Linx Procedure w/Hiatal Hernia ~2018 My Journey

My surgery was December 14, 2018. ( 2 weeks ago)

I am 60 yr. young and in good shape woman. I do have MS, but very mild form and if you didn't know me you would never guess it. I have been living with GERD symptoms over 12 years, tried all the meds. They worked at first but the past year, not so much. I would awake feeling like I had to vomit. I would sometimes feel food 'stuck' in my esophagus and could not swallow...therefore would need to vomit. Sometimes I would experience horrible chest discomfort. My breathing the past 2 years, was becoming more labored during any activity. I would run out of air at the end of a sentence and my voice was changing and inconsistent. Therefore a series of test were ordered...

Manometry. It was uncomfortable but not painful. EDG with the PH testing I hated. The device felt like my esophagus was constantine being pinched. They knew I had a Hiatal Hernia which they found was much larger than expected when they finally did the surgery for it and the Linx. Anyway, as a result of my findings on the tests, my symptoms and ineffectiveness of meds...the decision to have the surgery for Linx and Hernia repair was made.

I was in surgery for a little over an hour due to the repair of the Hernia more than anything. My stomach was 90%above my diaphragm . All in all everything went well . I have 5 small incisions, as this was all done laparoscopy. They were all stapled shut and just yesterday, they were all removed. I am not allowed to lift anything over 10# from the date of surgery...so 4 more to go and I will still be careful because I have no desire to go through this again. I was discharged the very day of surgery and was glad to be in my own surroundings. My hubby was such a help.

I had very bad pain in shoulders, collarbone , neck from the CO2 gas they use to inflate your abdomen during surgery. I did take Vicodin once the day I was discharged and once the following day and then used Motrin up until day 4, I believe. What helped me the most though through the gas pain was a product called Mineral Ice and a heating pad. I did make myself walk around though frequently and took fluids.

I was not very hungry the first couple days and had some nausea but nothing horrific by second day. I recalled a gal who stated she used grapes and ate them every hour...so I did do that. I also ate applesauce, yogurt, grits, soup.
Then had grits, steel cut oatmeal. No breads, no meats, nothings that required a hard swallow.

To this day I am still eating like that. I have added more veggies, like sweet potatoes, yams, baked potatoes, very well cooked veggies like carrots, parsnips, squash. I am drinking massive amounts of warm water and teas of various kinds because I love tea. Ginger/lemon, Anise also have properties to help relieve intestinal gas, so that a plus. I occasionally use maple syrup in my grits or teas but not often as it can cause more intestinal gas and I don't want that.

My weight is down I think about 10lbs now...maybe more. My Doctors said I was okay doing what I am doing. I actually walked one and a half miles a few days after surgery, but mind you, I DO NOT recommend that. I was very sore the next day, but Im a hard one to keep down. You will know your limits, listen to them and don't push it too hard. Right now it still hurts to cough and bend over. But not super bad. Laughing hurts yet, lol. I am not up to my full energy level but greatly improved since last week...and getting more everyday. I actually refinished a buffet table today, with many breaks.

Warm fluids help me , it relaxes and makes food go through the LINX easier. Cold drinks not so much. The day before yesterday I had my first REAL stuck food experience. I just did deep breathing and sipped warm tea. It all did eventually pass. I eat slow and chew-chew-chew...it's the only way. I was told this dysphasia could last up to 12 weeks and possibly off and on the first year. I know much of this when I went into this thanks to another thread in here started by Chad, which I highly recommend you read also. It has many pages, but rich in information.

While not all experiences are great, not all are bad. I just wanted to share mine. Its only been two weeks but here's the good news...., immediately following surgery, my voice returned...my shortness of breath vanished ( which another Doctor mistakenly diagnosed as Asthma) , and I have been sleeping with ONE pillow every single night like a baby! Therefore I do not sleep sitting up anymore, as I have for near 12 years. I have NO GERD SYMPTOMS and I AM OFF ALL MEDS! This makes the rest worthwhile for now...but the jurys still out....I am only 2 weeks out......

I will continue to update as I heal/recover from this. I am hopeful and optimistic.

One more thing I would like to suggest...You are given a card that looks like a credit card to carry with you at all times to alert medical professionals that you have a magnetic LINX devise and cannot have a MRI greater than 1.5 Telsa
(1.5T), due to the risk of serious damage to you. My husband and I decided to take it a step further and he ordered a beautiful silver bangle bracelet for me to wear at all times, that he had engraved on it " Magnetic Linx Implant ".
I am on the highway a lot traveling to visit our grandchildren an hour away and its just a precaution in case I am in an accident .

Wishing all of you a Blessed and Happy New Year !
~Sara

It will be 3 weeks since my surgery tomorrow . I am doing very well. I find that I an eat MOST anything now but it is a SLOW process. If I eat too fast the food gets 'stuck'. I drink warm drinks, water/tea , when that happens and it helps to relax my esophagus and food eventually passes.
I am still not eating bread or heavy meats...but I am not normally a big meat eater anyway...and avoiding bread is better/healthier choice anyway. I do drink a lot of water during the day and its mostly warm water. Cold drinks are not very comfortable to swallow. I did have a glass of white wine last night and was fine.
I have lost more weight, probably about 15lbs and I think due to all the water I drink , avoiding sugar, bread and eating slower....I don't eat as much and am full sooner.
I feel normal and well except the top incision area is tender yet.

