Hi Folks, Well, now there is a new theory about my situation. My surgeon checked with Torax and with others as well, and now they think that perhaps a hernia (or something) pushed the LES and linx up...
Torax didn't have much to say, other than thanks for telling us, keep working with your surgeon, and we wish you the best. Disappointing, to say the least....
Hi Beach Girl, I'm really sorry you are having these continuing problems. That you were a personal trainer and now have difficulty exercising must be difficult indeed. Have you consulted widely with...
Hi Pat Fill, I emailed the contact person at Torax that was listed on the website about the Linx study. I also mentioned my case in case I was not eligible for the study but might be of interest to...
Hi Greta Garbo, What you were told by your contact at that company about the fact that he's aware of no cases of migration is really remarkable. I'm completely at a loss as to what to think. My...
Pat, Thanks. You are so right about the need to get doctors and Torax focused on outcomes. Who did you call at Torax? Were you satisfied by their response to your call?...
Thanks Greta and GroverCat, I think contacting Torax directly is a very good idea. My surgeon is indeed contacting Dr. De Meester, and says he'll be sending him all the information about my case and...
Well, I finally got the surgeon and doctors to take a close look through a manometry test, and did not get good news. My food back-ups into the esophagus are because the linx is actually below the...
Hi Anna. If you are considering having the LINX procedure with Dr. Soper or someone in Chicago I'd be happy to talk to you do email correspondence to discuss my experiences and your own questions....
Hi folks, Any of you long-standing post-op Linx veterans have symptoms similar to mine?: 9 months after surgery food gets stuck in the LES area (5-10 percent of what I eat), and when it does I...
Hi GroverCat, Congratulations on getting on the list! I do think it's a great idea. No procedure is perfect (despite some claims made by Torax and other Linx boosters), but I do think the Linx is the...
Hi Anna, I'm glad the journal was useful to you. Sorry for the late reply, but I haven't checked the forum for the last couple of weeks. Have you talked to any doctors in the chicago area about Linx?...
For the record, since I haven't posted it on this thread yet, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois covered my entire procedure, including the linx device. I just paid my co-pays and deductibles. Cost...
Hi Grovercat, I haven't checked this forum for a couple of weeks, hence my late reply. Dexilant worked quite well for me when I took it, compared to other ppi's. My problem was that after a while...
Hi Shrtcak, You are just at three weeks. You'll have to be patient! One thing that medical advocates of the linx surgery have overstated is the recovery speed after surgery. It's still an operation,...
Hi Grovercat, Sorry for the late reply, but I've been off this forum for a few weeks. Today is my 3-month anniversary since surgery. I can report a steady improvement. GERD is not an issue, and I've...
FYI, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois paid for my procedure, including the linx device. All I paid was the co-pays and regular deductibles for my policy. They are really varying state by state, but...
One surgeon told me that the jury might still be out regarding MRI's and LINX. He noted that in a majority of cases the LINX has not been demagnetized by the MRI, and the patient suffered no...
Ben, Thanks VERY much for your thoughtful and informative post. It was good to see it laid out this way. I think I have taken a bit longer than most to get through the LES healing. Also, the lower...
HI SUEBEA7898, Hang in there! Surgeons and advocates of the LINX procedure to tend to overestimate the speed of recovery. There seems to be a certain giddiness out there about this new procedure that...
Ok, now I feel even better. The pattern you describe for yourself is exactly what I'm feeling. So getting confirmation that it will indeed go away in a reasonable time period gives me the fortitude...
A star is born, NDL!! I don't blame them for approaching you to be a spokesperson. So far you've been very eloquent. Overall I'm very glad I did the LINX. My heartburn is pretty much gone, and I have...
NDL, OK, I'll set my sights on two months as a benchmark for the LES pain to ease. At six weeks I'm still dealing with the pain and rawness, even though food usually doesn't get stuck much any more....
Week 6 Post Op Report This one will be short, because there is not a whole lot new stuff to report. Dysphagia is evolving. I rarely have the LES shut-downs now, unless I forget myself and start...
