Posted 5/14/2022 1:07 PM (GMT 0)
For those unfamiliar, RefluxStop is a promising new procedure out of Europe that attempts to create a plication around a silicone ball placed against the stomach instead of around the esophagus. It's not currently approved in the US but is undergoing trials in a few countries. For those who haven't been quite through the surgical ringer like I have, it's probably worth looking into.
I'm 38. I had my first Nissen when I was 2 in an open procedure back in the 80s due to childhood reflux. I spent most of my life fine except for a very severe case of Asthma, that looking back, was almost certainly caused by daily aspiration. I had a second Nissen 5 years ago due to a large hiatal hernia, and your standard bout of GI symptoms that popped up out of the blue one day at 32. I probably broke some tissue weight lifting without realizing the risks. Ever since procedure #2, I had an ever changing set of breathing/tight chest/burning/etc issues right around the EGJ almost always at night. For several years the endoscopies and tests looked normal, despite my symptoms, but in 2020 an endoscopy revealed herniation and disruption of the wrap yet again. 3 out of 5 nights for the last 2 years have been especially awful, regardless of what I ate.
Come March of this year, I travelled to Europe to attempt the new RefluxStop procedure, because with 2 failed Nissen's, I wanted to take a chance on something else. The fallback if it wasn't possible for whatever reason was to do a hiatal hernia repair and another Nissen. Unfortunately, when I woke up I had another fundoplication because the fundus was too small (probably due to surgery as a child) to do the RefluxStop procedure.
I'm about 60 days out now, and was burping from day 2 and had some night time issues early on. When I got back to the US the issues really started back, and now I'm having issues every night again. It's always shifting if it's clenching, burning, a wheezing sensation starting up, etc. I scheduled an immediate endoscopy, which unfortunately showed the new wrap is loose. I'm currently waiting for the results of a Bravo study. It's especially frustrating because I'm thin, eat like a monk, no food after 7pm, and it still feels like I'm approaching end game here.
Anyone around who has had a 4th+ surgery? Or Linx? Or maybe started taking amytripyline or a similar desensitization medication? PPIs are hit and miss in their effectiveness for me, and if there's one saving grace in this it's that I don't seem to have actual erosion of the esophagus.