REFLUX AND HEARTBURN

ahhhhh I see, I thought it maybe but then wondered if there was sleeve tweeking that could be done.

The thought of by pass is mighty scary though so is regain... its never easy is it

Trish after you have had a sleeve operation the next step would be a duodenal switch operation. Google it for further info. Gastric Bypass makes a pouch that cant be done after the sleeve whereas the DS is quite often done as a 2 part operation with the first part being the sleeve. That is after all how the sleeve operation was first introduced.

Hey, I had my preop consultation today , and Dr talbot went into what the further surgery would be which is basically bypass. He said there was 20% chance of reflux occuring after the sleeve, and if that was to occur then he would look at bypass ( my only outpocket cost would be the gas man if that was to occur). He did say that normally he recommends bypass but going by my success and current weight he can understand and agree to a sleeve. Only 6 days to go and ill be there. I have meet 3 people recently in my town who also had band and went onto further wls . 2 with the sleeve no problem and under there goal. 1 with bypass who while at goal said how horrible the dumping was for 1st 6 months. I at end day would have had bypss if that was my only option cause from preivious slip and band problems realise i will always have the disease obesity regardless of my bmi and that why permancy doesnt bother me

Thank you all so much for your kind replys. If I can be sure that the reflux will disipate after the sleeve I will definitely go for it... other wise I guess I will just get the band removed and hope for the best.

I truely dont know if I can do a by pass with out trying to go it alone. Do you know what the further surgery is that doctor Talbot was talking about doing that is covered under the 3 year warrenty.

Sorry for the million questions but its what I should have done before I got the band.

Dear Trish, I have not had any reflux etc since having band removed in august i had barium swallow in sept which showed it was decreasing in size and working normally. I could still feel things get stuck at this point (scar tissue) but by october my tissue and oesophagus were all back to normal which was confirmed by Dr Talbot by a gastoscopy and another test whhich is like gastoscopy but your awake and they put the camera down your throat then you have swallow when they tell you to and it measures how well it is working. He had originally said bypass before seeing me because bypass will work regardless of the nature of your oesophagus but after discussion and testing sleeve was decided ( what i wanted) as my oesphgus was all good. I will have hernia repair done at the same time which she prevent the reflux occuring. But if am unlucky and some sleevers are to get reflux afterwards he has said that further surgery would be covered under is 3 yr warranty. Although i know 2 other people who have sleeve after the band and havent had reflux since.

Normal would be sooooo nice. Did they say what would happen with the reflux after the sleeve? and what will happen with the stretched eosophigus... I have that I was told after a gastoscopy a few months ago.



I have seen a lot of posts about doctor Talbot all good ones. Congrats on your resolution I just hope I can find some peace in mine

Hey, I was exactly the same i was at goal had lost over 50kg but was suffering severe reflux even with nexium. six months prior to start this I had a previous slipped band which got fixed as well as hernia . I keeped telling surgeon that i was having such bad reflux i had sleep with 4 pillows and even then i would wake with acid in my mouth and cough for 2 hrs.My surgeon just keep taking fluid out saying i was overfilled i put on 5kg but was still suffering. So I went to my gp (without telling my surgeon) and asked for barium swallow which i got and it showed an enlarged oesophagus (5 times the size) i then opened up to surgeon saying i couldnt live like that i was hungry and tired but kepped bring acid up and had ulcers everywhere. So he offered to empty it complelty let it rest for 3 months and see how it goes or take it out, at this point i said take it out. i know couldnt maintain my weight so I asked him to refer me to another surgeon so i could investigate further wls. He then rang Dr talbot and discussed on the phone with him and iwas referred. So i got my band out in August have maintained my weight bar going up down same few kg and saw dr talbot on 28th october I am getting sleeved on 29th november and can't wait. I currently weigh 80kg with bmi of 27. During the consultation i had investigation which discovered i had another hiatus hernia which am getting repaired at the same time.
Anyway to sum it up like you i know i couldnt maintain my weight long term but i also know i couldnt live the way i was so i made the hard choice to get it out before i had even seen the second surgeon and booked in my sleeve. It was lucky however because even though dr talbot would taken out it would have cost it was free with my band surgeon as i had private cover and while i have pay around 4,000 for the sleeve, i am so happy to feel normal for once
Diana

I agree. I would have done the sleeve years ago if I knew it existed too.

No he hasnt... his view is that I have lost 70 kilos and am in maintanance so dont require any other wls. I agree that the band as a weightloss tool for me was successful apart from this blardy reflux. However I seriously doubt that I can maintain the weightloss on my own with out some sort of outside mechanical help....

I was a over weight for a reason before and couldnt do it on my own so I seriously doubt going solo now even though the weight is gone is going to be any different.

I had never suffered from acid prior to the band and since the band as time has gone on it has become increasingly unsufferable.

To just remove the band with no back up is a nightmare of a thought for me, I just dont want to regain all my 70 kilos loss.



I was hoping that the sleeve would be my answer and have always regretted not being more informed when I initially got banded or I would have chosen the sleeve.

Reflux is horrid!

I was tossing up between the band and the sleeve for ages, but as a reflux sufferer it seemed that most people with the band get it and can't do much to control it unless ther remove the band, whereas from everything I have read about the sleeve it seems to settle over time or well controlled with nexium etc.

I had well controlled reflux before my op and still have it after. When I spoke to the surgeon about it he thought the reflux would stay the same or possibly get worse with the new stomach.

Apparently the WLS for reflux suffers is a gastric bypass as it gets rid of it completely. I wasn't prepared to go there as a first surgery as it seemed too extreme for me, however if the reflux was to get substantially worse I would definitely reconsider now that I am not so concerned about the operation itself.

Has your surgeon suggested a gastric bypass?

I have not had either op (yet) so I can't advise you either way.
But if it is causing you so many problems....get it taken out. And tell him to remember the stitches too!!
If you want the sleeve the band needs to be out for min of 3 months including stitches or you will need to get them out and wait another 3 months.
After the band is out you can then choose to find another surgeon for the sleeve if you still want to go ahead with it.

Ok I have a band and suffer from reflux and heartburn even though I take Nexium, I have tried every antacid prescribable and nothing works. I currently have no fill in my band and still suffer from it.


I have lost 70 kilos with the band and my doctor refuses to do a sleeve because I have successfully lost the weight with the band and he says I will suffer just as much from reflux with the sleeve as I do with the band.

My question is for all the exbandits out there who suffered from reflux and burn with the band is do you have the same with the sleeve or is it much better.

I cant live with the constant pain of the heartburn and according to my doctor is complete removal of the band and sucking it up and doing diet and exercise to keep my weight down. My problem is and I dont know if anyone can relate is that I dont trust myself and I know I will go back just as I was before or even bigger and I would rather die than be there again.

Can someone please advise, I am getting so depressed over this.



Thanks