Re: Fundoplication after/side effects.

Posted By JL on August 02, 1998 at 00:10:32:

In Reply to: Fundoplication after/side effects. posted by CRG on July 31, 1998 at 09:32:16:






This sounds all too familiar.
I also had a Nissen Fundoplication -- nearly five years ago.  Unfortunately I am still suffering.  Almost immediately after the surgery I noticed pain in my stomach and diaphram areas. This was compounded by extreme pain and weakening in my left arm & shoulder.  Constant nausea has probably been the worst of the symptoms.  I have had the sensation of a lump in my throat along with what feels like a constricting of my throat.  In the years since surgery I have been bounced around from doctor to doctor, I feel like I've seen every type of specialist.  After many conflicting opinions on treatment, it has finally been determined that the fundoplication slipped.  This apparently is the most likely cause (though no one can say for certain!) of most of the stomach pain and nausea.  At 35 years of age I am faced with the option of having the fundoplication repaired -- a procedure I do not look forward to as this cannot be done laproscopically, and the surgeon has advised me to expect that it will take months to recover!  The thing that upsets me most is that I was never told of any possible complications outside of the difficulty in burping and vomiting (thankfully I'm only nauseus, not actually throwing up).  Follow-up from the surgeon who performed the surgery was perfuntory at best.  He dismissed all concerns I had at the time telling me that it takes a while for everything to heal...  It was only when I sought out another surgeon and was scoped by him that the problem was identified.  (Note:  I had previously been scoped by two different gastroenterologists in the years after the surgery.  Not only did they not spot the problem, one of them could not even see the fundoplication -- likely because it was no longer where it should have been?)
Now to get to the even more irritating part of my tale.. I have also been suffering from several throat problems in the past couple of years.  Recently I have developed ulcers-like sores in the back of my throat.  These are extremely painful and last several days although they reappear only periodically, they seem to reoccur in the same places.  I am not sure if this is a result of the acid from the continued reflux or if it is a totally unrelated problem.
Unfortunately as the fundoplication seems to be a relatively rare procedure, my GP has very little first-hand knowledge and cannot advise as to what can be attributed to the operation, to the failure of the operation or other issues.

By the way, prior to being diagnosed with GERD, I suffered a debilitating cough for many years.  Once GERD was finally suspected I was subjected to all possible tests - motility test (never again!), PH monitoring, endoscopy, and others I cannot even recall.  My reading on the PH monitor was apparently extemely high.
I suspect that I have been of no help with your problem -- The only positive note I can add is that you are still definitely in the recovery stage and the odds are probably very good that you won't end up in the state I'm in.