Surgery to correct reflux

[CGTMHI]

I would like to hear from patients who underwent surgery to  correct the acid reflux problems. My Dr. informs me that I can eliminate all my reflux problems by having this surgery and that it can be done liposcopically. Comments can be posted in this forum - thank you all for this forum!

Mary from Texas

[Gwen]

I am 27 years old and suffered tremendously from barrets esophagus, gerd and a hiatal hernia. I had nissen fundoplycation in January of 1999. I was in the hospital for one day. I am fine now & feel better than ever. I don't take any more medication and I never had heart burn again. i had a fantastic surgeon and excellent after care. Make sure that your surgeon sends you for a motility test on your esophaus because the surgeon needs to know how tight to make the wrap in your stomach. I almost lost all motility in my esaphagus and was very ill. Now I'm fine. I recommend having the surgery with a great doctor. You'll live a normal life.

[[email protected]]

I,ve had two operations, the first one was bad the second took
care of the problem completly and I feel great.
Choose your surgeon very carefully thats the best advice I know.

[peggy]

I have GERD but no heartburn, only coughing. I am a candidate for the fundaplication.  Has anyone had the surgery because of a cough? Medication helps for a few weeks then I break through. Can anyone give me any suggestions?

[Richard Rochford ([email protected])]

I had laparoscopic nissen fundoplication to correct a weak lower esophageal sphincter, the cause of my reflux condition. A hiatal hernia was repaired also.  Today I am 12 days post-op and feeling great. By day 8 I had practically no discomfort at all.
I've discontinued my Prevacid medication altogether for the 1st time in 2 years.

I'd recommend Dr. Scott Swanson at Brigham & Women's Hospital (Boston) to anyone considering the surgery.

[Erik]

Sheila is right. Find out why you have the reflux. If it is gastroperesis, medication can control this. You will need to have a gastric emptying test to determine if this is what is going on. If it is Hiatal hernia or just reflux without known origin, the Nissen Fundoplication will work fine. I have had two of them and they work fine. From the sound of it, Sheila may have been able to avoid the surgery had she known about the gastroperesis before hand.

[Sheila]

I had the surgery,Nissan fundalplication, laproscopy, in Feb of this year.  It was not bad.  I had a 4 day stay in the hosp. and a little trouble with swallowing for a month, so they had to dilate my esophagus. Now I swallow fine. My only advice is to find out why you suffer from reflux before surgery. I did not and found out 4 months later that I have partial paralysis of my stomach, gastroparesis.  I now take meds to controll this. There are many causes of reflux the most common is a hiatal hernia.  Ask your doctor why you have reflux and have test to find out first.  
Sheila

[patbee]

A related discussion, Hiatel Hernia was started.

[theretheygo]

A related discussion, Nissen Fundoplication was started.

[db10623]

A related discussion, nissen fundoplication was started.

[[email protected]]

HELLO

please can you help me, I had a nissen fundoplicatio 17 months ago and a few months later had a dilation, the almost 3 months ago I had a gastric peg tube put in to help rid my stomach of air.  
And yet I still have severe chronic pain in my upper right abdoman quarter that works to the chest and down my arm and up my neck.  I can not burp or throw up.

Can you send me a list of all the complications that you may be aware of.  I am disabled and can no longer work.  I am on the max antidepressants and now I have lost my medical ins.  I a waiting to here on SSDI as I have gone through my savings and 401k.   Please help me

Thank you
BJ

[[email protected]]

HELLO

please can you help me, I had a nissen fundoplication 17 months ago and a few months later had a dilation, the almost 3 months ago I had a gastric peg tube put in to help rid my stomach of air.  
And yet I still have severe chronic pain in my upper right abdoman quarter that works to the chest and down my arm and up my neck.  I can not burp or throw up.

Can you send me a list of all the complications that you may be aware of.  I am disabled and can no longer work.  I am on the max antidepressants and now I have lost my medical ins.  I a waiting to here on SSDI as I have gone through my savings and 401k.   Please help me

Thank you
Ski

[[email protected]]

HELLO

please can you help me, I had a nissen fundoplicatio 17 months ago and a few months later had a dilation, the almost 3 months ago I had a gastric peg tube put in to help rid my stomach of air.  
And yet I still have severe chronic pain in my upper right abdoman quarter that works to the chest and down my arm and up my neck.  I can not burp or throw up.

