acid reflux, hernia repair help

Hello all,
I have had acid reflux for years. I am 60 years old. I have been taking Dexilant for a while also. I had an upper endoscope exam in the past revealing a small hiatal hernia. I have lived with the symptoms of reflux but lately I am having some serious pain with all this. I have another endoscopic exam in March to look at what is now going on. I am not kidding myself, I know I need a hernia repair and repair of my les valve.

My big question is this. Should I just do a Nissan fundoplication or one of the newer techniques? I have read great things about the esophageal valvuloplasty procedure. My head is spinning from all this. My chest pain is just to much to endure long term. It comes and goes but lately it lasts a good three days before subsiding.

I would appreciate any help anyone could give. I know the Nissan is the gold standard but I am also reading of complications and side effects from this procedure. I really need help so please if anyone would please comment I would greatly appreciate this.

thankyou
dmo

Hi DMO,

Sharon has offered great advice. Surgery is a last resort, but can be a life saver and improve your quality of life. You will need to do a lot of testing to discover whether you need the surgery and if you'd be a good candidate for a Nissen.

A lot of the negative information/side effects you have read about are simply part of the recovery, which, as Sharon said, is challenging. I have never found surgeons to be very forthcoming about the challenges. This forum is a great place to get information about what to expect and receive support as you recover. Here's a link to a recovery journal I posted many years ago.
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=4097753
Hopefully it will give you an idea of one person's experience and some inkling of what you might be dealing with.

Take it slowly and learn all you can. Don't jump into anything, but on the other hand, don't suffer needlessly. I was a mess for four years as I worked up the courage to get the surgery. In the end, I decided I didn't have any choice but to see if it would help me, and it did.

Take care,
Denise

Hi DMO,

From all I have read and heard from my doctors, the Nissen fundoplication is still considered the gold standard and best procedure to stop reflux. Believe me, I understand your hesitancy. I suffered a very long time because I was fearful of the surgery and worried that I might be permanently damaged by the surgery. I can tell you it is the best decision I ever made, and I would do it again without hesitation if it was deemed necessary. The recovery I experienced wasn't nearly as bad as the symptoms of GERD I had lived with for so long.

Hopefully, others will be by soon to share their own experiences and offer the alternatives you are looking for. I suggest you discuss these questions with your primary care doctor or specialist. When I looked into other alternatives, was told that the jury wasn't in on how effective they were. The Nissen has been performed for 70 years, and the switch to laproscopic procedures has improved the outcomes by reducing the number of doctors who do the procedure, and as a result giving those doctors much more experience.

You should carefully research the surgeon who is going to do any procedure, to ensure that they have done many, since that is the key to a good outcome. My surgeon said that choosing a good patient is as important as choosing a good doctor. The prerequisite testing is critical--barium swallow, endoscopy, manometry, 24hr PH monitoring--will help your surgeon decide if the procedure is necessary and right for you.

Good luck in your search for answers! I hope you find the right one for you.
Take care,
Denise