Fundoplication problems

Hi

Before I start I’d just like to say thanks to everyone who helps on this forum as it has been a vital resource to me.
Unfortunately I’m going to become one of those people who only posts because there is a problem but I really need some help/guidance.

I had a Nissen Fundoplication on Friday 11th January. I’d had really bad reflux that morning and when I’d woken up from the operation it was gone, the surgeon said it had been a success so I assumed everything had gone great. Recovery itself had been fine, a lot of pain but that soon subsided.

The problems started when I tried taking on anything, I could feel the old lump in my throat from apple juice or fortisip (nutrition drink). I kind of put this to the back of my mind as I’d read this could be just struggling to get through the wrap etc. I always felt quite nauseous although again this is something I expected to be natural. However yesterday and today it has been awful and all my old reflux symptoms are back. The lump in the throat which I feel I need to be sick to clear (I haven’t), headache and generally feeling terrible,gargling in my throat and now finally the acid taste in my mouth.

I’m absolutely crushed and can’t work out what has gone wrong. I stayed on PPIs after the operation but had been on metoclopramide/raglan before for about a year which I had gradually cut down to nothing a few days before the operation. It had been very difficult to eat anything without it. I’m worried maybe I’ve done something to compromise the wrap, I’ve kept to lifting restrictions but we did go over some speed bumps on the way home from the hospital. I also laughed quite a lot the day before the problems really started. Could these have caused the problem?

I’m not really sure what I’m asking for just any help or guidance would be really appreciated. I have emailed my surgeons secretary but I’m not expecting a response soon. At the moment all this worrying is unbearable.

Thanks in advance

Ben

Post Edited (Banana77) : 2/16/2019 5:42:36 AM (GMT-7)

Banana77:

You are only about one week out from surgery, please give yourself time to heal. Sometimes after surgery you
may experience what seems to be your old reflux symptoms creeping back - it's not. Please don't let your anxiety get the better of you, it will make your symptoms seem worse. It's also quite common to experience small setbacks along the way, just take them in stride. At this point, I think you may be expecting too much too soon, just take your time as it will be worth it in the end. Also, make sure that your surgeon prescribes anti-nausea medication, you will definitely need this during your recovery.

Sharon

I’ve gone back on the metoclopramide today. I really wanted to get off of it after surgery as hated taking it but feeling sick all the time is making me miserable!

Hi Banana77,
As Sharon has so wisely told you, at one week post-op, you are in the very infancy of a recovery that takes six months for most of the healing and a year for the rest. (As my surgeon told me, “Anything is possible,” when I asked if I was having reflux.)

Your wrap is swollen, (and misshapen, which makes it more likely a little acid can escape) and the swelling will continue to get worse over about the next two weeks. My surgeon told me at your point in recovery that my swallowing would get worse before it got better.

I agree with Sharon that continuing with acid reducers is a good idea. They will also help protect your healing wrap.

If you haven’t read my early recovery journal, check it out. It might provide you with some comfort—knowing what another person’s recovery looked like.
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=4097753

Hang in there and keep asking questions when you are concerned about something! Your questions will help others looking for answers or support for similar problems.
I so remember thinking my surgery was a failure. It’s a common worry!

Take care,
Denise

Hi there,

I am 3 weeks post op and I can tell you that what you are feeling is completely normal. I felt the same as you in my first week. I had heartburn everyday and felt sick to my stomach. I wasn't taking any PPI's as I had gone off from it a month before my surgery as it was not working and I had been taking Ranitidine (Zantac) before my surgery. So I called the dr. and asked if I should go back on my medicine and the nurse said yes for a few days. I was so worried that the wrap was not working. When I went to my post op this week I told him I had been taking Ranitidine and he said you don't need to take that everyday. If you get heartburn then take it that day but not everyday. He said that while the healing process is going on you may get heartburn but that it will subside. I haven't taken it in the past week and have had no heartburn.

Just be very careful with eating and follow your diet that your doctor gave you. I think it makes all the difference on your healing, as well.

You will get a world of useful information on this forum. They have helped me so much. Take care and keep your chin up, things will get better soon.

Shanon

Just joined surgery 3 weeks ago. Burping with some pain was my concern. This forum answered my questions relieved my concerns.

