Posted 7/8/2012 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Didn't want to be one of those people who came here to mooch free info during the bad times and then disappear when all is well. It's true what I've read here on the threads about Nissen surgery, I honestly believe the failed or botched surgeries are the exception and it's too easy to focus on just the horror stories.
For anyone considering the surgery, I highly recommend it. I was a GERD sufferer for 7 years and believe taking Nexium every day nearly ruined me. Be very careful with malabsorption of certain nutrients when taking PPIs. I had problems for 2 years leading up to my surgery and my last blood test showed everything back to normal 5 months post surgery.
I'm at 7 months now and haven't touched PPIs since. In the first 6-8 weeks, I thought the surgery failed given intermittent heartburn but it got gradually better in weeks 10+, with best results at ~16 weeks. My surgeon warned me that best results come out in months 3-6 post op and he was bang on.
My only complaint has to do with that awful feeling I get that radiates to my throat on an empty stomach. I know it's not GERD because the only way I can get it to go away is by eating something...but still, the overall benefits highly outweigh the small quirks (ie: increased gas, inability to belch properly)
Best,
Tony