry you are having those awful issues with reflux.
    I also had some major issues after the sleeve.

    Long story short, I was very well prepared when I had my sleeve in January 2016. I knew my surgeon since September 2014, we met several times and I was tested for many things, also I was finishing a 2 years degree in nutrition since we lived in Taiwan at the time, my Chinese is very mediocre and I wanted to "master the nutrition side" on my own.
    My weight loss was slow and it took me 2 years to reach my surgeon's "goal" (but not mine). Still I was fine with it, I felt so much better, was able to exercise and it was so great to be more mobile and alive!

    Then we went back to work back in Paris in September 2017. I'm not sure if it was the climate, the commute, but I started to get tired almost as soon as we were back home. I had a bad episode on December 31 2017, I was coughing so much I was vomiting. We thought it was just the flu.

    From then, I did notice a return of the reflux (I took a PPI for several months after the sleeve, but was able to stop it with a low acidity diet)
    Then it got worse in August 2018, my anemia went down the drain suddenly (I was taking all my vitamins religiously even before the sleeve but I have several chronic issues (asthma and endometriosis) and it's actually the gyn issue which did me a bad trick.

    On September 2018 I had an iron infusion, but that was too late, I had arrhythmia since my anemia was so bad, then I got several infections, my asthma kicked in (usually it's only allergic and not to bad, with pollen etc) and my asthma got out of control. My lungs became so bad the Xray was showing opacity...but on November 7 I felt a huge pain, and we later discovered with a Ct scan I had a hiatal hernia.

    Each appointment was a month of waiting, but then a surgeon told me he would repare my stomach in January, then later changed his mind....it was a very long story, but to make it short my case is so difficult, after I had my hysterectomy in March 2019, the first surgeon kept on postponing my repair.

    Then after doing so many tests, I saw 4 surgeons (since the first one was scared) the 5th one was the one.
    He was the only one who took the time to look at each slide of the scan. He said the first surgeon was a criminal to let me wait so long.
    Basically my stomach had a sliding hernia, was bleeding, and my acid test was the highest he never saw.
    I had to take so much cortisone to try to control the asthma I gained 40 pounds.

    But after being so sick, I agreed for the bypass (and not the repair which was not enough since my reflux was so so bad) and found a surgeon in a private hospital who was used to complicated cases.

    I was really concerned about deficiencies since that was an issue before the sleeve. But I had my surgery on June 2019, my anemia was completely gone in December 2019 (after more iron infusion post-op) and taking after that my regular vitamines.

    My new surgeon didn't care I had surgery in an other country. He was just concerned that so many surgeons didn't see I was in great danger.
    He was against a mini bypass because he said that would not solve the reflux issue.

    So I had a regular bypass, but instead of having a leg of 150 or 180 cms like they do for people who need to lose a lot, I had one of 100cm to avoid deficiencies.
    The day after the surgery the reflux which was so awful I was sleeping in a chair since November....was gone for good!

    So I only regret the first surgeon in Paris was such a bad doctor. And scared of his own shadow!! I lost so much time searching for the right surgeon!

    Because my surgeon in Taiwan with who I was exchanging email didn't understand why I couldn't get proper care. For him with my result I would have been on his table one week after!! Took me 7 months in France....

    Anyway.....I was worried about deficiencies, other issues with reflux. But no. Reflux is gone for good, deficiencies are under control, my last blood test was good.
    The only weird thing, my "repair" surgen said I would eat nothing and I eat the same quantity I was eating before the bypass, with the sleeve (half a small plate) but I think it's because with the sliding hernia the stomach was really damaged and even if my pouch was very small, I had a better restriction with the sleeve for some reason. But I can't complain....I'm alive!!

    Also for several months I had issues with diarrhea again, I have IBS for 25 years and that was usual before the sleeve, but the sleeve stopped it. It was back for several weeks after the bypass, but I also realized my new stomach doesn't like fish anymore.
    But it's getting better.

    Don't hesite to PM me f you have questions!
    Good luck and take care!


    HW : 150 kgs
    09/02/2014 : 142 /1st apt
    01/20/2016 : 134 /surgery
    01/30/2016 : 130 /1st post-op
    02/27/2016 : 126 /2nd
    04/23/2016 : 118 /3rd
    07/16/2016 : 109 / 4th
    10/01/2016 : 103 /5th
    01/21/2017 : 98 /1 year post-op
    February 2017 : 100 lbs lost
    07/22/2017 : 96
    10/21/2017 : 93
    12/22/2017 : 91
    01/02/2018 : 96!! regain (medication)

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