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Has anyone had the surgery???

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 3/16/2005 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Just want to know if there are any people who have had the surgery for acid reflux - it's called Nissen Endoscopic Fundolication (the one where the top of the stomach gets wrapped around the esophagus).

I had it done about 6 weeks ago.  I want to know what others have experienced. 

Please write back!

Thanks.

Posted 3/17/2005 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
May234 - I have not had the surgery, but am wondering how you are getting along?  Are you in much discomfort?  Is your reflux gone?  Thanks for sharing.

Posted 3/17/2005 9:05 AM (GMT 0)
:-)  I havent had it done either but wish you a speedy recovery and hope this awful compliant has gone.

gina

Posted 3/19/2005 8:06 AM (GMT 0)
May234,

  Hi I am from the lupus forum. I did have the surgery a year ago. I had a hitial hernia. It was so bad I couldn't sleep at nite. I would wake up several times a night like I was choking. I was also taking protonix 2 times a day with no relief.

   The surgery wasn't to bad. It did take about 2 months to get to the point where I could eat regular food again. I lost about 20 lbs in the process. I had the full wrap, because my hernia was bad. I have been doing great since my recovery.

   No more acid reflux and gerd!! This has been such a relief to me. I feel so much better, and I can eat anything I want now. I'm glad I had it done.

   I do hope this works for you an you begin to feel much better soon. Your in my thoughts and prayers.

                                                            Babs

Posted 3/29/2005 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Searchin', I am the person who first posted the question about the surgery. It has been almost 2 months now since my surgery, and I have my good days and my bad. I still sometimes have trouble swallowing certain foods, but it is much better than it was. I don't take medication right now, and am crossing my fingers that it will stay that way. (Before surgery I was taking Prevacid 2x a day with no relief). Sometimes I feel like a get a slight burning in my esophagus, but it is a different feeling than before. Before I felt like I had a lump in my throat (or a choking feeling).
Just make sure you do all your research before you have it done and see if it's right for you.

Good Luck!
Posted 3/29/2005 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Babs, thank you so much for sharing your success story with me - it is so nice to hear that this surgery worked for someone. I've noticed that not too many people have had it done (I've posted this question before and only one other lady said she had it done - but it didn't really work for her). You give me hope that things can get better.

Thank you.
Posted 3/29/2005 8:41 AM (GMT 0)
May234,

   Your welcome!!  I think many people are afraid of this type of surgery. Its just like anything else, some have great success while others don't. I worked for a group of GI docs so I saw many patients that had great success with the surgery, although there were a few that it didn't work so well for.

   I think it is very important for anyone considering this type of surgery to find out all about the surgeon that will be doing the operation. I knew the surgeon that did mine and was aware of his experience in this type of surgery.

   I hope you will be feeling much better soon and can say that yours was a great success also. Your in my thoughts and prayers.

                                 Babs

Posted 4/10/2005 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
I just had the procedure 4 wks ago, I'm one of the luck ones, I can burp.  The procedure sounds scarier that it realy is.  You are in the Hospital only about 28 hours from the time you check in, until you check out.  The made me stay for lunch the day after to see how well a could eat the soft lunch.  I can now sleep 7 -8 hour straight each night without Gerd.  I went from 100% disability to 100% mobility with only moderate disconfort.  Mind you I am still on Prevacid and will be until the ulsers are gone in my esophagus. but then again, I have an unchecked, bad Hiatius Hernia for 6 years before the doctors found it.  I Thought all the Gerd was from my food allergies.  Eating habits change afterwords, but you can live with the changes anda lot of people are back to eating anything they want after 6 months.  You feel well enough to go back to work after 3 weeks, but I found 4 weeks was a lot better for those of us who drive 30 miles to work each day. The diet is the hard part. I love my spicy foods and it will be a while before I can eat them with out gas.  Would I do it again if I had to do it all over again?  YES!!!!!

