Who can unwrap fundoplication? And what is his phone number?

[grg]

I had a Nissan fundolacation done 3 years ago.  I can only eat soft foods.  My LES area is very sensitive.  I can only ewat 25 foods and no fruits.  The lining of my LES sphincter is always worn out simply because the hole is to small for food to comfortablly pass.
Would you recommend an unwrap?  Who does that proceedure.
I can not find any surgeons that feel confident enough to unwrap my stomach. Who does this proceedure.  Please help as my live is rather unbearable at the present time.  Than ks!!
Do you know any doctors with experience undoing the Nissan fundoplication?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I don't have any personal recommendations for the reversal of the procedure.  However, I would think that a complicated procedure such as this should be considered at a major academic medical center - one can be found at any large city here in the United States.  

The surgeon who did the original fundoplication would be the first person to ask.  If that avenue is not fruitful, then you may inquire about another opinion at an academic medical center.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com

[MWS]

I. too have had the fundiplication surgery. I had the surgery done by the leading surgeon in the nation for this type of sugery. About 1% of people have trouble swallowing after such surgery. Unlucky me I was in that 1%. I was supposed to be out of the hospital the next day. But not me, I ended up in the hospital for 5 days.

I tried and tried (to eat and swallow), and cried and cried. So the surgeon released me from the hospital (I didn't want to go, I was so frightened) ON a return visit later, I was given an endoscopy and they made the opening to my stomach just a little larger. This seemed to do the trick. At least I could eat better. I had esophageal spasms, after that, and a host of other symptoms and it took about a year to get better.

I now have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It's as if the problems I had before with my esophagus and GERD had just moved on down into my intestinal tract. So the story does not end. However, there are specialists in large medical centers whose job it is to treat only those people who have had this surgery, and who have problems after it. This is great. I first want to say there are a lot of us out here, and a lot who have had new problems ever since.

I guess my question to the writer of the original question ..."How can I get this stomach unwrapped?"...is "Why would you want that?" I figure even with the successive problems from the surgery (including  the appearance of a 'spigalean' hernia in the middle of my abdomen ...which required more surgery later, yet)
I am so happy that I had this surgery. It has been a life saver, the way I figure it. I was on the verge of Barrett's disease which is the forerunner of esophageal cancer. I had a biopsy to determine to what extent I had this, and was very lucky to find the biopsy was negative. But my esophagus was raw from all the acid that used to go up into my esophagus. I would surely never want cancer to happen at all. I have, at least partly eliminated the esphagus and stomach problems that I suffered for years.  Now I am dealing with IBS and that is
keeping me quite busy to try to get that part of my body well.
Hopefully I will.

Good luck with your difficulties...but my suggestion would be to go to a large medical center and see a specialist...and be thankful that you have your fundiplication to help you live better each day. Hope you feel better soon. MWS

[lpc]

I have been reading comments in several places in this medical blog about post operative complications of Fundoplicaton, because I am trying to make up my mind whether to have the surgery or not on a elective basis.  I have a paraesophageal hiatal hernia (PEH), but have had no overt major issues other than  1) frequent mild anemia presumably due to occasionally bleeding stomach (NO black tar stools), and  2) erosion of my stomach lining seen upon recent endoscopic examination, and 3) two medical emergency episodes  of volvulus, five years apart --most recently last month. (The GI doc at the hospital referred to it as my stomach 'flipping' or rotating to the point of causing severe crushing chest pain, vomiting quite a bit of 'coffee grounds blood' and 850 cc's of food and liquid being trapped up in my 'flipped' stomach which had to be removed with a therapeutic endoscope extension under general anesthesia.) It is important, I think, that these medical 'volvulus' emergencies occurred five (5) years apart.

I see in this blog that patients feel that the docs have oftentimes made fundoplications sound easy and unlikely to come with severe complications.  And yet many of your experiences have proved otherwise. (e.g., Damaged vegal nerves, dysphagia, severe nausea where you cannot vomit, and all the rest that I am reading about?)

That is why I am writing.  I need to hear more about this -- how often in fact do these types of complications occur?  

BOTTOM LINE . . . DO THE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS OR AFTER-EFFECTS OCCUR OFTEN ENOUGH, SO THAT THE 'THINKING INDIVIDUAL' SHOULD AVOID ELECTIVE FUNDOPLICATION, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE HAVE PARAESOPHAGEAL HIATAL HERNIA AS THE DIAGNOSIS??? This is a crucial question for me.

I have seen two well respected laparoscopic surgeons.  One said he would not touch this one, because he says he does not have enough experience with PEH and its frequent complications - particularly since my stomach is fully intrathorasic (is that the word for fully in your chest?)  He AND the local medical school referred me to the surgeon who is supposed to be the 'Top Gun' in the Dallas area in doing this type of surgery.  Much to my confusion, this surgeon downplays the likelihood of major complications, and makes it sound like the surgery is run of the mill standard. But what I am reading does NOT sound like that is the case.

Big Question:  Am I playing with fire to undergo this type of surgery when I have had only one medical emergency in the past 5 years related to volvulus (last month)?

