Linx system surgery Part 2 of 2

HI Two dogs,
Thanks so much for your update. It is very interesting and encouraging.

I was wondering, were you on any medication before this operation (besides Rolaids)?
Did you have a Hiatal Hernia?
When you are aware of the bracelet, where do you feel it? In your stomach? In your throat?
Did your doctor allow you to involve in any physical activities after you healed from the operation?
Did you get into any detailed discussions with your doctor, like how is the bracelet fixated so that it will not move? And even if it is fixed to the correct location relative to the stomach, how is it prevented from preturbing along with the stomach up and over the diaphram through the Hernia (for people like me who have one)? I read that tissue forms around implants like around the stitches of the esophyx device. How is tissue prevented from forming around the magnets that need to be able to move freely?
Thanks greatly again for updating us
Best wishes
Gilad

Two Dogs,
I glad to have found someone else with the Linx!! My Doc had me stay overnight in the hospital. He did tell me that of the 3 he did that day ( I was in the middle) I was his most difficult and to this point have the best outcome. My surgery was on 9/4 and up until the week before Thanksgiving I had NO burn or reflux. The one site where the camera was inserted is still sore but most of the others are ok. I think that the ring may have slipped from it orig location and have my 3 month with my Doc this week and will see what he thinks. I found the study in the Sunday paper looking for volunteers for the surgery. The rest as they say is history. Overall I'm very pleased with my outcome. Stay in touch. Shooz

Two Dogs,
I can only wish about retirement!!! 57 yo male. I think they had to tie me down so I didn't float away with all the gas they put in me!! My shoulders hurt for 5 days after surgery. So far this has been a piece of cake. Other than the recent occasional burn I have been problem free. Do you have any problems with food in general. My biggest problem is still with chicken. It gets stuck and then I bring it back up. Most everything else goes down ok. I'm not noticing the device much anymore, although it feels like things get stuck lower than before. I will ask this week about the ring slipping. I'll keep in touch and thanks. Shooz

Two Dogs,
You said you went to Albany, GA? That's where I'm having my Lap. Hill surgery! :)
My doctor is Bagnato. Did he do your Linx?


Joy

That's why I chose him. I've heard great things about him. He could of forced me to go through with the EGD when I started battling him in my sleep, but he said he didn't want me to be in any pain. That's why they waited 4 hours for the anithesisoligist (?sp) to come and put me deeper. He won me over when he did that. :)

Joy

Frog hair...hmmm...that's pretty fine. :))

Hi everyone,
I went to see my surgeon this week and he is pleased with my progress. I told him about the different issues I was having including the past couple of weeks of burn. He said it could be just things settling and unless it continues or gets worse I shouldn't worry!!! I haven't had any burn in a week or so, I hope he is right. Of the 100 people in the trial (phase 2) only 2 have dropped out and of the 5 my Doc did all are doing well. He had a chance to talk to the other Docs in the trials and it seems that all of us are in general good shape!! I asked him if there was any reason not to do this procedure in general and other than over 40 million suffers they would look to help those with moderate to severe cases. I go back at the 6 mo mark then the big visit at 1 year, the whole series of tests again!!

I'm feeling good, lost weight and I'm on VACATION until next year!!!!!

Merry Christmas and have a Happy and Safe New Year. Shooz

You made me laugh .....finer then frog's hair.

That is my father-in-laws favorite saying.



Merry Christmas to you.



Kitt

Hello everyone,this is my very first post,I suffer from gerd and barretts,just want too say congrats to Shooz,good to hear things are progessing well,maybe a big light at the end of the tunnel for all who suffer from this disease. Happy Holidays too all!

Hello and welcome to HealingWell and the GERD/Heartburn forum. I am so glad you found this great group.



Please do feel comfortable in starting a thread of your own so we all get a chance to meet and greet you. Also post whatever issues you may have and know we are here to support you.



Happy Holidays,



Kitt

Couchtater,
Glad things went well. I hope your life will be a lot more pleasant now. I came through Albany about 8:00 this morning coming home from a visit to Atlanta (a place I once lived and loved but now detest :) ). Merry Christmas.

Two Dogs

Hi speden,
Can you please provide a link to the other forum you mentioned?
Thanks
Gilad

Hi everyone and Happy New year!!!!!
Things are still going well. I must admit that I was a bit of a bad boy over the holidays and gained a couple of pounds back
!! Oh well back to the noon walks and be more careful of what I eat. Overall I'm still doing well and haven't had any lingering burn since before Christmas. I do get a "touch" of burn sometime when I eat but goes away as soon as I'm done.

Two Dogs, have you had any problems with swallowing or what feels like a lump down in your throat? I'm waiting for the Doc to schedule an appt for a n xray to check the position of the device. I still think it may have slipped from it's original location.

speden, I too have checked out the burn forum you mentioned and find it interesting the it may be approved in the UK. I know that there are 2 sites over there that are doing the study. If I hear anything further I will let everyone know.

All for now and hope everyone has a safe new year. Shooz

Hi Shooz and Two dogs,
Thanks for the updates. I read them with great interest.

Shooz, you wrote that you have a “touch” of burn sometimes when you eat. I wonder if that is because of any reflux or is it because you’re body hasn’t fully adjusted to the bracelet yet. From what I understand (and just to be clear, I am not a doctor) the burn happens because of the acidic content of the stomach comes in contact with tissue that is not able to endure it. Also, I assume that this is not an immediate symptom but rather that is accumulated over time as this delicate tissue gets worn continually and abused. So if 99% of the time your LES is closed, and only once in a while some content is refluxed up when you eat, I don’t think that should have in it-self caused you to have a burning sensation. If on the other hand the tissue above the LES is still hurt and stimulated then the reflux would cause the burn. Maybe there are still some wounds from the surgery or from the movement of the bracelet that are sensitive.
As for the Lump down the throat sensation, I have that too, although today I feel better. I am in the midst of some very stressful times and I think it may have something to do with it. I did some reading and here are two relevant links that I found that you may find of interest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_Pharyngis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achalasia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphagia

The “Glubus-Pharyngis” seems the closest to what you described. Again, it may be because the Linx does not provide a perfect seal so that you still have some reflux, or because of something that has to do with the foreign body that you have in your stomach (or both). To be honest, I don’t really understand the difference between Achalasia and Dysphagia.

I have been taking Losec 20mg twice a day, but that has not relieved me enough from the throat lump sensation or from constant clearing of mocus (pardon my being explicit), so my Doctor sent me on some tests in a couple of weeks. He said that he may recommend a “small operation” after that. Before, he said that he does not recommend operations because there is no turning back and that sometime people are sorry the rest of their life that they went ahead with them. He also told me that there are so many different variations in these operations because none of them are actually good enough. I respect his opinion and his honesty very much. He also changed my medication to Nexium twice 40mg a day, which is double the recommended dosage as it appears in the inside pamphlet. I told him that I read that these ppi drugs have been found to be dangerous and that they can cause dyskinsia if taken over a long period of time. He responded that he does not intend to keep me on this drug for a long period of time.

Two dogs, you wrote that you still have a little bit of reflux. Do you have any heart burn? Do you feel it more when you lie down? What are your symptoms? Will you ask your doctor about your theory of the beads being held apart? I wish I had some contact with a doctor from the Torax company that can answer some of these questions that are specific to the Linx bracelet.

Please keep updating us.
Thanks again
Gilad