Can you send me a list of all the complications that you may be aware of.  I am disabled and can no longer work.  I am on the max antidepressants and now I have lost my medical ins.  I a waiting to here on SSDI as I have gone through my savings and 401k.   Please help me

Thank you
BJ

[Diane]

I too am facing the possibility of a redo of my nissen.  For a month post op I couldn't swallow a thing, not even water without severe spasm and it would just sit in my esophagus and not enter the stomach for hours.  Now two years later, food is still getting caught in the esophagus, and apparently the wrap was done tooo tightly.  I have had four dilations and was told that it could not be done again.  I may have to have the surgery, since I can't live with the severe chest pains and spasm.  Also I can't burp or vomit (and after a bout with the stomach flu, believe me, I prayed to vomit!).  I would like to hear from those who have had the wrap redone and find out what complications arose from a second surgery.

[Gregory L. Crane]

Mary,
I had the surgery done liposcopically in March of 1999.
The surgery went fine, but the wrap was to tight so they went back in (liposcopically) and losend the wrap.  The reason they had to do this was because I could not swallow anything, even water would not go down without me vomitting. A month later they went back in, this time they could not do the surgery liposcopically so they made a 12 inch incision across my upper stomach and loosened the wrap even more. I now am scheduled to go back to the hospital on December 14, 2000 for an Endoscopy. The heartburn has come back and they have put me on Prevacid.
In the process of the doctors trying to get this right for me I had 10 Endoscopys done which took a tremendous toll on my body becasue of all of the IV's and also from being put under so many times. After the last surgery I ended up back in the hospital because I had dehydrated so bad because I could not swallow.
In my telling you all of this about me please understand that I am not downing the surgery.  My bosses son had the surgery done a month before I did and it was like a miracle for him, he can eat and drink what he wants and is very pleased with the surgery.

[Terry Brown]

I had severe reflux for about 10-12 years and used baking soda (it was the ONLY thing that helped me) to relieve the pain.  I finally gave up and saw a young, eager, informed surgeon who put me on Prilosec.  This worked for about a year but at the time there were no long term studies on the drug and my doctor suggested a Lap Nissen Fundiplication.  This surgery was performed in August 1994.  I only stayed two nights in hospital. I have to admit I had a rough go of it for several weeks, having to eat baby food for awhile, feeling full after only a few bites. But I haven't had heartburn since the day of my surgery.  I could finally lie flat to sleep...Hell, I could finally SLEEP!  I'm a nurse so I don't usually look for a surgical intervention for a problem but I'm glad I got help when I did.  I'd do it all over again!  If your reflux is as bad as mine was, I highly recommend it.

[Vata]

I am considering funduplication for my 1 yr old daughter who has a huge hiatal hernia and severe reflux which has caused esophagitis.  She is on zantac which controls her acid so she won't throw up blood.  We have very difficult nights because this is when the hernia/reflux act up the most.  Niether of us sleep well.  I average 2-4 hours of sleep a night as I am constantly waking up to clean up her throw up which she does throughout the night.  I'm not crazy about keeping her on zantac as medication has many negative effcets such as leeching the body of important nuturients.  I feel that if surgery will correct the problem once an for all, we should just do it so that she does not suffer with this any longer.  However, some of the comments I'm reading here are scaring me.  I don't know what to do.  Because she's so little, she can't tell exactly how she feels.  What do people out there suggest?  Has anyone had experience with infants and funduplication for a hiatal hernia and reflux?

Vata
***@****

[Vata]

I am considering funduplication for my 1 yr old daughter who has a huge hiatal hernia and severe reflux which has caused esophagitis.  She is on zantac which controls her acid so she won't throw up blood.  We have very difficult nights because this is when the hernia/reflux act up the most.  Niether of us sleep well.  I average 2-4 hours of sleep a night as I am constantly waking up to clean up her throw up which she does throughout the night.  I'm not crazy about keeping her on zantac as medication has many negative effcets such as leeching the body of important nuturients.  I feel that if surgery will correct the problem once an for all, we should just do it so that she does not suffer with this any longer.  However, some of the comments I'm reading here are scaring me.  I don't know what to do.  Because she's so little, she can't tell exactly how she feels.  What do people out there suggest?  Has anyone had experience with infants and funduplication for a hiatal hernia and reflux?

Vata
***@****

[Vata]

I am considering funduplication for my 1 yr old daughter who has a huge hiatal hernia and severe reflux which has caused esophagitis.  She is on zantac which controls her acid so she won't throw up blood.  We have very difficult nights because this is when the hernia/reflux act up the most.  Niether of us sleep well.  I average 2-4 hours of sleep a night as I am constantly waking up to clean up her throw up which she does throughout the night.  I'm not crazy about keeping her on zantac as medication has many negative effcets such as leeching the body of important nuturients.  I feel that if surgery will correct the problem once an for all, we should just do it so that she does not suffer with this any longer.  However, some of the comments I'm reading here are scaring me.  I don't know what to do.  Because she's so little, she can't tell exactly how she feels.  What do people out there suggest?  Has anyone had experience with infants and funduplication for a hiatal hernia and reflux?

