Chest pain after Nissen Fundoplication?

I had my surgery 4 weeks ago tomorrow and am still having significant chest pain. I was having aspiration into my lungs prior to surgery causing chest pain, but was well treated with an inhaler.

I am now wondering if this is a side effect from surgery or potentially my lung issues healing.

I am having no swallowing or bloating issues. How long does it take before you feel better?

Thank you for your response. I have been seeing my surgeon every 2 weeks. He is thinking the chest pain may be related to the stitching of the diaphragm. He is getting a little concerned and stated that we may do a barium swallow, but right now wants to wait a little while longer.

I have am still mostly on a soft diet, but also able to eat noodles and rice, and canned fruit. No breads or meats. I have lost 20 lbs in 5 weeks. I don't have problems swallowing most of the time, but occasionally even liquids will come back up. I don't really have an appetite, so not eating other things has not bothered me to much.

Any advice on what if anything can help the chest pain besides time?

yes, in my case, the chest pains, started intermittently. about 3-6 months out, and got pretty severe. sometimes, with numbness down my left arm, mimicking a heart attack. before my stomach decided to move north, i was an athlete, and always monitored, and took great care of my heart. so doctor ran me thru cardiac tests, still chest pain, went back for ct scan all was good. so post surgical changes was the decision. well it got bad, so they sent me to a gastro, who ordered a barium swallow. and low and behold, i am now the proud owner of, esophageal spasms. interestingly enough, i could see it happen in real time, during the test. so as it was explained to me, i have a short circuit, that cant be fixed. and will cause, chest pain that can feels like a heart attack, complete with pressure and all the trimmings. i take medication now that makes it tolerable. was scoped as well. so hello new normal. good luck.

Craine, raises some good points. everyone's new normal, and after effects, will be different based on the severity, of the operation. i am about 3 months ahead, of the last poster. my stomach. forced me into this operation, by looking for more real estate. gerd for me was, never an issue. so as, craine said, i as well will never be the same, but you do your best, and try to move on.

Hi Angel,

I did not have typical GERD symptoms, but chest tightness/asthma like symptoms. To confuse things, I have had asthma all of my life but was very well controlled on a daily inhaler for many years. My issues would start again when I would try to go off the PPI.

I wanted a permanent fix, so I had all of the testings done for a fundoplication. They found high acid and also believed I was aspirating acid into my lungs silently, as I would never wake up, cough, wheeze, choke, etc.

I had a toupet fundoplication due to motility issues and gastric empty issues March 2016. After the swelling went down a month after I started having my chest tightness/pain again. I had an EGD which was good and another Bravo probe, this time acid was under control.

My surgeon thought they were esophageal spasms. We tried several medications and one called Baclofen worked perfectly. I was symptom free for 4 months until this December when out of the blue my chest tightness/pain came back. I am now back on a PPI, along with the Baclofen, Qvar, and now Spiriva. I am so upset at the continued symptoms. On top of this, due to the fundoplication I cannot burp, get full very fast, and cannot gain weight.

I have read from her Dencha/Denise who was the past moderator, who also had similar asthma/lung issues before her fundoplication. She said a PPI is still needed per her doctors due to tiny amounts of acid that can sneak through and irritate the lungs. While I am upset I'm a back on a PPI at this point I will just be happy to have an answer. My PCP said the Bravo probe is a small snapshot in time, that it necessarily does not reflect what happens everyday or over a long term period. Also, I had a partial wrap, which may account for less control?

I'm sorry I do not have answers for you, but you are not alone. I would be going back to your surgeon to make sure the wrap is okay, and if is maybe work with your PCP and gastro doctor. This is where I am now. I have also been working with a pulmonologist again and bein sent back to the cardiologist, although heart was cleared two years ago and believe this will happen again, as this does not feel heart related.

Best wishes, keep us posted.

Kristin

Linda Sue. short answer yes. this is how it played out. had the operation, 17 months ago. re flux was never an issue for me, 1/3 of my stomach went north and stayed there. some damage was done. stomach stopped a lung from expanding, and pushed in the heart chamber. due the severity of chest pain and pressure. extensive cardio testing was, done to rule out heart issues, ( i was extremely athletic before the operation] so the decision, based on the severity of the operation, was post surgical changes. chest pains got worse, so my doctor got me into see a gastro. he ordered another barium swallow, and low and behold, in real time the barium, would start and stop, on the way down. so the doctor, preforming the test explained to me what was going on. esophageal spasms]out of nowhere his nurse asked me if i had chest pain, i said yes, sometimes really bad, feels like a heart attack. and was told, yes that is a major symptom. was scoped and everything else was normal. so like you, i take an anti-depressant, imipramine which helps the spasms, and klonopin, as needed. this has been, a very difficult journey, the new normal sucks. i just do the best i can.

Kristin, mine come and go, in no particular pattern, and can be severe at times. triggers appear to be cold liquids. some days, its mild and others, a lot of ibuprofen, among other drugs. lying down very much helps. i know its not my heart, i take comfort in that. i just deal with it now, which is the hardest part, as i was an athlete, before all this drama. those days are gone, hence the new normal. sucks, just do the best i can.

Thank you Aero and Linda, you have given me hope with this chest pain. I saw a cardiologist Friday. I already had a negative ECG, Echo, and stress test 2 years ago when this started. This same Cardiogist now wants me to have a CT coronary, stating if this is negative I can rule out he heart. I've had so many tests involving radiation due to the fundoplication and pulmonary trying to get to the bottom of this, that I hate to continue to radiate myself. I just don't understand why I have chest pain up and around but the minute I lay down it goes away, almost instantly. I hope the new GI doctor I see next month will get the the bottoms of this, figuring the heart is okay which I believe I think is, as I'm youngish and fit. Thank you again very much!

Linda sue

Sorry to hear your having problems, ask your gi doctor for hycosium 3.75 this I found thru my new internal medicine doctor. It help so much for spasm in throat, chest pain and yes my bowel pain. Just be careful it will slow the bowels down but boy what a game changer. I send get well wishes and speedy recovery. Love (SUNSHINE)

I'm on week 9 and I read on a forum on here. That's still reasonably early in the recover stage. I been doing great but noticed specs of blood in my Saliva. I think thats happened twice in 9 weeks. I wasn't sure if this is normal due to the amount of trauma from the surgery and I do get slight ache at the top of my stomach which lasts secons but other than i have been doing great. I hope everyone else who has undergone this procedure is feeling better and healthier because of it. Good luck to everyone. 😊

Hello all, I am new to the forum as well. I am scheduled to have the surgery on June 14. I, too, have been experiencing severe chest pain (like a heart attack) for several years now. This pain radiates up my throat as well and is excruciating pain. I do have all of the other symptoms as well..severe reflux, chronic cough, heartburn, nausea, feels like a lump in my throat, etc. I am very nervous about the procedure! I have researched and researched this surgery and have seen lots of posts on this forum. I am just hoping and praying it helps me!

J24O,

I'm 14 weeks past surgery and sometimes I'm sore at the same spot you mention. I don't know why but it goes away and hasn't lasted longer than a few hours.

-Mark

Hello Alcie

thank you for your reply. It means alot. Something else, I wanted to ask you because you've gone through the first year of symptoms and recovery. Recently i have been getting slight breathlessness, not alot of just a little. I was wondering if this was normal. If it's not one thing it's something else. thank you.