Surgery option questions

Hello everyone.

I have been given an option to have LINX or Nissan for treatment of my GERD/Hernia. My questions are:

1. It appears the linx is rather a new surgery as of 2012. Does anyone happen to know if this is considered to be a safe amount of time to be certain of the outcomes of a newer surgery?

2. Is the Laparoscopic Nissan offer a better transition in recovery than the larger incision for Nissan?

3. I am leaning more towards the Nissan due to the newness of Linx however..this leads to my last question....

4. If I have the Nissan does that mean I absolutely will never be able to burp or vomit again? Also I have read that some people are'gassy' after surgery. Will that eventually go away? Is Nissan reversible?

5. Is there a lot of weight loss with either surgery?

Thanks so much for any answers/guidance you can give me. I need to decide soon

Hi Sara N & welcome to Healing Well. Keep in mind I have no experience with either surgery. Realistically, no one can give you a definite answer to number 1 question. With any surgery whether it is a newer one or not, everything hinges on the expertise of the surgeon. One thing a patient should always do when faced with any potential surgery is to ask the surgeon how many of these procedures he has done. If the dr gets put off by that question, then he would not be my surgeon. If you are more interested in the Linx, ask this surgeon how many he has done, if not many, he would not be my choice. You want an experienced surgeon.

Number 2 question; keep in mind even with laproscopic surgery, it is still a major surgery. Patients tend to think because they don't have a large incision it is not a big deal at all. Wrong, there are plenty of posts in this forum rom members that had the wrong idea between the 2 surgeries. The idea is with open surgery a patient is kept in the hospital, laproscopic most are sent home the same day. It keeps the hospital costs down. Regardless, the recovery is pretty much the same except no big incision.

Number 4, from what I have read here in this forum many cannot vomit or belch afterwards. You should always have something like Zofran for nausea on hand at all times. Some tend to have nausea more than others. You have to keep in mind everyone is different, but regardless get a script for Zofran. Taking something OTC for gas is always an option, be sure it has simethicone listed as an ingredient. This is totally unrelated, my husband had the gastric sleeve surgery 2 years ago, he cannot belch & the gassiness was crazy. He takes Phazyme for the gas & it really helps.

Number 5, from what I have read here some weight loss can happen, but once you are on the road to healing & are able to eat better you will put the weight back on. Even while on liquids & soft food it's all about good nutrition to balance things out.

Educate yourself & being prepared is your best thing. Do not compare your surgery or recovery to anyone else, remember everyone is different. We have a member here, SharonZ, she has a lot of experience so when you see one of her posts, read it.

Take care.

Sara:
Susie has give you a lot of great information. I had the NF surgery done via robotics over 4 years ago, and stayed overnight in the hospital. I can't vomit or belch, but I did experience food poisoning and was able to vomit a small amount. The Zofran is a must, and I do carry it with me - everywhere. My surgeon told me that if ever my nausea couldn't be controlled, then I should go straight to the emergency room. Honestly, losing the ability to vomit or belch hasn't bothered me. If you are considering the Lynx procedure, check with your insurance carrier. There have been quite a few people who's insurance wouldn't cover the cost of the surgery. Make sure your surgeon explains to you what to expect during your recovery. You can google the diet that I followed after my surgery "UPMC Post-Nissen Diet" - it has a lot of good suggestions. I will be honest, recovery can be difficult. I didn't really feel better until approximately 6 months post-surgery, and my "new" me around 1 year. I can't tell you how important it is to have the right surgeon. I had quite a few post-op visits, and also a repeat endoscopy at one year. A few months ago I developed a strangulation hernia, and I felt so relieved to have my same surgeon do the procedure. When I developed a slight infection at the wound site, I called his after hours number and he called me back 15 minutes later and gave me the option of meeting him at the hospital, or coming into the office first thing in the morning.

Sharon