Post-Nissen Fundoplication Problems: What helps?

Posted by nirolk @nirolk, Apr 29, 2018

I had a nissen wrap operation in 1999. I still have problems at night after about 4 hours of sleep. I've tried all kinds of drugs to help relieve the gas. Right now I am on 40 mg of pantoprazole in the morning before breakfast. Most of the time days are fine. I have problems being regular on bowl movements, so I have a high amt of gas from the meds I take to go number 2. At night is when I have real problems. Any kindred spirits out there?

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parrotlady | @parrotlady | Sep 17 11:36am

In reply to @sprinkles123 "I am so sorry you are going through this all. My Grandsin had 2 full wraps..." + (show)

@sprinkles123

I am so sorry you are going through this all. My Grandsin had 2 full wraps 360 degree ones that were both very successful. He started violently vomiting again in 2024 and was told he needed a revision again and the Dr said he would be great after he did a half wrap 270 degree wrap. That operation immediately failed and the surgeon shut the door in our faces. The hastro Dr that had referred us to this surgeon then decide to do an upper endoscopy again and found food undigested in his stomach when it still shouldn’t have been there.
He then said he may need a motility specialist. My 23 year old grandson that did a test called a Hasidic emptying study. It can tell you how you’re digesting your food. He did 2 of those and both of those showed he wasn’t digesting his food properly. He was then diagnosed with a disease called Gastroparesis which no nurse ever knows about when we go into the hospital with him vomiting 24:7 all the time time. It’s a horrific disease that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It has been such a hard life for this kid and I am so heartbroken as he is losing weight rapidly and very sick now. This has been an absolute nightmare and I am trying to find a Dr or somewhere that will help him and care whether he lives or dies now. I haven’t been lucky enough yet and just keep praying for a miracle as we need one. I also pray 🙏for everyone else that is suffering terribly with this disease. The reason I told you my long story is because I wanted to see if you ever had a gastric emptying study done because if the vagus nerve is damaged during your operation it can happen that you now have gastroparesis
It can happen to people with any surgery the surgeon damages the vagus nerve by mistake. I’m on the gastroparesis supoortvgrouo and have learned this from these people suffering from this disease. There are many reasons people can develop this disease but one person asked how did you get your GP and many people said after my gallbladder operation or after my hernia repair or after my Nissen fundoplicatiin surgery. It is a rare disease they say , but it can unfirtunately happen to anyone. Just wanted to inform you and all that might benefit from the knowledge I have gained from this. Unfortunately I am still trying to help grandson survive and will probably die inn the process as I am not well at all and it’s very hard on my body dealing and watching his horrific suffering. If God is smiling in me that is all that really matter to me . The best of luck to you and may Gid bless you and your family with better health now and always! Sending my prayers and love 💕 to yiu and yours always🙏💜❤️💚🙏😇

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I don’t know where you live but Dr Parkman at Temple Hospital in Philadelphia specializes in gastroparesis.

luvnursing52 | @luvnursing52 | Sep 17 11:48am

In reply to @sprinkles123 "I am so sorry you are going through this all. My Grandsin had 2 full wraps..." + (show)

@sprinkles123

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I'm so very sorry to hear about your grandson, very difficult to watch. I DID have 2 gastric emptying studies, one showed food in my tummy after 18 hrs. of no food, the next one was negative.
I am considering asking my GI provider to order another one, since I do feel I'm not digesting food properly at all. But since I just had brain shunt surgery, I think I'm going to wait a bit to get the study done. Thank you so much for the warm wishes! Much appreciated!

ga1rose | @ga1rose | Sep 18 8:53am

In reply to @sprinkles123 "I am so sorry you are going through this all. My Grandsin had 2 full wraps..." + (show)

@sprinkles123

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I had a 360 Nissan done in 2007 at Johns Hopkins. The wrap was way too tight. I had several balloon dilations over the next few years and finally had a revision of the Nissen to a 270 wrap performed by the same surgeon. A year after the first Nissen I started to gain weight which I desperately wanted to do; however, I also had new GI issues including a a growing stomach/abdomen that was rock hard, severe constipation (prior to the surgery I had IBS-D), and nausea. The 270 didn’t do much - I still get esophageal spasms, food gets stuck where the wrap is, & I have to take reflux meds bc food & liquids come back up into my mouth. Over the next 2 years my stomach got increasingly bigger, I was in constant pain, & I barely had a bowel movement and it got to the point where I didn’t have any. The rest of my body started to puff up and I looked like a pregnant pillsbury doughboy. Ppl would often ask me when I was due and there was woman on the street who said “you must be having twins!” I would just give a smile and move on. After the head of GI at Johns Hopkins called me a conundrum and seeing other GI specialists in PA, I got an appt at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

I found out there that I had vagus nerve damage, gastroparesis, & that my colon had died (and that I had been walking around w/ a dying colon for years) & that I needed a total colectomy.
I was thrilled that they figured out what was wrong and “how to fix it.”

Things aren’t great by any means GI-wise right now BUT it’s a million times better than how I was when I first got to Rochester.

ga1rose | @ga1rose | Sep 18 9:01am

In reply to @parrotlady "I don’t know where you live but Dr Parkman at Temple Hospital in Philadelphia specializes in..." + (show)

I actually saw Dr. Parkman at Temple Hospital right before I went to the Mayo Clinic !!! (Probably 2-3 months before)

Unfortunately, after spending a week living out of a hotel room in Philadelphia and seeing Dr. Parkman for an appt, had the tests he ordered performed, and an appt to get the results he did not have anything new to tell me. He just read me the results that which he said were all normal and that was it. After asking him if he had any idea of what may be causing my GI problems he just said no- he offered no guesses, other possible tests, or doctors that might be of help.

parrotlady | @parrotlady | Sep 18 9:39am

In reply to @ga1rose "I actually saw Dr. Parkman at Temple Hospital right before I went to the Mayo Clinic..." + (show)

I’m so sorry. I know that several people praise him.

alisibalmond | @alisibalmond | 4 days ago

Why do I still have painful GERD after Nissen Fundolpication?
Almost 3 years ago I had the surgery it was difficult and long recovery. Nothing changed regarding my symptoms. I tried Voquenza which helped greatly for a while. I went to the Dr. who asked me if I wanted him to stretch my esophagus again.
That had not helped prior.
Recently the GERD has gotten worse. I feel like I’m just waiting to get esophageal cancer that I’m just alone that no one could care less. I have a referral from my primary somewhere else. It is hard to get through the night. I feel like I’m choking, pain in the stomach and throat it’s awful. My Gastroenterologist gave me no options. Advocate for yourself because no one looks out for you as a patient.

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