Can you share some Nissen fundoplication success stories?

Never was told about dumping syndrome ! It's totally ridiculous what I've been going through the last 6 months. At surgery ( April 15th ) I was 243 pnds. I'm male, 5-11. Now at 193 pnds. Can't hardly eat anything, even liquids not comfortable going down . My primary has me back on liquid diet . I'm in constant stomach pain, sometimes the cramping is unbearable. Nausea, bloating, explosive diarrhea, hot flashes, heart palpitations, loud rumbling stomach, not possible to vomit after nissen fundoplication and hiatal hernia surgery. When I do eat I hafta stay close to bathroom, pretty much runs straight through me. It's affected every part of my life ! I see surgeon in couple days , looking like I'll probably be getting 2nd opinion !

I agree that the pre op information about complexities is sometime lacking--same for me, and my GI doc and surgeon were really good--but still did not/could prep me for the journey post op. I really had t change eating patterns radically-- the "no bread/no rice" thing was an insight, but would have been better to have some genuine nutrition counseling so I would have been better prepared--and not the "eat less carbs, eat more protein" garbage that I heard. I also am 5'11'" and at initial surgery weighed 199- lost 45 pounds after; did the nutrition drinks quite a lot, and was very slow at eating solids. No carbonated drinks then, now, and ever. Not being able to vomit was a worry, but not being able to burp??!!! That was painful! Did not drink a good deal before, but as of then, no carbonation.The gut sounds, cramps, gas/boating, all the same- was told that when the gut is operated on, it takes a long time to get back to better routine...wont say normal as that word is unhelpful. Hope yours was done via laparoscopic- even with this, the gut is still jumbled around a lot- as I heard a nurse tell me--you have just experienced planned trauma! Still trauma... keep asking questions; This site has been helpful in terms of info sharing; experiences of others helps with the perspective.
take care

I associate with every single one of you. I had the Nissen in 2013 AND 2 years later the Toupet fundoplication. 195 lbs. then, 105 lbs. now. I have violent dumping syndrome issues STILL. I fear getting the stomach flu... as I cannot throw up. Will I drown? The wretching during dumping is horrid... the pain makes you moan and hollar out with the pain that runs from under your ribs to your pelvic bone. Once its out of me, I am fine again. Sometimes it IS that one more bite that does it... sometimes its only just a half cup of food. I have dyphagia, 5 nodules on thyroid that they have told me not to worry about. Plus I am filled with adhesions. I have limited movement due to the pulling. Lots of positional pain, stinging. Previous adhesions were attached to my ribs and bottom of my heart. I am pretty sure the adhesions are back. I lost my gall bladder way before the Nissen, plus in 2000 I had a 5 lb messenteric abdonimal cyst removed and Marlex mesh implanted for incisional hernias. I have had 6 abdominal surgeries. Dont trust any of the doctors anymore. The fix is temporary. I am so skinny and weak, have lost all muscle mass. I am a saggy (excess skin) bag of bones. Have been accused of being a meth head or anorexic. I hate what has been done to me. Please get second opinions... or thirds!! Nissen and toupet fundoplications fail more than succeed. I am forced now to just live with it. I quit my lifelong job to recover, lost my health insurance before I knew I actually wasnt fixed. I feel cheated and stupid. My first nissen surgeon was a general surgeon, the second was a weight loss surgeon. PLEASE go to a gastric specialist!! Now I just try to survive by barely eating... to try and maintain this weight and avoid dumping. Its not healthy, I don't recommend it. I hate this! I am a 58 year old female. I am sorry this has happened to us... but it helps to know I am not alone. Thanks for sharing your stories.

So sorry. I think people getting ready to go through this should ask and ask allot of questions ! My surgeon basically told me I really didn't have a choice anymore because of all the medical issues I was having before surgery ? I hope all of us can overcome these issues soon !

I experienced most of the same 4 years ago.. Have you been to Mayo Minnesota or similar top GI clinic..? Mayo doc told me I had Post operative Gastropaneisis..but they gave me a way to cope.. smoothies small pieces and amounts all the time. One in Six Nissens Fail was the figure Mayo told me...get a referral..perhaps the operation made it too tight...that can be mitigated..Mayo told me that mine couldn't be reversed/ undone..

