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My experience with hiatal hernia fundoplication surgery

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 12/16/2015 11:28 AM (GMT -7)
Hi,
I'm a 35 yr male with over 2.5 years of GERD and bloating problems. I'm now in my 3rd week after nissen surgery. This forum has helped me a lot in preparing for my surgery, so I'm positing my experience hoping it might help someone

Before surgery:

My problems initially started with excessive boating and gas. I gave up dairy and gluten foods based on my physicians suggestion which seemed to help for about a year but then the GERD started.
A small hiatal hernia was detected my second endoscopy and my motility test showed no slowness.
To avoid surgery I started using a wedge pillow, gave up caffeine and followed a strict diet, but the GERD still became worse. There were days where I can feel the acid coming up into my mouth when I was sitting in a chair at work so finally decided to get surgery.

After:

Got my surgery done in NYC, the surgeon told me I can leave on same day but suggested to stay in hospital for a day just to be sure.

Week1 : Not much pain from the surgery itself, but lot of gas pain in shoulders and collar bone.
The pain was manageable from 3rd day so I stopped the pain meds.
Followed liquid diet and jello and didn't observer any reflux. I was able to burp a little on 6th day.
Week2: Still lot of bloating and gas, shoulder pain was better. Started having puried foods and ensure (twice a day) and didnt have any reflux
Week3: Bloating decreased a little. Stopped drinking Ensure as I observed it seemed to increase my stomach acidity. I started feeling fatigued (probably due to malnutrition) and had trouble sleeping as I was getting hungry late at night. But whenever I eat late, I started having reflux like symptoms in the morning.

Had trouble swallowing even small bits of hard food, nearly choked on trying to swallow soft breads.

Trying to stay optimistic about the recovery. Hopefully it was worth getting the surgery
Posted 12/16/2015 11:54 AM (GMT -7)
hang in there, its slow. in regards to swallowing, coffee, was a life saver for me, even dipping my bread in it. cold fluids and eating, not so good, in the begging. but 4 months out, getting much better. gas, after i eat, comes on quick, but i don't mind the pressure release, i know its coming so i disappear for awhile. the recovery, is a very interesting, frustrating, and sometimes painful. but if its in the spirit of recovery, so be it. good luck
Posted 12/17/2015 10:01 AM (GMT -7)
Since you just had your surgery within the past month, I will tell you my post surgery progress and well if you want to compare notes. I am a 65 year old female and my Gerd may have been there for many years but last year became noticeably worse with shortness of breath, coughing, and severe burning in my mouth. After endoscopy was diagnosed with small hiatal hernia. Was on 80 mg of omiprazole per day and 300 of ranididine but neither had any effect (the ranididine was a little helpful but nothing took the burning in my mouth away). After having the swallow and PH tests my doctor recommended that his partner do the hernia repair and a nissen fundoplication. Surgery was Friday - Dec. 11 so this is week #1.

Week 1: 1st post op day - the burning came back in my mouth and throat about three times worse than it had even been - with even a small drink of water provoking it. I saw my doctor on Monday and he assured me that my surgery was as perfect as they come and to go back on the ranididine and gradually wean myself on if 4-6 weeks. So I did and each day it has gotten a little bit better but it has not gone away totally. Reading the posts on this forum reassures me that it will go away in time. Will let you know if it does. I'm very hungry all the time but only eating the small meals of liquids and very soft foods like cream of wheat. I only weigh 128 so not sure if my stomach could get much smaller. Any feedback appreciated.

Songbirde
Posted 12/18/2015 8:25 AM (GMT -7)
Thanks for the feedback. I'm taking omeprazole 40mg and was told to ween of after couple of months.
I'm seeing gradual improvements week by week. Hope your recovery goes well.
Posted 12/21/2015 6:39 AM (GMT -7)
It has been 1 year and 3 months since my Nissen was done. the only problem I seem to have is gas bloating at times when painful and sometimes feeling food stuck in chest. Otherwise germ gone. Any suggestions on above
Posted 12/22/2015 10:28 AM (GMT -7)
Hi sandeep... Where u get the surgery.... I m planning to have it... how u r feeling after surgery?
Posted 12/27/2015 8:28 PM (GMT -7)
I got mine done at NY presbyterian.
Recovery has been slow but i do see defenite progress.
Recently had a couple of episodes of hypoglycemia like symptoms. Found online that this can happen after stomach surgery, will be following up with my surgeon next week.