Vata
***@****

[nissen fundoplication]

anyone considering doing the fundoplication....DON'T DO IT!!
What a waste of time.  I had it done in May 1999, and since then my reflux is just as bad now as it was before.  My lesions in my esophagus are there.  They absolutely refuse to heal!  I am ticked because I took such a risk having this surgery done, and still have this agony.  I can't eat anything where I don't suffer tremendously.  I am in pain from the lesions, and getting no where with medicine.   A doctor told me the other day that had he known I was going to do this surgery he would have sat me down and told me not to do it.  He has not seen many successes from it.
ok what next?  esophageal cancer?  Anyone got any bright ideas on healing ulcers?  I bleed, sometimes run fevers.  But biopsies do not show bacteria.  I have taken all the medicines, purple pill, aciphex, prevacid, etc.  Nothing seems to help me that well.
I know that esophageal cancer is a slow process, but can anyone tell me what to do ...please?

[Eric [England]]

Just like to say thanks to all who have e-mailed this site. You have given me a better insight into my newly diagnosed Barrets Oesophagus. I am taking 30mg of Zoton [Lansoprazole]daily which I imagine is similar to the Prilosec you speak of. The pain of acidity is no longer there but, more than a sandwich and I am still likely to get reflux. Thought at one time I was turning into a cow.  I was relieved to read that one gent has been on acid reducers for 5 years with no apparent ill effects. I am 64yrs old and have had a problem for many years but have only been on these Zoton for a year.If I can get another 5yrs of life , hopefully without it turning to cancer, then I will be well happy.Your letters have decided me not to go to my doctor seeking a quick possible cure. Seems its 50-50 on whether surgery helps or makes it worse.

[Eric [England]]

Just like to say thanks to all who have e-mailed this site. You have given me a better insight into my newly diagnosed Barrets Oesophagus. I am taking 30mg of Zoton [Lansoprazole]daily which I imagine is similar to the Prilosec you speak of. The pain of acidity is no longer there but, more than a sandwich and I am still likely to get reflux. Thought at one time I was turning into a cow.  I was relieved to read that one gent has been on acid reducers for 5 years with no apparent ill effects. I am 64yrs old and have had a problem for many years but have only been on these Zoton for a year.If I can get another 5yrs of life , hopefully without it turning to cancer, then I will be well happy.Your letters have decided me not to go to my doctor seeking a quick possible cure. Seems its 50-50 on whether surgery helps or makes it worse.

[Peter Stam]

Twenty years ago docors did a great jobwhen they gave me a nissen fund oplication. Now,they want to undo 50% of it as I can't burp (stomach opening is too tight). Has anybody experiences with such an operation?

Many thanks,

Peter Stam, Voorhout, Holland

[lamar]

I ALSO HAD THE SURGERY. EVERYTHING WENT WELL AND I NO LONGER TAKE PRILOSEC. HAD THE SURGERY IN OCT. 1999. WHEN I WENT BACK ON SOLID FOOD, I STARTED HAVING ATTACKS OF CHRONIC DIAHREA. I HAVE HAD 3 BOUTS IN WHICH TWO OF THEM PUT ME IN HOSPITAL FOR DEHYDRATION. MY DOCTORS EXHAUSTED ALL AVENUES THRU ALL KIND OF TESTS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING TO CAUSE PROBLEM.  I THEN WENT TO OSCHNER'S CLINIC. THEY HAVE DIAGNOSED THAT MY VAGUS NERVE WAS EITHER DAMAGED OR CUT DURING SURGERY. MY QUESTION IS HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM AFTER THIS SURGERY.

[Peter Todd]

I have had gerd all my life , I am now 57 . I also have a hietal hernia with a 2+ block ,acid reflux and i was told that my bottom sphinster is wide open.although my sister told me it has been wide open since my birth . i am concidering surgery but i don,t know of what kind i have been told that becasuse my bottom sphinster is wide open i am nt concidered a candidatefor any. my pain is now gone from a cold edge of steel running a open cut to waking up in the first two jours of sleep by a mouth full of stomach acid . what type of surgery can repair a wide open bottom sphinster with xeverly weakened muscle i have been on prilosec for five years . can anybody help me my e-mal address is ***@****