Linx Failure

Hello everyone,

Its been many years since I last posted on here.

To bring everyone up to where I am now I have gone the past 12 years with GERD and the last 5 years maxed out on meds with un controllable GERD. After putting off surgery for years I finally found a Surgeon near me and after many months received Insurance approval to have the Linx.

I had the Linx put in 5 days ago and spent 1 night in the hospital. I went home the next day with some pain and discomfort but overall not too bad. Things were going well, I could eat and drink things pretty well for the most part and was becoming use to the device fairly quickly. I would swallow food or liquid and could feel it as the device would open and close. Plus I could finally lay down flat without getting reflux.

This went on for a couple of days and then like a light switch flipped on I've had reflux ever since. To the same level if not more then before the surgery.

As directed by my Surgeon I've continued on my PPIs, eating and drinking every 3 or 4 hours, and returning to activities as I feel comfortable.

On a different note I have had the worst "ice cream" headaches since the surgery. It starts as food or liquid passes through the Linx and comes down after it passes through the Linx.

So far the Linx hasn't reduced or stopped my acid reflux but has given me horrible headaches. I'm sad to hear that this device either works or doesn't. From searching over the years the people that have had great success with the device had success from the beginning and for those that didn't had no success since the first couple of episodes of reflux.

Also as a fyi, the Surgeon came highly recommended and unknown from the various test I had done pre-op he found a 3-4cm heital hernia which was repaired during surgery. From testing and many Endoscopes the largest heital hernia they saw was 1-2cm.

Thanks,
Meight

jenagrade, I appreciate the kind words but I'm leaning towards the worse.

I've spent many years dealing with acid reflux and unfortunately know it well. The problems I'm having now are the same ones that I had a few years ago when my acid reflux was at its peak. I wake up in the morning with no reflux and shortly after drinking or eating anything the reflux starts and doesn't calm down till the following morning.

Before the surgery the acid reflux would come up into the lower portion of the esophagus and then go back down. I had my daily routine down to point where I was living with it but I still had reflux and I was taking 80mg a day of Nexium.

Now post surgery the reflux starts in the morning and now goes all the way up to the back of my throat all day long. My wife also commented yesterday that I've started coughing in my sleep which is something I didn't do before.

The headaches are just the icing on the cake. The headaches build as food starts to get pushed through the Linx and reach their peak as food finally passes. This is on every bite of anything other than soft foods. After the food passes I'm left with a lingering headache that at least isn't as bad as when food was being pushed through the Linx.

From what I've read this device has either worked or it hasn't. It doesn't improve post 90 days.

Unfortunately my Surgeon is out for the week and his Office hasn't returned my calls.

Hi there! I wanted to throw in my own 2 cents. I had Linx in May 2015. For me personally, I still had the same symptoms for a couple weeks following Linx placement. I didn't have the "immediate fix" like some people. Then slowly it began to improve. Finally one day, I had a completely heartburn free day. Then it was several days a week, then most days a week, and now 6 months later, I am 99% better than I was before surgery.

The dysphagia thing is a pain for a while. Mine lasted about 3-4 weeks. My surgeon recommended eating very frequently, just small things. He said he is having better outcomes with this. He thinks it helps prevent too much scar tissue from forming because it keeps the device opening and closing. Worth a try!

I really hope you're feeling better soon! Hang in there. I had to stay on ppis for a while. I weaned myself down very slowly over 2-3 months and once I was off some heartburn came back, but I toughed it out and eventually it went away. I know some people were able to quit ppis right away, but I wasn't able to do that.

-K