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Has anyone had the new esophyx procedure?

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Posted 10/26/2008 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Rick,

I'm sorry to hear about your GERD symptoms, espeically since it keeps you from getting a good night's sleep. I worry about my symptoms too, even tho they are mild, because it means that my esophagus is constantly exposed to something...whether aid or non-acid reflux materials. According to the Mayo Clinic website, nonacid reflux can be just as dangerous as acid, and my esophagus does show chronic esophagitis.
I would think that since the Nissen worked so well for you, that it would work equally well the second time around. Since you cant have a Lap Nissen, I understand why you are reluctant to have the open Nissen surgery. I guess it's a much longer recuperation period.

The main question I have, is that if you go for the Esophyx, and if the beneficial effects lasts only 1-2 years, can you then have an open Nissen? What about the 20 or so polypropylene fasteners that are implanted during the Esophyx procedure? Will they get in the way of further surgery? Since it's such a new procedure, I wonder who is qualified to answer that question?
Posted 10/26/2008 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
Roseann- you're right- there are no long-term results. I assume, as I did with the Nissen, that if they change the dynamics of what happens, the results will last for some time. I really don't know why the Nissen didn't keep holding. I can only assume there was a shift of position somehow. Hopefully the upper GI will shed some light on things. At this point, as for everyone here really, it's a matter of whether this is worth taking a chance. I took a chance with open surgery which made a huge difference. Am I willing to do it again ? Somehow, the immediate ramifications are a whole lot less daunting than last time. I lost 40 pounds last time- no fun.
Posted 10/30/2008 12:28 AM (GMT 0)

Roseann-

Well the Gi Series came back- the hernia is back. I'm waiting for the assessessment from the surgeon to see if I'm a candidate...no food today so I can sleep. Only 4 hours last night. Sure would be nice to eat and sleep again. Please let me know if things are still good and give me any tips you picked up along the way?

Posted 10/30/2008 3:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Rick,

I am so sorry to hear that your hernia is back.  I am not feelign any worse, altho I have mild symptoms every day.  However, as I mentioned previously, I no longer need to take Nexium, so that is a bigt improvement!  Prior to my esophyx procedure, I had a small hiatal hernia and therefore was eligible for the esophyx procedure.  During my procedure, they did something to minimize my hernia. Apparently they dont do Esophyx if the HH is large so you might want to check if you are eligible for the Esophyx.  

Today I went to Columbia Presbyterian Hosp in Manhattan, to see a Dr. that specializes in Celiac Disease (celiac is intolerance to guten) Gluten is found in many grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, etc.  I had read that gluten intolerance can cause GERD symptoms, or worsen an existing case of GERD.  So I wanted to have a blood test for celiac.  There are a bunch of things they test for in the blood (not sure what the names of all the tests are). I'll get the results back in about a week and let you know.  My Dr. indicated that if I test positive, and go on a gluten free diet (not an easy thing to do), I might experience a dramatic improvement in GERD.  After all, there are many people with HH, and not all of them have GERD!!  I'm beginning to think that you might want to consider a re-do of the Nissen, since you had such good results the first time around.  There is less of a guarantee with the Esophyx since it's so new.  My Dr at Columbia Prsbyt said that they are going to begin doing Esophy there sood, so that must mean its a legitimate procedure.  Columbia Presby is one of the leading institutions in the US, with some of the best Drs.

Posted 10/30/2008 6:50 AM (GMT 0)
Roseann-

Well, even with an empty stomach, Im up at 2 am... : ). I took Tumms and Zantac before bed at 9 pm and woke up again. It may be the Zantac.. I read it can make some hyper. What a mystery. I'll stay up an hr and try again. My understanding has been that the problem is structural. The valve does not close. Eat what you want, the stomach contents can't come back up with a good valve. I have a good friend who is eating glutten free- she says it works. I truly hope this works for you !
You may be right about the Nissen. I'm very torn about it all. I never thought I'd have to have a redo.
I cannot understand how you have throat burn if the valve is functioning. I just received info about the esophyx- there's no doubt a loss of weight is in my future- that diet will make sure of that. To think that after my Nissen i went right back to normal eating ! Not a word was said about diet.
I was online looking for an Esophyx dr.... There are a lot ! I just assume it must be working somewhat. They minimize the hernia by pulling down on the esophagus prior to forming the valve that keeps it from moving up. Quite ingeneous.
I have seen a sharp deterioration in quality of life in a year. I need to do something. Good for you for not settling and continuing the search for health. I wish you every success and glad you're off the PPI's. Maybe that was half the battle....
Posted 10/31/2008 3:06 AM (GMT 0)

Rick,

I was wondering, have you tried every PPI? The only one that helped me pror to my Esophyx procedure, (it didnt help 100% but it was better than no meds) was Nexium.  After esophyx, I decided to try and stop taking Nexium because I have osteoporosis and have read that PPI's can make bone density worse. Previously, I had tried Prilosac, Previcid, Protonix, Aciphex and Zegerid (which is Omeprazole with sodium bicorbonate).  Zantac & Tums never helped me. Neither did Mylanta.  Tums gets rid of the growling in my stomach, but does not stop my throatburn. 