How are you getting along Lecodz? I hope your doing well

Hey Lecodz ~ I tell you I am just now beginning to get my energy back any it will be 4 weeks tomorrow. I worked yesterday and felt really good until I got home, then I was exhausted. But I also know this is normal after major surgery like we had.
I had my first real bad experience with food yesterday when I got home. I decided to try out a blueberry muffin. It got stuck and it was worse than any other time . I almost felt like I would not be able to breath and my chest hurt something horrible but I sipped at warm water and it eventually went through. Scared the crap out of me though. Made me recall Chads experiences. Truly though, I am okay with omitting breads and stuff like that. I am still losing weight and I am okay with that also for now. I return for my 6 week checkup on the 24th.

Yes it is possible to cause damage with coughing but now that your near 3 weeks out its not as likely. I would however, be cautious and if that cough continues I would be demanding to be seen again by your Surgeon. I have been feeling pain some night right under my lower left ribcage. Theres a larger incision area there. Its not red but it feels fluid filled. I may call office and have it checked out. You may want to try a heating pad on your tummy to help with discomfort in the evening, it was a huge help to me. Meanwhile I will keep you in you prayers and hope we BOTH make full recoverys. I can tell you this much each week, I feel better for the most part. Your a week behind me, so chin up.. Don't be lifting ANYTHING over ten lbs until AFTER your 6 week check up! I cannot stress this enough.
I will count this post as my 4th week update. I will post again next week UNLESS something unforeseen happens. Stay well my friend Sara

Hi Sara
Hope your doing good! Could you give us some update of your LINX surgery recovery?

Thanks for the update Sara! I heard that getting completely back to normal takes about a year, until then you may have to elect certain foods which sounds like your fine with that
I hope my insurance will approve the surgery by the time of your next update..
Hope it gets easier for you!

Hey Sara!
How are you doing so far?! Would you share some update
I am still waiting on the insurance approval, we are appealing it thru the state. :/ Sucks

Hi Sara
Hope your doing better. I am doing OK. My GERD is effecting me in different ways. I now have crazy migraines because I cant get good sleep. I also have asthma symptoms, I guess acid is leaking into my airways. I am still waiting on the external appeal outcome. My GERD is under control with dexillant 60 mg but I still get breakthrough symptoms almost everyday, especially when I drink. So this expensive med works only if your careful with everything that triggers your GERD. This is effecting me in so many ways. My job is pretty stressful (I work for a health insurance company) and I think that doesn't help my GERD too. I am on acid diet but I cheat on my diet every once a while lol either way I get heartburn anyways so..
I am an active 27 yo female and I am telling ya I'm wasting my best years with this condition. It also costs a lot of money (half of my pay checks goes to medical bills).
Sucks..

Salamon:

Welcome to the Healing Well Forum! Your surgeon will discuss your best options for surgery with you. The gold standard is the Nissen, but there is nothing wrong with the other procedures that are out there.

Sharon

I am considering have either LINX or TFI. I did have Barrett's but it was removed with RFA over three sessions last year. Just recently my GERD symptoms becoming part of daily living. I switched PPI's at my doctor's recommendation but no help after a couple of weeks. I am carefully watching my diet. Today I had an endoscopy indicating a small hiatal hernia, gastritis and grade 1 esophagitis with a stomach polyp removed and duodenitis. Wow a lot of stuff. Barrett's I guess did not return but it was only 8 months ago since I was given the clean bill of health after the radio frequency ablations.

An upcoming cat scan will indicated the size of the hernia and anything else the endoscopy failed to reveal.

I have seen comments on LINX and TFI. One on the LINX stating that this procedure would not be favorable if Barrett's is present. So since mine has been ablated, I wonder if I am a candidate. I did see a comment or two addressing some swallowing issues with the LINX system. That is concerning so I would like to see someone familiar comment on that issue.

TFI is a little more invasive so it seems with a longer period of liquid and soft diet and extended recovery.

Please comment with some ideas and advice. Thanks much to all.

SharonZ ,Oysho and Tomcat thank you so very much for the reply and info . great people here , I m new here nd still reading some posts

Tomcat ,what do you think about the TIF procedure ?

I wonder how's Sara doing after all!

I had LINX surgery and hiatal hernia repair in August 2018 and am so glad I did it! I almost backed out after reading some other patient experiences. I decided to go ahead with the implant and can honestly say that it was a wise decision.
I have not needed any reflux meds nor have I had any of the GERD nighttime symptoms that led me to the surgery. The first 2-3 months post-op were hard but I would absolutely do it again. As this and other threads suggest, stay away from breads, pasta, pizza and chicken for the first 8 weeks. From day one post-op, I set an alarm during my waking hours and ate 2 baby carrots every 90 minutes between meals. This was my “physical therapy” to exercise the device so that scar tissue would not prevent it from opening and closing properly. My easiest to swallow meal immediately after surgery was mashed potatoes with ground beef crumbles and green beans. I didn’t eat much. One takeout order of meatloaf and mashed potatoes from Teds Montana Grill lasted several days. It is important to take small bites and eat slowly. If food feels stuck, warm liquids are your friend. I always kept a mug of hot water nearby and drank a little of that before I even started eating. Avoid spicy or peppery foods. I had a bad experience with the pepper on grilled fish about 6 weeks post-op but otherwise, warm water calmed any spasms. A year post-op, really cold ice water is uncomfortable but that is the only thing I avoid.
I lost 10 pounds after the surgery but now am back to my normal weight and eat normally again.