So I’m coming up to 4 weeks and Friday and i’m still having lots of problems. Mainly whenever I try to eat (still on liquid diet, I did try some oats but that was a disaster and I felt really sick) I have the lump in my throat after a couple of hours and feel nausea. I also get really bloodshot eyes when I eat which is a symptom I had before the operation as well. Some days this gives me headaches which leave me in bed all day. I was supposed to be back at work at the start of this week but I feel a million miles from that at the moment.
I did see my surgeon a week and a half after surgery who said there was nothing to worry about at this stage but if the problems continued he would order further tests. I’m a week off seeing him again and if anything things have got worse. I had no hital hernia and he did say people with hital hernias tend to have more instant results but my eosophegus may take time to heal it did seem to suggest I should be feeling better by now. I had an incident where I sneezed and i’m sure I felt something move in my stomach and things seemed to start to get worse from there.

Sorry for the outpouring stream of conscience. I’m pretty terrified this hasn’t worked and I’m going to be stuck like this now.

Thanks

I had been on Reglan 2 or 3 times a day for the past year but had stopped unless I was feeling really sick. Before the surgery if I ate anything and didn’t take it i’d feel sick which is what seems to have returned so i’ll go back to taking it regularly (hopefully just for now) I guess.

Thank you I hope so!

Yes I’m still on lansoprazole

Hi Banana77,
Keep in mind that the esophagus is a dumb organ that interprets all pain as reflux. The fact that the “heartburn” you’re experiencing is unique to post-op, my money is on pain vs reflux.

As your surgeon said, people have a range of experiences. I’m sure he’s waiting to give you more time to heal. You’re just in the infancy of the healing process. It takes 6 months for most of the healing, and a year for the rest. I continued to see improvements into the second year.

Try not to worry. It’s most likely that things will settle down before you ever need the endoscopy!

Happy Healing!
Denise

Hi

I’m now 9 weeks out from the operation and I’ve has my endoscopy now. I haven’t seen my surgeon yet to get the proper results but the piece of paper they gave me says Gastro oesophageal junction appeared reasonably tight on intubation which I don’t really know what it means but I assume/hope is better than incompetent LES which is what the last endoscopy showed.

I’m still however experiencing problems. On the hopeful side I feel some of the anticipated side effects of the surgery, my burps are a bit wierd. Most of the time I can’t burp and can even feel something building in my stomach then suddenly get blocked, sometimes i’ll let out little puffs of air into my mouth but haven’t full on burped since before the surgery. I sometimes wake up in the night feeling like i’m kind of choking on a burp wanting to come out and have to kind of swallow it away. I’m also farting a lot more, especially if I have anything would expect to give me gas, soya milk is a particular culprit.

Since I last saw my surgeon I’ve doubled my PPI dose and gone into Metoclopramide/Reglan twice a day to cover everytime I eat. I’m taking anti acids regularly and watching what I eat to avoid acid triggers, coinciding with a sloppy diet (which does not leave a lot so my weight has plummeted so I’m considered underweight which has led to a worried dietician).

However i’m still getting heartburn feelings quite a lot (a LOT more than pre surgery). I sometimes feel an acid taste in my mouth and a sore throat. Even on the anti sickness i’ll feel a lump in my throat pretty much whenever I eat which can last a long time and sometimes will wake up with this. I do often feel a lot worse in the mornings which will sometimes subside when I get up or start eating but sometimes not. I also get really bloodshot/red eyes which usually coincides with me not feeling well (this was a symptom pre surgery as well). I generally feel dreadful most of the time and get headaches which coincides with stomach/heartburn problems and again was a symptom pre surgery. I haven’t been able to go back to work yet as I just feel awful maybe half of the week.

Anyway at the moment things are pretty horrible. When I last saw my surgeon he had speculated that maybe the wrap wasn’t tight enough or food was having trouble passing the wrap. Has anyone experienced these problems this long after surgery and it turned out fine or conversely found things got worse acid wise after the operation and it continued?

Post Edited (Banana77) : 3/17/2019 9:20:18 AM (GMT-6)

Thank you

I notice you’ve said it took you six months to start feeling much better. What symptons still persisted for you for six months?

Thanks

Ben

Thanks