Returning symptoms 4 weeks post Nissen op

Feeling really scared and anxious 4 weeks post op.

The first two weeks were pure perfection, other than my shoulder pains. At about the 15 day mark I started to notice “sensations”. Nothing I would consider GERD symptoms but something... Since that day each day has been a gradual increase in GERD related issues. Tingling has slowly turned to heartburn further and further up my throat a little each day. One burp has turned into several over the course of a week. Some burps now have the taste of food I just ate. At this rate I fully expect to have regurgitation while sleeping soon. This was my largest issue and the reason I decided on the surgery.

Am I being paranoid? Anyone else have a successful surgery that felt this way only to have the symptoms go away? I don’t know if I’m still recovering (of course I am) or these are the sure fire signs of a failed surgery.

Everything went so well early. The surgeon allowed me to graduate my diet early because my recovery was advancing so well. Please remember I was BOTH symptom free and able to swallow very well (a little tigh but not what I imagined). I still don’t “need” any meds but I can still “feel it”, if that makes sense.

I have a follow up in a week with the surgeon and will be explaining all this to him so I’ll provide an update. I just was hoping to hear from fellow Nissen folks who had a scare and it turned out fine. I’ll feel so heartbroken if this failed as I’ll have no recourse on the surgeon. I understand this is all buyer beware but it’s such a hopeless feeling to have a possible failure. I know it’s illogical to blame myself but my support system did such an amazing job of allowing me to recover that if feels like letting them down. In addition to insurance a parent also provide some financial support so that is also weighing heavy on me right now.

Thanks

Small Update:

Two days out from my original post and I think things have settled down. I was getting really nervous that for about 10 straight days small GERD symptoms were coming back, and that post was the accumulation of it. The last two days have not produced any new issues so I am hoping I just went through a burst of healing that was changing things up internally.

I still have the slightest heartburn but it isn't traveling up any further and I still don't feel the need for meds to control it, its more just the sensation and not the full blown pain, etc.

I decided to cut out coffee, my surgeon ok'd it after surgery, but I know all to well the issues coffee has on stomach acid, heartburn and regurgitation, so frankly its not worth having it anymore, I want to heal not have a buzz, but I sure will miss it.

Other than that I will provide an update after my appointment.

You are really early in your recovery. It's quite normal to experience small setbacks during that time, and you might want to back off on advancing your diet, and go back to eating more soft foods temporarily.

Glad to read things are not as bad as you originally thought! I am 3.5 weeks post surgery and I went through the same thing. Had a couple nights of mild reflux symptoms and was so upset and scared. 2 days later, it went away. So many changes are happening inside our bodies, in our habits, and in our minds. Anything can happen over the next weeks. Statistics show we will come out of it symptom free or nearly so!