Opera singers: Experiences with Nissen, Linx or other surgeries for hiatal hernia.

Welcome to the forum.

How large is the hernia? Most don't cause any trouble at all, and it's generally a weak esophageal valve that's causing the reflux. Likely you have both, but if the hernia is less than 3 cm it is not large.

You mentioned "take care of my food." What did you mean? Do you have food intolerances?

I have food intolerances that act as "triggers" for reflux. After keeping a "food journal" to find my trigger foods, I looked them up with "food allergies" and found what they had in common. By eliminating my food triggers I didn't have any reflux events. My lower esophageal valve was still bad, so acid could still come up, but keeping my stomach non-acid with PPIs kept me from having any esophageal irritation or damage.

I don't believe in the general food avoidances like no tomatoes or coffee. I firmly believe in finding what you as an individual have reactions to. I have no reaction at all to the so-called acid foods, only my own trigger, which happens to be sulfites. Others may have to avoid salicylates or MSG or onion family vegetables.

I eventually did have to have a toupet fundoplication, but that was caused by a wreck that shoved my stomach into my chest. I don't need PPIs now, which is nice, but I would happily have gone on without the surgery if it hadn't been necessary. Recovery is not nice if you have a large surgery like mine was.

Many thanks Alcie,

The doctor who performed the endoscopy said my hernia was small. In contrast, the esophageal valve was weak because of the incorrect position of the stomach. Some time ago, I was told that my hernia was medium and I think I managed to reduce it a bit with osteopathy.

I take the maximum dose of omeprazole (80 mg daily), and I still have grade A esophagitis.

I would think that I have some food intolerances, but I do not know any reliable method for detecting them. There are some foods that really make me feel bad, like coffee, peppers, aubergines, fried, carbonated drinks, chocolate, wine and I prefer to avoid. I am currently following a diet that consists of eating foods that I think feel good, several times a day and in small portions. Besides, I raised the headboard of my bed.

The problem is that even taking care of food, if one day I eat something that I do not feel good, my voice suffers for many days. Besides that eating becomes a sad thing ...

How are you doing with your surgery? How long was your recovery? I would rather not have to do the surgery, but as a professional singer, I would like to have regularity in my singing.

I know this may sound silly, but try sleeping on your left side as much as possible. I suffered with GERD aggravated asthma for years. I would often wake up in thr middle of the night with acid/bile in my mouth and lungs. The inhaled acid would trigger asthma flares and coughing that would last for weeks. I also have a 6 cm. hiatal hernia. I was considering the Linx with hh repair but could not get approved by my insurance.

Started following all the food protocols and, in particular, sleeping on my left side. Now i can eat and drink almost anything in the evening, but no problems as long as i sleep on my left side. Try it, you have nothing to lose...