NOTE:  I HAVE ONLY RECENTLY (SINCE THE RECENT MEDICAL EMERGENCY WITH THIS) STARTED TO FOLLOW A LOW-RESIDUE DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES SUCH AS NOT EATING AT 10:30 AT NIGHT. AND I FEEL FINE AT THE MOMENT.  SHOULD I GIVE THAT A TRY BEFORE JUMPING INTO FUNDOPLICATION?

All comments including that of the doc here, are welcome and encouraged!  Thanks sincerely - LPC

[Turtledaddy]

I had my fundoplication done about 2 1/2 yrs ago and although I am cured of GERD it has made my IBS 10 times worse. It is so bad that my GI Dr. said that I am one of the worst cases he has ever seen. I am in a small minority, being that I am a male and that I have it so bad. I am very sensitive to many of the medications that are typically used and they either do not work or the side effects are too great. The only thing that works for me when I have bad episodes is pain medication. Believe me, that is no way to live. I wish that I could find something that would work. I have been to the ER more times than I can count and have had several bowel obstructions. One almost required surgery. I am about ready to have my colon removed I am so sick of all of this. I am only 38! I have tried more meds than I can count and all to no avail. I can empathize with your situation and I do not think that a take down of the wrap would help.

[Turtledaddy]

P.S. I had a fantastic surgeon! He did my wrap using the open procedure. He said that due to the delicate nature of the surgery that he has better results if he has his hands on your organs so it is not too tight or too loose. Mine turned our just right. I can burp, vomit, and everythig else like normal so that part of it is fine. My surgeons name was Dr. Robert Larry Elliott and he is at Baylor Hospital, Grapevine, TX in the Dallas area. I am not sure where you are from but that is who I would recommend to consult with. Because of my history with my IBS and bowel obstructions I have had to stay many nights in the hospital. I hope that you can get a better handle on your IBS than me. I hope this info helped.

[denver88]

First do not get this operation.  Too many things can go wrong including damage to the vagal nerve which is not uncommon.  My wife had this operation over two years ago and to this day can not eat much of anything and is in constant pain.  As for a reversal, good luck, the doctors will never admit a mistake on the operation and will leave you hanging.  I've heard of many cases such as my wifes.  You risk having your life ruined.

[Ca Nana]

I also have had Nissen done, March of 04, with terrible side effects. I was on my 5th yes, 5th dilation on the wrap. Now I have never had any relief from my GERD and my IBS also flared up consideribly.I also had another PH and Manometry test done to see if there is any problems, as I have had 2 already and they both showed mild problem. Went over with Surgeon who performed Nissen and 1 st conversation he said he had thought it was hanging up, meaning the LES or Esphogus, and also something was "corkscrewing". Now last conversation with him I had asked him to undo Wrap, which he promptly said that he would not, I had this done in a very prominant hospital by an expert on this procedure. Now what to do??? And why do many problems with finding someone to redo of just undo??? I will have to change medical groups to get another opinion and that will take more time. I am at loss.

[zoie75]

I am 30 yrs. old and I have had Chrone's disease since I was 19. I had to have a complete ileostomy at the age of 22 because my Chrone's was so bad it was eating away at my large intestines, bad. So i got through that and thought i can live with this but they told me 3 yrs ago i should have the fundoplication surgery done because my esophagus was so bad and my stomach from ulcers and the acid. So i did and at first i thought it was great because no more heartburn and my ulcers were healing but then i started having difficulty swallowing so they have to stretch my esophagus every 3 to 6 months which i think has alot to do with the fundo surgery. i also can not throw up at all so if i get the flu i suffer horribly. Since the surgery i have had so much gas from it being to tight i think but no one tell me that is the problem or help me. there is so much gas that comes out of my stoma it is unbelievable i cant eat if i have somewhere to go or barely drink cause anything i swallow causes too much air. if anyone else is having this trouble please respond. or if anyone knows what is causing this let me know thank you!

[Kpetrush]

I am 19 and had the fundoplication surgery when i was 17.  6 months later i was down at the mayo clinic suffering chest pains that dialation would not fix.  they immediatley undid the fundop. because it was hurting more than it was helping. although i reflux every now and then (not NEARLY as bad as before) i am soooooo happy i got this procedure reversed.  I suffer from nutcracker esophagus now becuase of the fundop wrap and never should have had it done.  i am the same way, the only way i can get any type of relief when i am in terrible pain is pain medicine and i HATE HATE HATE it.  I cannot take these medicines my whole life i need something to help.  My take-down wrap was performed by Dr.Schlinker.  he did an amazing job, and soon after that i had botox injected into my esophagus which helped, unfortunatley that can only be done about 3 times before it looses its effectivness.  to everybody i know what its like and i am in the same boat.  i just want answers, and help that doesnt come in the form of pain medicine.  and its very unfortunate that until then, i am afraid that that is all that will work for me.  i ahve indeed taken every type of medicine under the sun that should remotley even come close to helping me, and nothin gworks.  good luck to all.

[burpy]

I had Nissen Fundoplication in Kingston Hospital, England three years ago, I had the surgery laproscopically.  As time goes on the chest pain and discomfort get worse, any food and drink make it worse.  Should I have it loosened or reversed, any suggestion out there?  My father died from oesophagus cancer, so I'm scared.

[jazgirl]

A related discussion, What to do about Nissan Fundiplication Side Effects was started.

[Tammy127]

A related discussion, Does reversal of nissen take along time to recover? was started.