I'm surprised that you found a lot of Drs. that now perform the Esophyx procedure.  When I looked ~ 8 mos ago, there were only 3-4 docs: NY, Florida, Ohio (I think) and perhaps one in the Pacific North West US.

re: GERD and a functioning valve: my ph Bravo test shows that even though my DeMeester score is "normal" (i.e., less than 14) I still had 22 reflux episodes each of the 2 days I took the test. Only 1 episode lasted longer than 1 min.  For 17 of those episodes, the pH was less than 4 (meaning it was acid). The remaining reflux episodes were non-acid (it could have been bile, pancreatic juices, etc).  So....everyone has a certain amt of reflux, even if their valve functions normally. They just dont know much about LPR.  One Dr. said I may have a "hypersensitive esophagus"...it's so typical of Drs. to make stuff up when they dont know what's causing symptoms.

I have read on-line that some people with GERD do really well on a low carb diet.  I havent tried that yet, because I am quite thin, down to 115 lbs after the esophyx procedure, and dont want to lose any more weight. I also have high cholesterol, and cant overindulge in eggs, fat and meat.  Have you ever tried a low carb diet?

I hope you got back to sleep.  If you get desparate, I can tell you a little about meditation.  It may help you and it certainly cannot hurt. 

Like I mentioned previously, I have no idea why I had absolutely no GERD symptoms while I was on vacation. And this was pre-Esophyx!!!

Posted 11/1/2008 7:04 AM (GMT 0)
Roseann-

Yes I have tried PPI's- nearly all of them including Nexium. My problem is the side-effects. It just made life even more miserable. Worked at first but then stopped- heartburn 2 hours later. No idea why. You may be right about low carb- my brother has heartburn too and swears that on low carb he doesn't. Not sure all that fat is good though? He's had it so long that he had Barrett's for a while. Because of surgery- I didn't take anything for a decade and a half.
about that holiday- the same thing happened to me. The odd time, I just overdid it and expected a major butt-kicking and didn't get it. Then I wonder- what the... There is no rhyme or reason sometimes. I laugh when some people say- don't eat spicey. Do ya think ? They have NO idea : ). I'd gladly switch for heartburn during the day.... Hope you're doing better every day. I'm leaving my email with moderator skitt should you want to communicate directly... Thanks Rick
Posted 11/2/2008 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Rosaenne-
For about 5 months now my wife has to clear her throat continuously and she can barely talk. At night she does not seem to clear her throat at all but as soon as she walks up she starts doing it. She told me that the drug prevacid that she is talking is causing her to loose her appetite and therefor a little of her weight.
I just wonder if you also lost your voice and if true for how long. Is it possible for us to exchange emails with you as we would like to know if surgery is the only option.
Thanks
Posted 11/3/2008 4:22 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Fishing,

I'm sorry to hear about the problems your wife is having.  No, I never lost my voice but I have heard that some people with LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux) can have voice problems.  I read on this forum or perhaps another GERD torum that there is an ENT in NY who specializes in treating such problems, but I dont remember the name of the person. 

Perhaps your wife could try another PPI, there are quite a few others, and she might not have side effects from those. 

If you would like to give your e-mail address to the moderator (there is more than one moderator on the GERD forum) and let me know which moderator you gave your e-mail to, I will contact that moderator and ask for your e-mail address.  Or...you could put your e-mail address in your profile, and I could look it upl   However, if you do the latter, then anyone will be able to view it.

Posted 11/11/2008 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Roseanne,

In three weeks my wife will see Dr. Erik Wilson in Houston. Based on his resume, we believe that he is very well qualified for the job. He has performed esophyx a few times. However, we believe that he has done many Stomafix procedures so far. The nurse told me that all of the patients who underwent the procedure are doing well. Let's hope that my wife will be suitable for the procedure.

Are you still fighting GERD after the procedure? Did you loose some weight following the surgery? My wife is quite thin now and I just do not want to see loose more weight.
Posted 11/11/2008 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Fishing,

Since I had the esophyx procedure, I no longer take PPI's (I had been on Nexium for 2 years). The burning in my chest has completely disappeared. However, I still have some burning in my throat, although it is much less than before the procedure. I did lose weight after the procedure. That's because I followed the diet very strictly since I did not want to do any damage. I am also quite thin. I lost about 12 lbs and I now weigh 114 lbs. However, your wife could drink those high protein liquid meals. Get the ones that are high in calories. They taste pretty good. I have problems with yeast infections and try to avoid sugar, so I had to limit my intake of those drinks.

Are you using a doctor in Houston because you live nearby? My doctor had performed the procedure on 20 patients before me. I'm sure your doctor will tell you at the time of your consultation how many times he has performed the procedure. My Dr. said that post esophyx, 85% of his patients were off meds, and the other 15% were able to reduce their meds. The Stomaphyx procedure has been available longer and that's why Dr.s have more experience with it. Have you checked the Endogastric Solutions website? It may have additional information.
Posted 11/11/2008 4:12 AM (GMT 0)

Hello To All,

I have been following this post and your sharing is outstanding.  Kudos to each of you for sharing your personal experiences.

