Hiatal Hernia/Reflux SURGERY

I have GERD/Hiatal Hernia and have decided to have the surgery after the new year.  I would love to hear from someone who has had the surgery and hear about their experience and outcome. 

I was told at the onset that I was a candidate for the surgery, but opted to try and manage my GERD with medication and lifestyle changes.  While this has helped somewhat, I still get two or three episodes a year that I will go for nearly a month with severe heartburn everyday, no matter what I eat or don't eat.  I also find that stress is a huge trigger for my symptoms and that is pretty hard to cut out of your life.  So I feel that the surgery is my only option.

If you had the surgery or know someone who has, please let me know how it worked.

Thanks much.

 

Hello, sorry to hear about your GERD issues, I too am a sufferer.  I had a Nissen done 2 years ago this coming May.  Before then, I (exactly like you) would have 3 or 4 bouts a year for 2-3 weeks at a whack where I COULD NOT control the heartburn, so much so in fact that it would actually burn my esophagus and eating ANYTHING warmer than 100 degrees or so (which isn't that hot by the way) or ANY kind of food with ANY spice or acid AT ALL would feel like orange juice on a canker sore all the way down...when eating, I'd actually start sweating and my nose would start spontaneously running in response...it actually felt like I was on fire inside...horrible... SO I too after trying meds for several years, had HAD IT and said..."do the surgery!"  Well, it was no big deal other than a complication a week after the surgery which caused me to be violently nauseaus and required a 2 day stay in the hospital for meds to control the nausea.  Once that healed up I was ok for a year up until this past may when symptoms came back...I went back on Prevacid and the symptoms stopped quickly so I was hopeful that that was that!  However, bad news...I started getting another severe bout of it back the 1st week of November and its been worsening ever since w/ meds AND the Nissen...the doctors don't know what to do for me at this point, unfortunately neither do I.  Now I've heard stories of VERY good results with a Nissen and some horror stories and some like mine...works for a while then it comes back...based on that its hard for me to either recommend it or not.  I can tell you this... whether it works or not, you need to be aware of a couple of things...you will likely lose your ability to burp...possibly forever (which I can tell you IS a big deal since people with GERD NEED to burp alot...losing that ability sucks, literally)  you will also probably lose your ability to vomit...again no big deal right?  Well, try getting a stomach bug or a hangover and not being PHYSICALLY ABLE to vomit... it is not pleasant and its downright dangerous in the case of alcohol.  By the way, no one tells your body you've lost these abilities, you'll TRY to burp, and TRY to vomit but the reverse gear goes into action and sometimes it hurts until you get used to the sensation...I just wanted to make you aware of this before you dive in head first (my surgeon told me I MIGHT lose these abilities but probably regain them once the healing is complete...ummm, NO!) ...again, these are just MY experiences, you could probably find at least a hundred people who'd tell you the surgery was a Godsend, and perhaps for you it will be... I hope so.  Believe me, I sympathize with anyone who has to deal with this curse.  Best of luck... if I can be of any help to you, please let me know... Sean