Good luck with your surgery
Posted 8/4/2018 10:47 AM (GMT -7)
Hi, am now hopefully recovering from hiatal hernia surgery, had it July 18th. I'm 72, and am is reasonable condition for my age. Had GERD for over ten years, along with a third of my stomach in my chest. Finally had enough, and decided the surgery had to happen. Can't sleep sitting up, and I tried everything, meds, diet, exercise, nothing helped as the symptoms started to get worse as time went on.

Had all the usual stuff after surgery, left shoulder and neck soooo sore!! That was due to the gases they pump you up with. They have to go somewhere. Also back pain around my ribs. Doctor had to tighten up the diaphragm area where the esophagus comes through. Can't do a good yawn even now.

Strange but I didn't have much nausea at the first. But now since I've been trying to eat regular food, the nausea comes on in the morning as I wake up. I eat small soft meals, and try to drink a lot of water. I don't drink my much missed coffee, just hot tea. I saw the doctor a week after the surgery, he said every thing went well during surgery and that I would have some symptoms for at least three to six weeks. He also wanted me to walk as much as I could.

When I eat I try hard to chew my food extremely well. If I swallow anything that hasn't been chewed enough I can feel it stopping at the bottom of the esophagus. This is painful, it feels like a very large rock is started to grow in my stomach. I end up sitting or standing and letting the food past through to the stomach. The first time it happened I almost panicked, but once the food matter pasted I realized I hadn't chewed it enough, it was bread, my favorite stuff. Once I start eating I revert back to my old ways of eat too fast. One good thing, at least now the food I eat doesn't come back to visit me.

I did take pain meds for a while, but only to help me sleep, now I have stopped them this week. If I take Advil I also have something to eat with the meds, since the doctor advised it. I take supplements along with my regular meds to help with digestion. The probiotics helped when I suffered from GERD, before I got the surgery, so I keep taking those.

Hopefully this nausea will subside, I only have it in the morning. Once I've eaten my morning meal it gets better. But if I have to I'll get a prescription for something. Hate waking up feel terrible.

Good luck all.
Posted 9/30/2018 9:59 AM (GMT -7)
I had hiatal surgery in the VA, it has been 5 months now. My stomach can still feel a little tender when I rub on it. My stomach seems like it is bloated some and I get short winded when picking up dogs and taking them up the stairs here at home. I walk several times a week (2 1/4 miles) . I feel good and don't have acid reflux now. I think I understand it may take another 2 months to be healed up 100% so maybe the cuts will not feel tender or more repaired. I hope the bloating goes down and my stomach looks flatter and I don't get out of breath as easy.
Posted 2/15/2021 12:33 PM (GMT -7)

saisandeep said...
I got mine done at NY presbyterian.
Recovery has been slow but i do see defenite progress.
Recently had a couple of episodes of hypoglycemia like symptoms. Found online that this can happen after stomach surgery, will be following up with my surgeon next week.

Good luck with your surgery

Hey I am considering getting the HILL - Nissen fundoplication done at NY Presbyterian. Since you got this done couple of years ago, thought I would check with you about your experience. Could you share the name of the surgeon that performed this surgery on you ? Would you recommend this surgeon ?
Now that its been 5-6 years since your surgery how do you feel ?

Thanks.
Posted 2/16/2021 6:19 AM (GMT -7)
Minfosk87:

You are responding to someone who hasn't been active on the Forum in over 5 years. You might want to start your own topic, although I must warn you that the Boards are very slow.

Sharon
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