Good luck, Benjamin. It's good you are exploring all options. That's far better than sitting and enduring the problem year after year and not living life to its fullest....
Hi Benjam, Dr. Soper is an excellent surgeon. He's also a nice guy. With surgeons, though, don't expect major bedside skills or hand-holding. Soper is pretty much a straight-forward guy, makes you...
Thanks, NDL! That's very encouraging. It's nice to read that even though at times stuff gets stuck, it no longer hurts. Do you remember how long after surgery the pain or discomfort lasted? Hang in...
GH, what did you notice when you stopped the ppi's cold turkey? Was there a noticeable change in reflux symptoms?...
Hi Folks, Sorry for being out of the loop for a while. Here goes my Week 5 post op report: Well, week 5 plus one day, but who is counting: The most important point: five weeks without taking ppi's...
Ingy, I echo the above statements. Don't give up. Keep appealing and make sure your surgeon keeps up the pressure (it's in his interest to do so anyway). Blue Cross Blue Shield is not only playing...
P.S. Saliva "pooling" still happens, but not as constantly. The last two nights I was not woken up by any coughing....
Hi GM, I waited a day before answering because I wanted to make sure. But feel sure enough now to make this my "Day 26 post-op summary": It's been about 36 hours without a major dysphagia episode,...
Hi Ingy, Best of luck with the surgery! And please keep us posted. I'm three weeks (and three days) post-surgery, and, despite all the adjustments and post-op tribulations, I'm still very glad I did...
Hi Vees, Welcome to the forum! I'm at the three-week mark as well, so let's compare notes over the next several weeks. I've also had reflux symptoms greatly reduced. My main problem is painful...
Great to hear from you again, NDL. Your good recovery is an inspiration. By my count you should be hitting the three month mark pretty soon. Correct? Has the painful dysphagia period passed (if you...
Thanks, Honeybadger. I'll give it a try. And good luck with your recovery. Please keep us posted. If you are one week post-op, you may be soon starting to feel some dysphagia. That's been the pattern...
How are you doing, NDL?...
Hi Tracks-- Bouts of nausea do happen, but they are quite mild and short-lived. On saliva, I think it tends to pool above the LES, and is not heavy enough to go through (at least not all of it). That...
Post-op Summary, 3 weeks (21 days): On Tuesday morning (tomorrow) it will be 21 days since my surgery. Most post-op problems have cleared, and the one issue I am dealing with now is dysphagia. It hit...
Thanks, Nick. I will try that right away. The dysphagia has really knocked me over the past couple of days....
Thanks, GH. Very helpful....
Hey, GH, I'm not speaking from any position of medical authority, but don't discount the possibility of a long-term virtuous cycle developing from the fixing of the LES with LINX. As you know, one of...
P.S. In the dysphagia event last night I was eventually able to eat. I let 15 minutes go by, sipping room temperature water (I believe this was GH's advice--thanks), and then, slowly I finished the...
Post-op Summary, Day 14 2 weeks have gone by! May time continue to flow! Last night I experienced my first major bout with dysphagia. By "major bout" I mean that I lost. At my third swallow (stuffed...
[/quoteHi sinfrontera, Do you have any pain that might be related to the gas used during the laparoscopic procedure? For example, a sharp shoulder/neck pain? Also, please sneek a peek at my last post...
Hi GH, Thanks for posting this update. How would you compare your reflux on a daily basis now to what it was pre-surgery? Most people would probably feel some kind of reflex stretching with an...
Hey, GH and JPT, Thanks for your input. It really helps to hear your perspectives. This is a strange recovery to go through--it's a procedure most people don't know anything about and can't really...
Day 10 post-op summary: Not a whole lot to report. Seem to be mending gradually. The only major post-op symptom is a pretty sharp pain in the LES. In the last two days it's been pretty much the...
Will do....
One must never undervalue patience and common sense. Thanks, GM....