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Fundoplication Reversal
Hi everyone, I'm trying to find out as much information as possible on having fundoplication surgery reversed.
I had this surgery not so long ago. Without going into too much detail a series of events and mistakes made by myself and others led me to believe that having this surgery would be a good idea. My reflux wasn't that bad at all really and the medication was working well.I had a small sliding Hiatal Hernia so I still had occasional reflux on the medication but it was more like a gas with no acids or liquids really and all of my other symptoms had gone despite not taking my diet and lifestyle changes that seriously.
Now I'm sure this surgery helps a lot of people with severe reflux that cannot be controlled well with medication and lifestyle changes but I have to say that in my case all of the complications or side effects associated with the procedure are 50 times worse and harder to live with that what the surgeon described to me himself after reviewing my 24 hr PH study as mild reflux.
I'm very keen to have this operation reversed and would love to here from anyone anywhere who has managed to have a full reversal. I would love to know if the bloating and abdominal pain has gone or improved. if you can burp freely whenever you need to ( something I totally underestimated the importance of in my case ), if your bowels have improved and if your reflux returned any worse than before having the operation.
Also I live in Australia, so if anyone down under has had this operation reversed or is looking into it please help me out with any information you may have.
I feel this operation is being marketed by some practitioners as a convenient thing to have done to avoid taking medication each day. Something I have learnt the hard way and wish someone had said to me is this operation is a big deal and the recovery time can be very long. Take your diet and lifestyle changes very seriously and only consider surgery if your reflux is bad and when you have tried every other option available with no success.
Thank you,
Gastroboy.
I had this surgery not so long ago. Without going into too much detail a series of events and mistakes made by myself and others led me to believe that having this surgery would be a good idea. My reflux wasn't that bad at all really and the medication was working well.I had a small sliding Hiatal Hernia so I still had occasional reflux on the medication but it was more like a gas with no acids or liquids really and all of my other symptoms had gone despite not taking my diet and lifestyle changes that seriously.
Now I'm sure this surgery helps a lot of people with severe reflux that cannot be controlled well with medication and lifestyle changes but I have to say that in my case all of the complications or side effects associated with the procedure are 50 times worse and harder to live with that what the surgeon described to me himself after reviewing my 24 hr PH study as mild reflux.
I'm very keen to have this operation reversed and would love to here from anyone anywhere who has managed to have a full reversal. I would love to know if the bloating and abdominal pain has gone or improved. if you can burp freely whenever you need to ( something I totally underestimated the importance of in my case ), if your bowels have improved and if your reflux returned any worse than before having the operation.
Also I live in Australia, so if anyone down under has had this operation reversed or is looking into it please help me out with any information you may have.
I feel this operation is being marketed by some practitioners as a convenient thing to have done to avoid taking medication each day. Something I have learnt the hard way and wish someone had said to me is this operation is a big deal and the recovery time can be very long. Take your diet and lifestyle changes very seriously and only consider surgery if your reflux is bad and when you have tried every other option available with no success.
Thank you,
Gastroboy.
I'm 34, from Melbourne, VIC..had the Toupet wrap done 3 days ago and reading all of the above is scary considering there's likely no going back.
I had a 2cm hiatal hernia and reflux/heartburn as a result...I'd wake up feeling like my throat had acid in it all night unless I slept sitting up or with the bed raised with phonebooks. It was either take Nexium/Pariet/Somac for life (which seemed to dried me out..eyes, mouth, skin, constipation) or get the surgery.
The greatest worry was the possibility of developing Barrett's, and I had mucus in my throat all the time (still do) as confirmed by ENT scope.
I had the motility study and 24 hour PH monitor and they concluded that the hernia repair/Toupet wrap was the best course of action. I asked repeatedly if they could just repair the hernia and not wrap my stomach and was told that the wrap was required or reflux symptoms would likely resume. I can't burp at all now, it happens internally, not too pleased about that. It's easy to forget the point of the operation was to stop the reflux with these new problems I'm experiencing in recovery.. People say reflux is normal, everybody gets it...who's to know if it's at the point where it's causing irreversable damage or not.
I had a 2cm hiatal hernia and reflux/heartburn as a result...I'd wake up feeling like my throat had acid in it all night unless I slept sitting up or with the bed raised with phonebooks. It was either take Nexium/Pariet/Somac for life (which seemed to dried me out..eyes, mouth, skin, constipation) or get the surgery.
The greatest worry was the possibility of developing Barrett's, and I had mucus in my throat all the time (still do) as confirmed by ENT scope.
I had the motility study and 24 hour PH monitor and they concluded that the hernia repair/Toupet wrap was the best course of action. I asked repeatedly if they could just repair the hernia and not wrap my stomach and was told that the wrap was required or reflux symptoms would likely resume. I can't burp at all now, it happens internally, not too pleased about that. It's easy to forget the point of the operation was to stop the reflux with these new problems I'm experiencing in recovery.. People say reflux is normal, everybody gets it...who's to know if it's at the point where it's causing irreversable damage or not.
