Linx procedure for GERD (7/24)17).

Love that he's calm and reassuring. Bedside manner means so much.
So, can you clarify something for me, with the understanding that you're not a Dr and everyone is different:
Are small bites not forever? You eluded to going back to the way I'm eating now eventually. I didn't think that was even an option. I have no problem working on it for months. I'm 41; I don't want to be working on it for 50 years, if you know what I mean.

Thats amazing. I'm super jealous. Will keep you apprised. Want to get manometry and PH impedance over with but not having those until the 9th of Nov.

No. I never did. I just started off with yogurt, pudding, jello and lots of liquids. After a week or so I moved up to cereal with milk and so on. Keep in mind, you might not experience any of what I did. For some people, they were eating normally after a week or so. However, everyone does experience the stuck episodes.

For all of my experiences good or bad. Still no heartburn.

Had my manometry and 24hr PH yesterday. Results showed that I have very weak swallowing muscles. The Dr who performed the manometry believes surgery now could cause worse swallowing issues. He believes my swallowing is weak because of all of the years of acid build up in my esophagus. He said it can negatively affect the muscles and nerves surrounding the area.
His recommendation is to move to 40mg Protonix, twice daily, and then re-assess over a certain period of time to see if I regain the swallowing strength. Can even think of doing manometry again. It was so brutal.

Thank you for posting this. I ended up going for the fundo wrap with toupet because my hiatal hernia may have been a bit too big to have the linx successfully work. I wanted to get the linx initially and my surgeon was willing to try it even with the risks, but I have a slight metal allergy and decided against it. Kind of wish I did but I am still on only day 11 of my recovery so who knows. But so glad you are feeling so much better!!!

So Linx is out. I had a horrific swallowing exam, I don't swallow at all, I guess. Also, my DeMeester was 236. The second highest my surgeon has ever seen. So, looks like I can only have a toupe done. Oh well.

Hi Mike,

Thank you for you sharing your experience of the LINX procedure.
Apparently I am a candidate for that procedure but I have put it off because of the side effects you described and worried that I could have dysphagia permanently afterwards when it did not exist before.

I tried to get into a clinical trial for the EndoStim procedure but my Barretts in my esophagus prevented me from being in this trial. It has been very successful in Europe and many people are going over there to have this done. No side effects like the LINX or Nissan. They are in the fourth phase of this study and eventually it will be approved by the FDA as the results are amazing. Having it done in Europe is very expensive so I have had to focus on the LINX. I have been told that the Nissan procedure can prevent you from vomiting and there are still some swallowing side effects.

What are your thoughts everyone?

Update. As of today, 11/16/17 - I just completed an upper endoscopy. My Gastro (who did not perform the surgery) told me that he saw no acid and that my esophagus looked great. He also pointed out that he actually viewed the linx open and close perfectly. He was very happy with the outcome.

Overall, I am very very happy!

Great news.

11/20/17, nearly 4 months in and I have a few updates. First of all, due to a herniated disk, I had to have an MRI. It went smoothly. No effects whatsoever. I also had a follow up upper endoscopy and my Gastro informed me that I am acid free. My esophagus looked great. He told me that the linx opened and closed as it should. It was great to hear that everything is going smoothly as I hoped.

Happy holidays to everyone!

GammaMom, I am 6 months removed from the Linx procedure today, 1/24/18. I am 49 and working out 4/5 times a week and this includes benching 175lbs (hoping to get back to 250lbs). I am acid free, I can eat anything I want and no more stuck episodes or spasms. Life is great. After the surgery, give yourself some time to heal. I waited 3 months. The procedure is so new that many doctors are choosing to be cautious. This is probably why your Dr. made that suggestion. Smile - life without acid reflux is going to improve your overall quality of life. It's an amazing feeling. Good luck!

Mike

Bob, I have never been happier. You may (or may not) run into any issues. Everyone is different. I was a bit miserable for the first 17 days and on the evening of the 17th day, everything simply stopped. So far, almost 8 months in. I am simply normal again. No heartburn, no dysphagia and no more stuck episodes. My quality of life has improved tremendously. Good luck and no matter what happens post op - stay the course and fight through it. It will pay off in the end. I'm excited for you. You are making one of the best decisions of your life. The linx is amazing!!! No more heartburn = no more medication and you can eat anything you want. Keep me posted.

Mike

I waited about 2 months and then began with light running and weights. After another month or so - I was back doing whatever I wanted. Also, I should point out that I had a herniated disk in Oct, 3 months after surgery, so this slowed me down a bit. I had an MRI and the Linx was fine (just an FYI).

Since January I've been working out without any issues. You should expect to loose about 8-10 lbs. I lost about 15 and then slowly began gaining it back over the course of a month.

Be excited about this procedure. No more heartburn.