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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 5/29/2009 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Morning Everyone...

Saw the suergon this morning and I dont fi the "mold" for GERD, so she has postponed my surgery pending more tests. Nothing I told her about my experiences/symptoms fit. She said my 24 hour pH study could not have been correct, because she said I was on prilosec during the test and prilosec is the "wonder drug" and my pH level in my stomach was too acidic. So she is sending me for a bravo test.

Just wondering what your experiences have been with Bravo testing, if you had it. I read some posts where people said it was painful when swallowing...

Just really frusterated at the moment. I can appreciate the suregon wanting to do more tests...just want answers to whats happening... thats all.

Thanks for your support :)

Jodee

Posted 5/29/2009 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
Jodee -
The Bravo is the easiest to tolerate. It is placed during and endoscopy. The only draw back is it's is hard for them to place it correctly because from just looking it's very hard to tell where the LES is and it has to be placed 5 inches above the LES to be accurate. I had one done and I showed a false positive. I had a wired one that was placed after monometry was completed and measured exactly where the LES was. I did have some very mild discomfort while it was still attached, but that went away in a few days once it dropped of. I believe the wired to be more accurate, but the bravo is more tolerable.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 5/29/2009 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
sorry i did not have to have it done i had the monometry done and that was enough with my symptoms for them to do the surgery. good luck

melissa
Posted 5/29/2009 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
Melissa -
I would think all surgeons who do this surgery would want a momometry. Since it shows how the esophagus is working. And you don't want deal with swallowing issues afterwards. This I do know. Did you get a surgery date then?

Take care,
Bill aka Eli

Post Edited (opnwhl4) : 5/29/2009 1:49:45 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/29/2009 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
Melissa,
From what I read here and other places, the manometry is one of the most important tests if you're considering Fundoplication surgery. It's important to have a strong swallowing reflex if you're going to have a LES redo/wrap, because it takes more force to get food through it. If your swallowing reflexes are weak, you can have difficulty swallowing after surgery. (By the way, the test isn't that terrible. I've read so many posts by people who found it unbearable. It's not a picnic, but it is a short term thing, and you can get through it.)

I have also heard/read that the wired 24hr PH monitor is more accurate. I've never heard of having the test while on PPI's but I suppose it's done to see if you are still experiencing reflux even though you're on acid suppression meds.

The most important thing you can do if you're deciding on the surgery is to be certain that your surgeon is extremely competent in the surgery. It requires quite a lot of experience. I've heard 100+. Mine had 300+. It's a tricky procedure, and has to be done correctly to work well.
I'm assuming your surgeon is well recommended.

As I wrote to you earlier, those of us with secondary symptoms caused by reflux are less clearcut cases for GI docs and surgeons to handle. It's not as much of a sure thing that the surgery will help our symptoms.

My family doctor and asthma doctor (who both know me well) were very confident that the surgery would help my asthma, and kept nudging me in the direction of a surgeon.
Good luck with your test!
Denise
Posted 5/30/2009 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Melissa,
I want to ad a personal note to Denise's take on having a skilled surgeon. I don;t know how many my first surgeon had done. I never thought to ask or check. He was the one that removed my gallbladder and he said he could do this no problem. Well unless it was a HUGE mistake or what ever it wasn't even close to being done right. It took me almost 3 years to find someone who could figure out what was wrong and I knew had the skills to fix it. What I am going through now was something I was told could very well happen because a redo is a lot harder and has a lower success rate. So please make sure the surgeon you pick gives you proof they can do this correctly the first time.

Take care,
Bill aka Eli
Posted 5/30/2009 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Melissa,
I had the bravo which was done thru the endoscope like Bill aka Eli & Denise stated. I had no problems whats so ever. It passed thru the stools. The reading from the bravo showed I had 200 episodes of gerd within a 48 hour period. My acidic rate was 21.
I never had the manometry done prior to surgery which is REQUIRED, I however, am an epileptic and when they tried sticking the tube down my nose i had an aura,So they stopped.
I prayed to god every night. I said "God please dont let me be the one to get all Fuc** Up after surgery becuz I cudnt take this manometry.Please make sure my LES and esphagus is blah blah blah" He heard my prayers.
My operation has been a success. However it is THE SKILL OF THE SURGEON!! Bottomline, You need to ask how many they did, how many were a success,ow many were failure and if you can speak to another patient whom he performed this on. I had the great honors of asking another dr. MY surgeon did dr.pepe's nissan and after speaking to him, denise, bill, janice ,this whole entire wrapped team they eased my fears.
I AM A NEW WOMAN NOW!!
Beatrice
Posted 6/1/2009 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi All~

Thought I would give an update... after freaking out Friday afternoon(I was totally blind sided by the surgeon and more testing) that it would take 3 weeks to get me in for the Bravo test, I was persistent this morning and got on the phone... Looks like they are getting all the required paper work done, and that I would be scheduled Monday or Tuesday for the test... with a HUGE sigh of relief! (Background on me... I am in my current position and was going to be laid off June 30, but we have a girl going on maternity leave in August and another girl getting married in august/honeymoon in September... so I needed this all done by mid-July so I can get back to work and be ready to work while people are out).

Any who... Glad it all worked out and I can proceed with tests and the wrap(should they go forward after the Bravo test)

My Dr said my 24 pH was not accurate and there was no way I should have gotten the results I did being on the "miracle drug" prilosec... so thats why she wants a bravo test done. (my pH level was below 4 for a majority of the time, and I refluxed 112 times in 24 hours... 89 being acidic) I guess she feels the bravo will be more accurate... not sure.

Thanks everyone for your support and feedback on the bravo... I am less nervous about it now... just really hope that all goes well and I can get back to a normal life :)

Jodee
Posted 6/1/2009 8:40 PM (GMT 0)
Don't worry, Jodee...
Your tests will go just fine. It's really hard not knowing what's going to happen, I know. You want to decide one way or the other and get one with it. Patience...You can't control what the doctors do, and it's important to get all the tests to be sure you're a good candidate and the surgery will help you.

Of course if they went with just the tests, I probably wouldn't have been considered a candidate for the surgery. The input of my doctors (family and asthma/allergy) weighed heavily in the GI and surgeon's decisions.

Good luck to you! I'll be looking forward to hearing how things went.
Relax into the process!
Take care,
Denise
Posted 6/2/2009 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
good luk jodee,please keep us updated
bea
Posted 6/2/2009 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you!! I will keep you all updated :)

And if I haven't already said this before... you are all amazing and supportive... and knowing there are people who understand (because my family doesn't totally get it) helps so much!

Jodee
Posted 6/3/2009 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
We're glad you've joined us, Jodee!
I found that this forum was invaluable to me as I found the courage to go forward with my surgery, and helping me through the recovery. Now I'm trying to do the same for others...pay it forward! It's so hard to find a positive place to get information and support from people who've "been there". This forum is a godsend.
We're happy you're here, and will help you in any way we can!
Good luck!
Denise
Posted 6/3/2009 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
im with denise.we r happy to have u

b

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