I am very proud of all of you.........keep it up.

Kitt

Posted 12/23/2008 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
I had the esophyx procedure on Friday and have already seen an improvement.
Posted 12/26/2008 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
Will this procedure help esophageal spasm?  Thank you.

Posted 12/30/2008 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
I am scheduled for the Nissen procedure on January 20th. Unfortunately I was unable to tolerate the esophageal manommetry test. So I am not sure if the surgeon will even be able to do my surgery as he will not know how tight to do the wrap. Has anyone had the Nissen procedure without having the esophageal Manommetry test done first?

I also have been doing research on the EsophyX procedure. I found out that my insurance does not covery it.
Posted 12/30/2008 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
I am scheduled for the Nissen procedure on January 20th. Unfortunately I was unable to tolerate the esophageal manommetry test. So I am not sure if the surgeon will even be able to do my surgery as he will not know how tight to do the wrap. Has anyone had the Nissen procedure without having the esophageal Manommetry test done first?

I also have been doing research on the EsophyX procedure. I found out that my insurance does not covery it.
Posted 12/30/2008 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Plegal - Did your insurance cover the procedure?  How did you go about having the procedure done?

Plegal said...
I had the esophyx procedure on Friday and have already seen an improvement.

Posted 1/1/2009 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone:

I had the Nissan Fundoplication about six years ago. It helped my GERD somewhat for a few years, but it was never a perfect result. Recently my symptoms have gotten worse -- reflux, pain at the esophageal sphincter, nausea. i even now have the additional symptom of acid taste in my mouth and the inability to sleep due to raging reflux.

I noticed that some of the people who posted said that they had a good result with the Nissan Fundoplication operation. I would so grateful to anyone who can tell me the name and state of any doctor who did a good job with this operation. I will travel anywhere in the US to have the surgery redone.

Also, any opinions on whether I could have the Esophyx procedure, even though I have already had the Nissan Fundoplication? And again, any references to the name and state of doctors who perform the Esophyx procedure would be appreciated. I would do anything to get better! Thanks so much.
Posted 1/1/2009 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
I just had a Nissen revision done 9 days ago at Mount Sinai Miami by Dr. Michel Gagner. I cannot recommend him enough. I paid out of pocket and travelled 3000 miles to have him do it so I don't say that lightly. It was everything and more of what I had expected.
Posted 1/1/2009 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi rbrunet, thanks for responding so fast!! When you had your first surgery done, did you have a great improvement in reflux? Mine was never a perfect result and I often wondered if my surgeon just did not do the operation right. I became extremely sick in 2001 with nausea, esophageal spasm, heartburn, etc. I had the Nissan in 2002 but it only fixed the problem by about 40%. When you originally had the surgery, did you have a result better than mine?

And how about now? I read your posts and it seems you have a lot of ups and downs. Do you feel an overall improvement? Are you still having heartburn? That is the symptom that drives me crazy the most. And thanks again for the speedy reply!
Posted 1/2/2009 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
Katie kat-

The 1st Nissen lasted 18 years with never taking so much as a Tumms afterward.... then it gave way and I had a bad time. I have absolutely no heartburn since this 2nd revision - much like the 1st time. Will advise as I go but so far so good....
Posted 1/7/2009 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
rsapooh

The procedure was not covered by insurance.  I am 19 days post procedure and have seen an remarkable improvement.  The doctor advises it could take up to eight weeks to see the full results.  I had the procedure at Lenox Hill Hospital in NY.  It was performed by Dr. Gregory Haber and Dr. Starpoli

Posted 3/2/2009 6:01 AM (GMT 0)
I have Acid Reflux 24/7 as well. I have sour-taste, soar-throat, short of breath, Pressure on my left lower chest area, and continue getting heart-burn. I am not able to sleep lying down. I have to sleep sit-up - even that I still get sour-taste mouth. I get acid reflux all day. I was on Nexium 40mg (20mg in the morning and 20mg in the evening). It doesn't control my reflux. I was on prilosec, prevacid, pepsid, etc. At this time, I am in great pain. I am thinking about getting surgery - Nissen Fundo. I don't know what else to do but having burn, pain everyday. Does anyone have face this type of issue and does surgery help at all.... Please help!
Posted 3/2/2009 2:16 PM (GMT 0)

Maxie-

All the pills in the world didn't solve my problem till surgery fixed it. If your arm is broken, it needs to be re-set. If you have a hernia, it needs to be repaired IMHO. Sadly, it's not a permanent solution but it does give back quality of life when it works.

Posted 3/4/2009 6:06 AM (GMT 0)
rbrunet -

This is Marie - Thank you. Rbrunet, does nissen surgery cause other symptom - like - can't burp or throw-up or something... Is this only temporaily?
Thank.
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