Posted 4/22/2005 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, my 4 year old nephew had the surgery last year and my daughter is going to have it this summer. My nephew is doing great! He had to be carefull what he ate for about the first 6 weeks but after that everything was fine. He had to eat VERY VERY small peices of food or else it would get stuck half way down and he would have to choke it back up. It was the weirdest thing to watch, it looked like he was throwing up but he wasnt he would just cough it up, put it back in his mouth and try again. It has been almost a year now and he has absolutely NO acid reflux anymore. He eats and then runs out side and jmps on his trampoline. The difference in him is day and night. I hope my daughters surgery goes just as well
Posted 11/3/2005 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
 Hello, I have posted several of my stories about my experience on  Laparoscopic surgery, which was just 5 short weeks ago.     I had the 3/4 wrap and a hiatal hernia repair. I spent two and one half days in the hospital. the first day I sleeeeept, the second day I got the dry heaves, mad and sleeeeept some more redface then I wanted to go home by the third day to be in my own bed with my cats !  I still can't eat solid foods, just soup, soup, soup, jello, jello, yogurt,yogurt, pudding ( Ummm) and  canned fruit. I also have to eat five small meals a day and if I eat too fast it gets stuck, if I eat too much I get nausea. I have lost 10 pds, but thats ok becasue I can fit into my skinny jeans again !  I don't have the reflux anymore,except when I over eat chocolate, carbs or coffee. I burp and belch, plus I get gas trapped from the right to back of my right shoulder blade ?? I am glad that I had it done becasue 99% of the reflux symptoms are gone. I was also told that I had asthma  15 years ago, now I believe it was from the reflux, becasue I am off all medication.
Posted 11/24/2005 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Was glad to find this site, I am having the surgery for acid reflux in about a week and  was looking for a site where people have had the surgery.  I feel much better about things once reading the posts here.  Thanks everyone for sharing. :-)
Posted 11/25/2005 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Ya'll are more brave than I am!!! I'm trying to fix my reflux with Nexium and it's not working very well!! I'm afraid I might have to have the surgery!!! I have been on Protonix, Prevacid, Prilosec and now Nexium with no relief. The only thing I have not tried yet, is Aciphex.
We'll see!!
I suffer from severe emetophobia (fear of vomiting) and living with this hiatal hernia is doing a number on me!!! I am in a constant panic attack!!!
So, maybe I should go through with the surgery and pray that I would be one of the ones that loses the ability to vomit!!

I'm beginning to change my perspective, here.......a little bit.....

Michelle :)
Posted 7/14/2006 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
For those of you who had the hitial hernia surgery - - tell me how did you get your doctor to do give it to you.  I have been suffering for about 2 years now and I can't get the surgery.  They tell me I have mutiple erosions, inflammation and a hitial hernia.  I am in so much discomfort. I wake up bloated without having ever had anything to eat.  I've been on protonix since march 2006.  I live in the atlanta area.  Any suggestions.

Jaye

Posted 7/14/2006 9:20 AM (GMT 0)
Did you have any erosions before PPI use?
Posted 7/19/2006 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Jaye, Unfortunately, with some doctors, you have to be persistent. Is the doctor you are speaking of a GI specialist? If not, insist upon a referral to a gastroenterologist. If your doctor won't give you one, find a doctor who will! (You may have to "shop" for a doctor.) Since you live in an area near a medical center, try there first. There will be more doctors who have had more experience with the surgery than in smaller medical communities. It is true that you want a doctor who has done a lot of these surgeries. Good luck!
Posted 7/19/2006 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
In reply to the question "Has anyone had the surgery?" I had it on July 3rd, and have had a rocky road since then. My main problem now is nausea, but I had to be re-admitted to the hospital with esophageal spasms, which caused horrible pain in my chest, and dysphagia. I was terrified that I was having a heart attack! I am on solid food now, but it seems that I can only eat about two tablespoons at a sitting, so I am either hungry or feeling stuffed. The upside is that I have lost some weight! I think I would feel so much better if I could just burp when I need to! How long does it take before eating habits return to normal?
Posted 7/24/2006 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
It could take up to a year for eating to return to normal but you still have to be careful not to eat too much. As soon as I start to feel full I stop. My surgery lasted about a year and now I have all sorts of problems with heartburn again. I wake up every day with a sore throat from it. I am working with a stomach doctor now to try to find a solution. I was doing good for a while until my heart doc decided to try another cholesterol drug and I've had problems ever since. I had to quit taking it a week after I started because the stomach pain was so bad. Hope you all have better luck than I did with the surgery. Barb

