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NF failure

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 6/12/2013 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
hi guys looking for some advice. Im a 44 year old male who was diagnosed with Barretts 8 years ago. Ive been taking Omeprasole 40mg since that day and until the start of this year ive been ok. I started having problems with swallowing food and being sick and after being referred to the hospital by my doctor it was decided the nissen fundliplication was the best option .In march i had the procedure and hoped for the best. I took all the advice given regarding diet and lifestyle by the surgeon but after 4-5 weeks i noticed i still couldnt eat sloppy foods , i also felt bloated , burped constantly and suffered dry " boke" . I had another endoscope which confirmed the wrap was ok but i had Duotinitest and peptic ulcers. I am back on 40mg omemprasole drinking Gaviscon Advance and anti sickness pills 3 times a day. I was back seeing the surgeon today and he said the NF was a failure and as my stomach is producing so much acid he is arranging a lab test that involves a tube up my nostril down into the stomach recording an acid count while i keep a diary for 24 hours. Any advice about what the next step would be or causes would be welcome
Posted 6/12/2013 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi gap,

Welcome to the Healing Well yeah yeah yeah Wrapped Club! yeah yeah yeah Sorry to hear about your problems.  Can I ask you about your surgeon?  Did he/she have a lot of experience doing Nissens? It sounds as if you've had way too many problems to assume that the wrap was done correctly.

My first suggestion is to get yourself to another surgeon--one who is highly experienced in the Nissen procedure, and specifically, an expert in doing redos.  Even if they can sort things out without  having surgery again, you need to see someone who can get you straightened around, and it sounds as if that person is NOT the surgeon who did your Nissen.

What testing did you get before your surgery?  Generally, these tests are standard:  barium swallow, endoscopy, manometry, 24hr PH monitor (either wired or a BRAVO capsule), and often a stomach emptying test.

If you had the procedure this past March, you are still in the thick of healing.  This surgery takes six months for the majority of healing and a year for the rest.  It's not uncommon to have problems and discomforts in the first six months, but it sounds as if yours are extreme.

I'm sure others will be by soon to share their experiences and advice.  You can get a lot of support here as you work through your problems.

Glad you've joined the forum.  It's a good place to be.  Hang in there!

Take care,

Denise

Posted 6/13/2013 8:38 AM (GMT 0)
gap-

I had very similar issues as you with my first nissen. Mine was done wrong and I had many tests and about 13 dilations. I finally was referred to a surgeon who specializes in swallowing issues and nissen redoes. He had to do an exploratory surgery and found it was done wrong.

Here is a post on my story if you would like to read it.
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2337138

Take care,
Bill devil
Posted 6/13/2013 12:12 PM (GMT 0)
hi guys thanks for your replys. I know the surgeon has carried out about 100 NFs and seemingly only 3 have failed . Next step is the 24hour PH test but what sfter that ? My concerns start with work as i have a heavy lifting job (roof tiler) and i am returning to work next monday . The constant reflux and sick feeling are not going to make work easy , my second concern is the amount of acid being produced and will it affect my Barretts ? As i live in the UK we have the NHS which is great but sometimes slow and you cannot pick your surgeon . Maybe i am starting to worry myself which i dont normally do i think its just the dissapointment that it hasnt worked and feel as if i have went back 10 years
Posted 6/13/2013 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
gap-

A barium swallow will give them a very good picture of what is going on. They can see what happens when you stand, sit, lay down, etc. Yes reflux will affect your barretts, BUT there are 2 more steps before cancer and even with barretts it's still extremely low % you will ever develop cancer. IIRC it's less that 1%.
As a roofer try to stay upright as much as possible and keep some type of ant acid on hand. I always had best results with the larger chewables like Malox.

Take care,
Bill

Ps 100 really isn't a lot, well at least not here in the US.
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