I had Paraesophageal hernia repair, Lap w/Mesh and Esophagogastric Fundoplasty in 2014. My weight at that time was 178 since that time I have consistently lost weight I now weigh 110 lbs. I have had every test and they say everything is fine they can’t find anything wrong. Well, I eat and I still am losing weight. Right after the surgery they told me I could only eat soft food and chew to the consistency of applesauce. In three months I lost weight. If I ate one mouthful too much I got so ill I had to go to bed and the pain was horrible. I would get dry heaves that added to my pain. Eventually I would pass out, and wake up hours later. I was told I have dumping syndrome but does it last 6 years? I am tired all the time, I don’t go out because I am afraid I will get sick. I either get constipation or my poop explodes out of me. The pain in my abdomen is awful. Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do?

@mey2020 - Hi and Welcome to Mayo Connect!
I assume you have read the other posts on this subject. Let’s hope someone with same experience will get back to you.
I have not had your condition, but I have been through other GI problems.
Your current status seems horrible and you should not have to live this way.
I would recommend that you get evaluated at a major university hospital or at Mayo Clinic. You need someone with extensive experience in this field. At Mayo, doctors often work together to solve problems and get the patient back to normal functioning.

@mey2020 I’m so sorry for you and all the others on this post who are suffering. I’m sure you’ve already read from the beginning of this. I did a rather long one — it was the 4th one after the original question. The one thing I hope you noticed concerned the gallbladder.
If you still have yours, I suggest you ask your doc for a gallbladder function test.
When my Nissen surgeon suggested the function test (after hearing about my episodes of simultaneous abdominal pain/diarrhea/vomiting), he changed my life! Since my “hyperactive” gallbladder was removed in September 2019, I’ve gone from having those episodes at least 3 times a week to having a total of 4 over the last 12 months!

Hello! You are not alone. I so feel your pain! Everything and more is still happening to me... 5 years later. Unfortunately I have to just suffer now. (I have no health insurance after I was forced to quit my 36 year long job due to recovery issues.) My local hospital gave me 6 months of financial aid recently because now something bulges out under my front ribs when I sneeze, cough hard or bend over too long. It hurts more than labor and I have to immediately be flat on my back pushing it back in. Then very sore for a day or two there. Am afraid it is gonna bulge out and pinch and stay out. Two Drs said I had a hernia & sent me to a surgeon who pretty much told me he didnt feel a hernia and blamed it on sutures. SUTURES?? I ended up crying... begging him to help me. He reluctantly ordered a couple of tests which showed nothing. Then covid hit and appointments were cancelled. A month after the last test I had to call and request an appointment in person. After discussing more of my past surgeries, he flat out told me nothing can be done and maybe I should see a nutritionist and get a colonoscopy. He blamed everything on adhesions and that no surgeon would ever go in there. The cure is the cause.
Throughout the past 15 years worth of surgeries I have no gall bladder. Had a 5 lb messenteric abdominal cyst removed through open surgery. Then developed incisional hernias the whole length of the 8" incision. The solution was to implant mesh. (All these years later I learn its the bad mesh, made with hulahoop materials, which now a huge lawsuit ensues nationwide.) Anyways... that led to a hiatal hernia, then Nissen fundoplication, which broke down in 2 years, also have dysphagia. Then a takedown of the Nissen into a toupet fundoplication. Both surgeries included 2 hours of cutting through adhesions to get to stomach. So... he figures that after 5 years I am loaded with adhesions and he wont do it.
Now what? I am starving slowly. My starting weight was 210. I now weigh 104. I can lose 3 pounds just gardening in the hot sun. I have no muscles, no fat, no energy. Food is the enemy. It hates me. Everything gives me a stomach ache. You never know when it will attack from within... that one more bite... and that dumping... AAauuugggaahhh!
I hate this. My next try at feeling better will be that maybe I can go to Mayo. But without health insurance or a job... fat chance I will get to go. Please keep me in the loop... on the chance that you find help and relief. I wish you the best. We deserve better. I was PROMISED this would fix me. All trust is gone... especially when he left his practice 4 months later and they wouldnt tell me why. Quack? I am only 59 and have so much more to give... I just need to stop dwindling away. Thank you for reading my ramblings.

@mey2020

I understand a bit of what you have and are going through. This is a small part of my story at my blog.. which I have been neglecting for a long time and need to update: https://zarogasnook.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-long-time-passing.html . No ads on the blog that I am aware of.

I have dropped down to as low as 115lbs and am back up to 135lbs now... it will go up and down depending on how active I can be.

This is the best list I have seen for foods to help with the bowels.. either diarrhea or constipation. https://www.squattypotty.com/blogs/blog/the-ultimate-list-of-foods-that-bind-vs-those-foods-that-loosen-stools . I take a probiotic pill, Align. I tried many different ones and it is the only one that helped with me. I still have dump days, but rarely watery bowels anymore. Yogurt with live culture helps, but I am not very fond of it.

If I can help in any way just ask away.

ZeeGee