Posted 3/5/2015 3:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Ninus,
Sorry to hear you are experiencing symptoms post-Nissen. Yes, my symptoms were atypical. I would never have had the surgery for just heartburn symptoms. My DeMeester score was never all that high, and though my symptoms were painful at times, I could have dealt with them with just medication. It was the condition of my lungs that led me to surgery.
The problem with atypical symptoms is that they are tricky to diagnose and to cure. That's one reason why it's much harder to convince a GI doc that we need surgery. I've done great with my lungs post-surgery once they healed initially, but I do have allergies and asthma, and get into problems from time to time.
Sometimes it's obviously either allergy or viral, but every so often I get a problem that leads me to worry that perhaps I've got a little reflux sneaking through. When you've got atypical symptoms, you don't have as clear-cut improvement as those who have the surgery for typical GERD symptoms. My lungs remain greatly improved, and there is no way of knowing if reflux impacts my lungs at those times.
I did have the hoarseness/voice strain before my surgery, and that has improved greatly as well. I was teaching second grade, and couldn't even read aloud to my kids, let alone sing. I still cough with my asthma periodically, and that can cause a little hoarseness, but nothing at all like it was, and I don't have the strain and discomfort I had before my surgery.
I think that often LPR sufferers have very sensitive esophagus tissue, and can get uncomfortable symptoms that can be unrelated to reflux. It's not an easy situation to be in, that's for sure.
I think you're on the right track. When I moved and started with a new asthma/allergy doc, he wanted me to go back to get all the testing to make sure I wasn't getting reflux (I was a little over a year post-op). Getting retested is a great way to either confirm or rule out reflux as the culprit. Keep in mind, though, that reflux is possible post-Nissen. If the wrap is tight enough to keep reflux at zero, it would be too tight to get food past it and into the stomach. Surgeons have the goal of getting reflux episodes down to a level that people without GERD exoerience. Everyone gets a little reflux once in a while, and post-Nissen, we can as well.
If you ever need to consider a redo surgery, I suggest you find someone who is highly experienced in the redo procedure. 100 Nissens is substantial, but more is better. I'm sorry you have to deal with the frustration of continued symptoms.
My wrap was a full 360, and I think was of average tightness. I never had the really bothersome symptoms caused by a too-tight wrap, but I did have the typical swelling-related discomforts.
Wish I could be more help! Hang in there!
Best wishes,
Denise