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Nissen after 6 years

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 5/28/2007 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
I had the Nissen done 6 years ago and have had great results ever since.  Recently, I have been experiencing small amoounts of heartburn, nausea, the feeling that my food is sitting in my throat.  Has anyone had these symptoms 6 years after the surgery?
Posted 5/28/2007 8:42 PM (GMT 0)

I have not had the surgery.  I did talk to a doc at Shands teaching hospital in Gainsville FL.  He told me that if I was lucky, Nissen surgery would last 5 years.  After that, they usualy fail and either be redone or not.  He discouraged me to have the surgery.  He said that I would have to take Nexium or some other drug for life.  He said that I may be able to stop Nexium for short periods of time (some for longer periods), but would eventually start taking it again.  He has been in the business for 22 years and no one has found a cure for GERD.  I have gone to 2 doctors so far, one in my home town and one at a teaching (prestigeous) hospital.  I am sorry that you are having problems.  But I have resigned myself to a life with GERD, most of it with PPI drugs.

BTW, not all GERD is the same.  Different people have different symptoms.  Some can cure their problem with "natural" products, some never find a cure.

Posted 5/29/2007 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,,

       I am booked in to have the nissan surgery on the 18th June. Was wondering if anyone who has had the op. is able to burp after it. I am worried that I will have stomach pains from not being able to burp, instead of having heartburn pain.???

Ebonyrae

Posted 5/29/2007 4:29 PM (GMT 0)

My surgery was mandatory since the my sphincter muscle had completely stopped working and medication did not help anymore.  I had GERD since I was 15 years old and at the time of the surgery, I was 30.  I had complete reilef for the past 6 years and it was great.

Posted 5/29/2007 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
Burping after surgery is a temporary thing.  It takes a while to be able to pass gas.

Posted 5/30/2007 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
Chefka, Thanks for that bit of information. Makes me feel a bit better.
Posted 6/1/2007 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
Ebonyrae,

I pray that your surgery really works for you.  Could you tell us why your doctor has agreed that you need surgery now verses PPI's?   Many doctors won't recommend it so I'm curious why yours has. 

There is a website called heartburn-help.com.  It will list different categories concerning heartburn.  Go to the subheading of Surgeries/Nissen Fundoplication.  YOu will find alot of people who have had the surgery discussing the pros and cons.  Many people have had great results while others have not but don't be discouraged.  Everyone's experience is different. I personally know two people who had it and are very pleased with it.   Also, the first thread on this list gives a great list of questions to ask your doctor before surgery.

All the best to you.

Sillylilly

Posted 6/5/2007 10:42 PM (GMT 0)

Ebony, You will eventually be able to burp again, it just takes a while.  I assume they have put you through a lot of tests to come to the conclusion that you need this surgery.  It's not one they usually do otherwise.  I had the lap Nissen in 2005 only because they thought it was triggering some of my asthma attacks. I will tell you, after surgery your esophagus is going to be very tight for a while.  When you first try to start eating, even soft foods, you will have a hard time with things going down and it will be very painful and for a few seconds you may think you are going to die.  You're not; try not to panic, it's just going to be painful.  Don't try to throw it back up, that's not going to happen either.  My reflux is better after surgery, but I still have to take Nexium. It did help the asthma attacks a little. The surgery wasn't bad, but the recovery was terrible. If it hadn't been for the severity of my asthma, I would not have considered having it done.  I am not trying to scare you or talk you out of it, I just want you to know what you are getting into.

Carla

Posted 6/13/2007 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
Chefka - What were your symptoms before it was discovered that your LES had stopped working completley?  I suffer from LPR and up until a week ago I could eat anything I wanted while on Nexium - now I get acid even while on nexium.  A bit worried.
Posted 6/13/2007 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
Ebony, I suspect that many posters on this site have a vested interest in Astra Zeneca. These are some facts: (1) 19 out of 20 patients who have surgery are happy and would have it again when asked 5 years after the surgery; (2) there are no similar long term studies on the desirability of taking PPIs. It has, however, been linked with precancerous cell changes: (3) PPIs do not stop reflux, they only change the character of what you reflux. Only surgery gets to the cause of Gerd; PPIs tamper with gerd symptoms.

The main factor which diminishes the success of surgery is a large hiatus hernia. Your endoscopy should have ruled this out. Manometry, likewise, should rule out (a) motility disorders and (2) connective tissue involvement in your reflux.

IMO, the question is not whether to go ahead with surgery, but rather whether you can afford not to have it. Ignore the scaremongers: the purple pill (that is far from miraculous) is a billion dollar earner and the drug companies are happy to see you and the multitude of Gerd sufferers continue to suffer.
Posted 6/14/2007 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,

               Haven't logged on for a while, but here I am back again.