A lot of controversy about this type of operation but what it comes down to is about our individual problems. We all have different functioning stomachs so it may not suit all. I have had 2 fundos and one reversal,all not without their problems. I would say the last one I had in March this year ( the partial wrap) was the most painful due to scare tissue. This was done by laproscopy and I will not be able to have any more surgery. My post op test show a very slight improvement but I still have reflux and vomitting. It was 50/50 as to whether the reflux would be improved and was told this by the surgeon.
I'm so glad to have read your post. You are the first person to say that you have had yours reversed. That was my only question, can you have it reversed. I didn't know if it was possible. You have given me my answer.
I had mine done in 2008 before Nexium. If I had taken this particular drug in the first place, I wouldn't have even considered surgery.
The Nexium cures the heartburn but I still reflux at night, ALOT, and then it goes into my lungs. Nothing was accomplished by having the useless surgery. Plus my chest feels tight, confined and uncomfortable.
I'm going to check into having my wrap, although it looks like stitches in the xray, removed. And probably do a lot of vegan eating.
Thank you so much. Hope you are still doing very well!
I had mine done in 2008 before Nexium. If I had taken this particular drug in the first place, I wouldn't have even considered surgery.
The Nexium cures the heartburn but I still reflux at night, ALOT, and then it goes into my lungs. Nothing was accomplished by having the useless surgery. Plus my chest feels tight, confined and uncomfortable.
I'm going to check into having my wrap, although it looks like stitches in the xray, removed. And probably do a lot of vegan eating.
Thank you so much. Hope you are still doing very well!
Hi I had hiatal repair Nissan fundoplication end of Feb 2014. I couldn't drink water for 2 mo. I have not been able to eat food and the recent barium swallow showed that two tiny sips of the white drink barely moved down but came to a stop and didn't enter stomach. I am now scheduled this Thur for endo with stretching. I have been so concerned that the fundo would be damaged, but I am having vomiting, so know I have to do something !!! At least the vomiting isn't as painful. It seems it starts mid chest, throat, and stacks up around belt line. What can I tell dr doing procedure to make him aware of my own special needs, and will it work, what are risks. Etc
I'm not confrontational, I'm sorry if I came across as such. I'm well aware that surgical procedures can go haywire, I had heart bypass surgery two years ago and the procedure failed six months ago, leaving me not just uncomfortable but with Congestive Heart Failure. Bypass surgery helps a huge per cent of the population who need it, in my case my body simply rejected the transplants of the veins for arteries.
That said, I don't want to blanket the process with negative comments, I was the exception, not the rule. I've followed this board since 1997 and hope to make sure my negative results don't influence other people from seeking help. I trust you will find some peace and comfort.
That said, I don't want to blanket the process with negative comments, I was the exception, not the rule. I've followed this board since 1997 and hope to make sure my negative results don't influence other people from seeking help. I trust you will find some peace and comfort.
Mate I'm very glad that the operation worked out great for you but to answer your questions in one sentence - No sorry I didn't do anything wrong - followed all the advice I was given to the letter & I'm not overweight as well.
The surgeon was very experienced too, but very very deceptive as well. Look basically I'm not willing to tell you or anyone else all the details here online for obvious reasons, but to put things in perspective I recall a recent case here in the media of a surgeon that removed the wrong kidney from a patient, they are not Gods and some do make big mistakes - and in my case then back away from them leaving the patient in the dark and without any answers or
a way forward. Surely you're not supporting that sort of treatment ?
Don't take my situation as a personal attack on your successful operation. Surgery's can go wrong & all my posts on MedHelp were to find out information & advice as my surgeon wasn't interested in that.
I leaned more in the first 45min visit with my second surgeon than all the visits put together with the guy that did my operation and yes I asked him
plenty of questions prior to my operation, just so you know.
I now post on here to help others who are having problems post surgery & have shared all the information I learned during my recovery. As mentioned I'm really glad you had a great outcome but as you say above 90%, don't the other 10% deserve a voice and some advice? Put yourself on the other side of that equation for a while and please show some empathy for others.
Gastroboy.
The surgeon was very experienced too, but very very deceptive as well. Look basically I'm not willing to tell you or anyone else all the details here online for obvious reasons, but to put things in perspective I recall a recent case here in the media of a surgeon that removed the wrong kidney from a patient, they are not Gods and some do make big mistakes - and in my case then back away from them leaving the patient in the dark and without any answers or
a way forward. Surely you're not supporting that sort of treatment ?
Don't take my situation as a personal attack on your successful operation. Surgery's can go wrong & all my posts on MedHelp were to find out information & advice as my surgeon wasn't interested in that.
I leaned more in the first 45min visit with my second surgeon than all the visits put together with the guy that did my operation and yes I asked him
plenty of questions prior to my operation, just so you know.
I now post on here to help others who are having problems post surgery & have shared all the information I learned during my recovery. As mentioned I'm really glad you had a great outcome but as you say above 90%, don't the other 10% deserve a voice and some advice? Put yourself on the other side of that equation for a while and please show some empathy for others.
Gastroboy.
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