Posted 5/9/2007 3:44 PM (GMT 0)
hI I HAVE TERRIBLE GERD SINCE MY PREGNANCY, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AN OPERATION TO FIX IT AS DONT WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS FOREVER AS THE MEDS ARENT WORKING MUCH.  hOWEVER WHEN I ASKED MY dOC about IT HE SAID THE SURGERY IS RARELY DONE THESE DAYS AS ITS SO DANGEROUS = I LIVE IN nORTHERN iRELAND, IS IT NOT DONE MUCH IN THE u.k? 
Posted 5/14/2007 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
I had the Nissen Fundoplication two years ago and it did work until now.  I had an endoscopy and found the the wrap was too loose and slipped down from the esophagus.  While this has happened I do have faith in the surgery.  I know several people that have had it, and all successful, they know people who have had it and all successful.  Just with any surgery there will be complications.  The biggest thing is that this does not CURE heartburn, you still produce acid it just makes it harder to come back up.  In some cases you still have to take an antacid but the heartburn may not be as severe.  Everyone I know has had their wrap for 10+ years and they drink pop and coffee on a regular basis and no heartburn.  Alot of people also complain about having problems swallowing after the surgery well that is because you have just made the opening to pass stomach ALOT smaller, I had difficulty swallowing years before the surgery so I was used to washing my food down with water and taking tiny bites.  Unfortunatley this may have aggrevated my wrap because I was eating (slowly) solid foods just 4 days after my surgery.  I knew I shouldn't have but I was hungry!!:)  I could feel alot of pressure if I took to big of a bite.  Most people can't eat solids because of problems swallowing but since I was used to it, i ate to soon and it put to much force on my wrap.  Of course my gastroenterologist wants me to be on medication the rest of my life (i'm only 24) and I'm not okay with that especially since I became used to the medicine in the past.  Another thing I recommend to anyone with heartburn is to check your gallbladder!!  They often go hand in hand and that pain in your chest may not be just heartburn.  I was 18 and and thought i was having a heart attack the pain was soooo bad!!  That's when they discovered my gallbladder was only working 10% and this causes an immense amount of heartburn.  I plan on getting a re-do of the surgery just can't do it right now.  They also have a mesh they can use to reinforce the wrap and ensures that it stays tight and intact. 

 

Posted 10/25/2009 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Can they check the gallbladder at the same time they do the wrap?
Posted 10/26/2009 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
yes, sometimes they remove it also.
Joy
Posted 5/7/2011 8:05 AM (GMT 0)

Hi. I, too, suffer from GERD which is getting worse. Whenever I try to sleep, I'm interrupted with coughing and foamy phlem. Daytime usually presents bloating, gas, a slightly irritated throat, runny nose, gurgling stomach, and ear pressure.   I've always had a barky cough.  I take Nexium once a day. Which obviously has declined in benefit. But I also take Lipitor which can cause a cough.

I see my doc next month. Dr is not one to suggest surgery but, as I also know, weight loss. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But for the life of me, I still eat the wrong foods and suffer. I guess THAT is something I have to deal with!!

Anyway, I'm sick and tired of this feeling and am going to chat with Dr about surgery as meds, bed inclined, avoiding late night foods & certain foods really isn't helping much.

I have found all your posting very helpful.

And speaking of weight loss, can anyone suggest a particular GERD diet book? There are so many out that I could benefit from the research and experience of others.

Thank you.

Posted 5/7/2011 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
Dear In Search of,
Welcome to Healing Well! I am sorry to hear you are having so many problems. You're definitely in the right place. I suggest that you repost your message on the main page (see the GERD - Heartburn link at the top of the page) This is an old post, and if you have your own post (be sure to include a Topic in the space at the top when you post) other experienced members will find it easier to find your post and try to offer suggestions.

When you have tried everything non-surgical without having your condition improved, it's definitely time to visit the surgeon. Be sure, however, that you research the surgeon and find the finest possible Nissen surgeon you can. If you have the surgery, this will be the most important piece of the healing puzzle. A great Nissen surgeon will know if the surgery is right for you. It's not enough to find a great surgeon...it has to be one who has had a great deal experience in Nissen fundoplications, and has done hundreds or even thousands of them. Experience is critical.

Again, glad you've joined us! There are lots of members who've had the surgery, so you'll get lots of first-hand experience to draw from.
Take care,
Denise
Posted 5/7/2011 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
today is 3 months since surgery. SO SO happy I had it done. No heartburn! I am eating very small amounts and more frequently. Many foods I have not tried because some get stuck. Bread, meat and raw veggies are not on the horizon for me. Chicken and fish stewed or poached work well. Cooked veggies are great, but I do miss the crunch of carrots and apples. I retry things with success so I know there is progress. Exercising again and energy is pretty much back to normal. Lost 18 pounds in the 6 weeks I was off work. Another 4 pounds my first week back. Holding steady since then, although I need to lose another 10-15. Can't see cutting calories as I am already below dr. recommended number. 35-45 minutes of exercise before work probably isn't enough, but at least I am consistent. I would recommend surgery to anybody who fits the criteria.
Peggy
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