I am having the nissen surgery on Monday because I have a mild HIatus Hernia that needs to be repaired. I also still get the bad chest and back pains, even though I have taken Somac and before that Nexium for a few years.  I have had the swallow test and it was good, so hopefully I won't have any trouble eating after the surgery. I've been looking at the pureed baby foods on the shelves if I do have trouble. I'm just hoping it's not too painful, i'm a bit of a sook. Will let you know how it goes.

Bye

Posted 6/14/2007 5:11 AM (GMT 0)

Ebony,

I wish you luck with your lap Nissen.  You will be fine.  Just know that your esophagus will be a little tight for a while after surgery, which I am sure your surgeon explained to you.  They don't usually explain just how it will feel, they haven't had it done themselves.  That is why I wanted to prepare you for when you go home and started eating.  You may be frightened at first, but just don't panic when and if it feels like food has gotten stuck going down.  I also had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time.

Regardless of  what Christo says, I don't have any vested interest in Astra Zeneca.  I just wanted to make sure you explored all your options.  Knowing that you have the hiatal hernia also, it sounds like you are making the right decision and after all, it is your body.  I do still have to take Nexium, but I don't think that is uncommon.

Take care!

Carla

Posted 6/22/2007 8:17 AM (GMT 0)
i also just had the lap nissen done as well as a large hiatal hernia replaced.  is it possible that the hernia might stop popping back out? i had the surgery las friday then tonight i started feeling a little bubble just below my uppper incision and it hurts and gets bigger when i drink. it wasn't there yesterday or any days before that so i was just wondering if anyone knew if that could happen. thanks

Posted 6/23/2007 1:39 AM (GMT 0)

Lusk, That can happen.  Is it actually popping out on the outside?  I think you need to give your surgeon a call just to be on the safe side.  It can be extremely painful when you first start eating and drinking after surgery.  Your esophagus is very tight for a while.  Even though they tell you that, it's hard to imagine how tight they actually mean until after you have the surgery. The surgeons usually make it sound so matter of fact. It can be frightening when you think something is stuck and you think it's not going to go down.  It will; just try not to panic if that happens to you.

I had the lap Nissen and a hiatal hernia repair in 2005 and probably in less than a year I had a sliding hiatal hernia and I'm just keeping it, no more surgery.  I have severe asthma and get bronchitis often and I assume it happened when I was coughing a lot.

Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Carla

Posted 6/25/2007 4:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone, :-)

             I am home from hospital. Stayed in for 2 days. The operation went well. It is a bit tight and uncomfortable at the site of the operation, but otherwise I feel well. Did have a bit of pain in hospital, but that was fixed with morphine. I am only on clear fluids for 2 weeks and then blended food for 2 weeks and then soft lumps for 2 weeks. The clear fluids are going down ok. I soon found out I could eat chocolate if I let it just melt in my mouth before swallowing. Will keep you informed how i'm going.

 Ebonyrae yeah

Posted 6/25/2007 5:09 AM (GMT 0)

It's good to hear from you ebony!  That morphine can sure take away the pain, can't it?  I'm glad to hear you're doing well.  Take it slow and easy on those blended foods.  You will be so hungry you may want to gulp it down. I did.  That will get you in trouble, temporarily.  Just remember that esophagus is a lot tighter than it was before surgery.  Keep us posted.

Take care!

Carla

Posted 7/7/2007 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
I had my surgury this thursday 7-5-07 at 9:30 am. The surgeon said the procedure went very well with no complications. By Friday I was able to eat scrambled eggs and the Dr. said if I wanted to I could go home later that day. I am now home and have pain near my small incisions but pain meds make it tollerable. I talked to several people who have had it done and all but said they would do it again. The one person who wouldn't do it again tried to talk me out of it but I suffered with this for 13 years. Nexium was the only drug that seemed to help the most but my insurance quit covering it so I opted for the nissen. I also had a 5cm hietal hernia repaired during the surgury. So far I was expecting more pain and I am relieved it is going this good. I was sick of sleeping on the recliner until all my food was digested and would occasionally have acid get in my lungs. If you ever had this happen you know how painful it is. The person who tried talking me out of it sounds like he had to tight of a wrap and has horrible bloating and back pain. He works with my brother and he called me to try and sway me. I did talk to my surgeon about this person and he said it may have been wrapped too tight and he may have poor eating habits causing excessive air to be swallowed. I occasionally do burp when drinking broth, I did mention this to my surgeon and he said heartburn could still be possible but not likely. I hope he wrapped it tight enough. I notice I get full very fast which I was told would happen. I'm hoping I did the right thing by going with the nissen but so far so good.
Posted 7/8/2007 4:49 AM (GMT 0)

I can't believe you are eating scrambled eggs.  That's amazing!  You recovery is definitely going much better than mine did, but then we don't all heal the same.  I am tickled to death for you.

Take care!

Carla

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