HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

To have the nissen fundoplication op or not! Nervous!

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/10/2015 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

Sorry for the ramblings below!
I have just joined the forum after reading loads of posts about the Nissen Fundoplication procedure and all the pros/cons that go with it.

I have suffered with acid reflux for many many years now (I am 49), been on all the tablets and am now back on Pantaprazole which seems to be the only one not to cause diarrhoea.

I had all the tests and it showed I have a small hiatus hernia, met with the surgeon and he said due to the long term effects of the tablets he would do the op.

So, the hospital letter arrived today saying the op is scheduled for 12th January next year and now I am nervous!
The thing is, since fairly recently I have generally only needed to take the tablets at weekends and other times of "self indulgence". Other times I do sporadically take antacids and Gaviscon but not as bad as it used to be. I am almost trying to convince myself that I don't need the op. The surgeon said there will certainly be good and bad weeks but it will never go away.

I am concerned it will be a complete lifestyle changing decision as I have never had an operation in my life. At the moment amongst other things, I like doing things like camping, survival training, motorcycle riding, practice self-defence classes (getting thrown about a bit!), and feel like I will have to stop everything after the op.

Also (and more urgently!), I have tickets to a very important rock concert which lands on 26th Jan, 2 weeks after the op and wondered whether I will be able to attend....

How are people generally doing after their ops, maybe a general consensus will help, or maybe not?!

Anyway thanks for reading.
Posted 12/10/2015 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
If you have been able to somewhat control your symptoms, I would continue with diet modifications and not self-indulge with food. A lot of people have small hernias, and never have them repaired. What did they find with the barium swallow, manometry and 24-hour monitoring? When you had the endoscopy, did they test for H-Pylori bacteria?

I had the surgery, and did not return to work for 2 months. Everyone is different, but a rock concert at 2 weeks might be a stretch.
Posted 12/10/2015 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SharonZ,
Thanks for your reply.
I didn't have a barium swallow and I couldn't believe I only had one bout of reflux during the 24hr monitoring even after eating all the things that would normally kill me!
The manometry showed my swallow wasn't that strong as I remember.
I had a H Pylori test ages ago so I guess they ruled that out.

Of course, nobody wants an operation but I don't want to leave it if it will only get worse over time.

I also wonder how much the symptoms are affected by "stress", as I have heard that can have an effect too
Posted 12/10/2015 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi sadsplace

Being a week out from my 180 deg fundoplication, I can assure you the last thing you'll want to be doing is going to a rock concert, even the thought of it is making me cringe in pain.

As for the operation, the surgeon is right that it wont go away, its more up to you whether you want to stick it out with what you're doing at the moment and see if you can reschedule the surgery for a better time. As for a nissen in particular, when I was looking at surgeries the idea of having a nissen terrified me and when I went to see my surgeon I actually found out that him and his colleagues refuse to do nissens because the side effects are more common. That being said I don't want to scare you out of it, there are plenty of people who have success from the nissen, just as many as have success from partial wraps, otherwise it wouldn't be the gold standard. I can only go by my research and by how my recovery has been so far.

Stress can absolutely have an effect on reflux.
Posted 12/10/2015 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Jenagade.
I might see if I can have another meet up with the surgeon and chat a bit more, but with only 4 weeks to go for the existing date and Christmas in between, I'd better get my skates on!
So have you just had the 180 deg fundo? How are you doing with it?
Are you having all the common no belching or vomiting symptoms, shoulder pain etc?
I just noticed you had your fundo on 4th Dec!

Post Edited (sadsplace) : 12/10/2015 4:00:00 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/11/2015 6:18 AM (GMT 0)
The shoulder pain was horrific when I first woke up, but as soon as I was able to walk around a few hours after the op it faded pretty fast. The pain apart from that is actually pretty manageable for the most part. The diagprahm gets stitched into for the op as well so you do still get shoulder pain that isn't from the gas, but its more sporadic and mine seems to be taken care of by the painkillers.

The way the anesthesiologist described it to me before putting me under was that there is very little dissection done for a wrap, most of it is stitching and stitches hurt a lot less than cuts so I was quite suprised at how little pain there is at the actual wrap site, most of it is around the incisions and round the bottom of my esophagus.

I can kind of belch, it changes on a day to day basis depending how the swelling is. Apparently after a few months I should be able to vomit again, but initially I can't. It does get pretty uncomfortable when I can't belch, because the gas still tries to go up and sort of makes you hiccup, eventually it gives up and heads south though, but it was pretty uncomfortable for a couple of days there. Pro tip - lying on your right side seems to help get it moving.

Its been pretty good overall, I haven't had anything stuck yet but I am still having pretty sloppy foods. I have had a few issues with dumping syndrome but the surgeons nurse has said its super uncommon this early on because most people are constipated from the anesthetic and painkillers. Best of all I am already noticing improvements, no reflux or regurgitation and my breathing and cough caused by the reflux is clearing up
Posted 12/11/2015 7:48 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your reply.
I'm just not sure whether to go for it as my symptoms don't seem half as bad lately as they have been for the last 20yrs! I really don't understand it as i know it doesn't heal itself!
I do get occasional small bouts of reflux during the time I am not taking Pantaprazole, usually if I go and do some active work straight after eating or bend over too much, but a couple of Rennie or a slug of Gaviscon usually sorts it.
Posted 12/11/2015 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hy

My qestion is if Iou were on your medication during the pH mnonitoring or if you have also impedance test or just pH or Bravo? If you dont have patologic reflux during pH monitoring without drugs or no pathologic reflux on inpedance monitoring, it is possibe that you have hypersensitive oesophagus which can be cured by antidepresants or just relaxation.

Have you ever had some esophagitis on endoscopy?

If you never had esophagitis and have normal pH metry or impedance without trietment tah you do not nead surgery.

Take care
Posted 12/11/2015 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
They said it is definitely a hiatus hernia after looking with endoscopy, I wasn't taking the drugs during the ph monitoring and there was one definite spike with the reflux. The surgeon says it needs sorting, I doubt very much whether he would operate if he didn't need to, as it is on our "free" NHS service here in the UK.

Some days it is horrendous, and although I know which foods usually bring it on (definitely pastry and bacon/eggs) it varies in intensity. Those days when I know I'm going to have the "enjoyable" foods I just make sure I have the tablets and keep some Rennie close to hand, I really want to get away from having to constantly think whether I have enough tablets or Rennie with me everywhere!

I have just dpoken to the surgeon's secretary and she has put my mind to rest about it all, for today anyway!
Posted 12/11/2015 3:00 PM (GMT 0)
The reason people have impedance or ph monitoring whilst on medication is to check whether the medication is working to reduce the acid reflux. Impedance and ph test off medication are to see if your acid/non acid reflux is classed as a normal or abnormal. My first ph study only showed a slightly above normal deemester score but because my LES was so loose and I was having airway symptoms from the reflux, the surgeon decided surgery was needed. Think the surgeons look at the big picture, your symptoms test results before deciding on surgery. Also if your symptoms aren't managed on medication and you have "extra oesophageal symptoms" then they will consider surgery. Thing with impedance and ph study is that they are a snapshot in time and should be used alongside other test results plus a detailed discussion of your symptoms. Good luck .
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply