For successful fundoplication members.

I'm 35 and had some reflux issues since age 18 but 1.5 years before the surgery it got worse. I ended up in the ER twice for extreme chest pains and throwing up blood. Using twice a day prescription meds, eliminating any bad foods, and losing 70 pounds helped but after a repeat endoscopy and acid test I was shown to have a hiatal hernia and pretty severe reflux. I was short of breath all the time and missing eating real food. So, even with misgivings if I was severe enough for this surgery, I decided to do it. An ultrasound showed a need for gall bladder removal so I had them both done as the same time. 4 weeks out and besides having to chew well and limit my portions I'm back to normal. I have not introduced steak, red sauce, or sodas yet and won't for four more weeks. I have a little bloating still but can burp. Largest incision site still hurts a bit and I haven't tried exercise in extreme fashion yet. I have some indigestion and chest pains if I eat too much or too fast or don't chew well enough, but I've had zero reflux or nausea and am on zero meds. I can eat larger portions each day. I'm happy with the surgery and hoping no complications spring up. I did get a respiratory infection 6 days out, so coughing hurt, but no other real issues. My surgeon's specialty was gastro procedures and his favorite surgery is the nissen fundoplication. The nurse anesthetist told me I had the best and he'd personally seen him perform it dozens of times. I think the surgeon does matter, as does following the diet. Hope that helps.

Just to reiterate on my story so far

35 year old male

The day of the surgery and the 2 days after were really really tough It really hurt to move and to take anything but light breaths. I couldn't pee only in dribbles and this was very scary lol. But by the time I had left I was at least peeing properly and could walk even do it was painful.

They put me straight on a soft diet. Custard, pudding, broth, ice cream, mashed potatoes and water.

After getting home the next day I didn't do much eating and the ride home was unfortunately a bit bumpy and I was hurting a bit. I did drink a lot of water though. The only painkiller I used was paracetamol because I was worried anything stronger would constipate me I had that continual pain in my shoulders and up into my neck that comes with the surgery. I didn't sleep well for a few nights.

I had stocked up on pudding, ice cream, soup, jello, and other generally mushy foods. I did start to think I didn't need the medicine abouthalfway through the day and was getting ready to skip a dose, but about ten minutes after I was due to take it I was hurting enough that I had to take it. I was really starting to feel better. I had an increased appetite, and was able to stretch and walk around much better.

By day five I was really starting to eat a more normal amount again.I only had one instance where I got a little over excited and decided to try to eat some whole chicken and took too big of a bite, but otherwise had no issues swallowing it. Just gotta make sure you chew it well enough. It doesn't help that I was a particularly fast eater. A big adjustment for me. I have had a few bowel movements at this stage even do I wasn't getting too many real solids in me.

The days following on from 5 to day 11 were pretty uneventful. I went off all pain meds and started eating more soft foods quantity wise and I am sleeping better and the pain in my shoulders was almost gone. I have to say I felt great and really really optimistic that the operation was going to prove to be a roaring success.

My big Goal was to be able to drink a few pints of Guinness for Christmas and enjoy a nice turkey dinner with my family.
Which was a roaring success and I am up to 5 pints of Guinness now per sitting

Ps my biggest hardship for the first few days was swallowing water as it used to get stuck and gurgle like an old drain but that has gone now.

Just to reassure you further at the middle of the dreaded two to three week spell where swelling etc is supposed to be at its worst.
I was absolutely flying. No heartburn. A full nights sleep every night. I was eating porridge,eggs, potato, rice, chicken, spaghetti Bol,lasagne soup,minced beef, tea and biscuits, pot noodles, more or less everything except steak and breads.
I felt great and it was onwards and upwards from there.
So go for it and hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones.
Best of luck.
Just a quick one to note with pain meds.
In my experience a lot of the stronger pain meds constipate you and prevent you from going to the toilet.
I deliberately only ever took mild over the counter paracetamol and never had any problems with bowel movements which also is a great help with recovery.
It's just one to note in the greater scheme of things.

I'm 12 weeks today from having the operation and I'm eating everything including steaks and big lumps of crusty bread and chocolate and alcohol and coffee.

I feel great and have started lifting weights back in the gym.

Sometimes I have a bad day when my swallow doesn't feel that great and I don't know why I guess it's just one of those things.

Also over the last few days I'm fairly sore around my incision sites especially the one at my chest where the main operation was maybe this is the Gym.

Pat or Dencha might advise???

But all and all I feel good and that the op has been a success

Niall

My experience is great. Few weeks post op misery but by 4 months can eat drink everything. Have lost 7 kg (down to 68 kg!) and absolutely no symptoms.

Question for Gbeth: about manometry: I'm in process of getting medical clearance for Robotic NF to include HH repair: I had the bravo and barium test but found it impossible to get through manometry test, but the surgeon is scheduling the Sx anyway, I'm curious.

Question for Gbeth: about manometry: I'm in process of getting medical clearance for Robotic NF to include HH repair: I had the bravo and barium test but found it impossible to get through manometry test, but the surgeon is scheduling the Sx anyway, I'm curious.

Hi successful fundo members. Please come back and update and let us know how you are doing. How are you feeling. Are you off medications. What are you eating. Any heartburn. We need your input as it helps so many make a decision for surgery or not. Are you glad you did it. Has it made a significant difference in you life. Would you do it again-- if not then why. Be well.

Hello CaliGal.
Welcome to our forum. This is the best place to receive support, ideas, suggestions. We ALL need help and the moderators are very helpful. Ask questions, wander around and stay and come back to help others. We are not physicians or surgeons so your docs are the ultimate source for answers but they are so short of time and we get nervous and forget all our questions till we get back home. There are several friends that have had PEH repairs and they will be writing in soon. Welcome. And we look forward to your success added to this topic. 😊

KB how are you doing with the medication. Have you titrated down very slowly. Please let us know.

CaliGal, I've been following you on other posts. You are in our thoughts and will be posting your success for all to see.

Be well.

Update from page one of this topic. After 40 + years of reflux I had my HH and NF surgery 3/11/13 and have not had one incidence of reflux or any other digestive disorder since then except for occasional over-eating. As I have mentioned in other topics, one problem that I have encountered is not from digestive problems themselves but problems caused by other people. My wife and I are seniors and we eat our main meal of the day at buffets and other restaurants. So I must eat according to her hunger schedule rather than my own. I seldom get hunger pangs. So I must eat whether I am physically hungry or not.

Don't get me wrong. I do have a good appetite and can eat anything I want but not according to a clock--breakfasttime, lunchtime, dinnertime, etc. So, I follow her schedule and eat regular portions of whatever I want. At the buffets she takes plates of food--soup, salad and entrees, etc..... I am often ready to go before she has even finished her salad.....so I go get more food to kill time. As Shakespere would say, "There is the "rub". If I overeat, my LES seems to lock up and I get a painful pressure buildup that feels like my entire chest is inflated. There is no remedy for it but time. The excessive pressure must be vented and it will either slowly leak into my esophagus and I can then burp it out, or it will travel through my digestive system and be expelled out the "other end". Either way it is short-term misery. But otherwise I am in perfect health for my age (76) and still play tennis multiple times per week.

Kerry, Try again still eating several small meals a day and, for a while, avoid all raw food and especially beans, brocolli, Brussels sprouts, carbonated drinks, and acid producing coffee. . You are still very early in the healing process which will take you a year . One doctor told us that having the surgery does not give you permission to eat whatever you want. I don't think that you do! (We all would like that but know it isn't healthy for us). He also told us that you should eat properly like you should have been eating before surgery. Our family member was a personal fitness trainer and the doctor restricted that and just uses a treadmill walker. Doctor said to baby yourself and back off a week when something bothers you-- try soft, non- irritating foods and don't be in a hurry. Your body will heal in its own time. He also said to lie flat (one pillow under head ) on your left side with legs drawn up slightly will allow easier passing of gas. I'm very sorry that you are having concerns and want you to be successful. So glad you are off the Prilosec . That was really hard to do. We welcome you to our Forum. We are not doctors but we sure would like to help and perhaps your own doctor can be called to answer your questions. Please let us know about your progress and how you are doing and what foods you are eating. My best, Pat

Kerry. This is the one and only forum that I participate in and have really found it helpful for our family. To generate your questions, -- just click on the POST NEW TOPIC button and type what you would like help with. For example: "post NF, gas and possible dumping syndrome" then in your first comment tell about yourself and what you are experiencing. You will probably get a lot more help and suggestions under a separate topic. Hope this is helping. Kind regards . Pat

I am happy to see the posts from those with a successful fundoplication. Frankly, when i saw so many probs while i was researching this before my surgery, i was almost scared off. fortunately, i found a post on this site that pointed out that most people who have no problems, don't come back and post. they just go their merry way. only those with complications come back. i was on various PPI's for over 20yrs, had chronic cough, sleep apnea and a little known condition called laryngospasm. it's a terrifying thing where your airway just suddenly and completely closes off. most doctors have no experience with it. i finally, after decades of suffering, found a doctor who said reflux was the #1 trigger for laryngospasm. When i suddenly had to have my gallbladder removed, it was the surgeon who, while taking my history said "holy cow! i can fix all this! you need to let me do a fundoplication!"
So, I am 62yrs old and finally had the surgery 5mths ago. I researched online, was leaning towards having it and went to an ENT for a second opinion. finally, a doctor that was familiar with laryngospasm!! He said my larynx was so red and swollen, he was surprised i didn't have more and said he could not recommend fundoplication strongly enough! "Get it now!"
I IS a long recovery period and i still have a few issues, but i have not had ONE laryngospasm since the day of surgery, immediately stopped snoring, no more sleep apnea, no more chronic cough. My surgeon switched from Nissen to Toupet more than 10yrs ago and feels the success rate is just as high with far fewer post surgical complications.
So, do find a good surgeon who has done a LOT of these procedures. Do not listen to all the failures and major complications. Most patients do great and don't come back to post anything on the internet. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone that needs it, esp in light of the new studies implicating PPI's for all kinds of scary stuff.

Thanks, Pat! am starting food journal today. had previously just made note of what foods made me really nauseous, like red meat and white potatoes. yes, he had to do something to my diaphragm as i also had a large hiatal hernia and part of my stomach had actually pushed up through my diaphragm, so had to be pulled back down, mesh used on hh and diaphragm sutured. gosh, as i write it, it's a wonder i haven't had more trouble, lol. am so glad this forum is here! i just thought the spasms were part of healing process, which may well be true, but could also be triggered by food. will def keep notes and post back with my progress.