length of symptom resolution after nissen

SiXness,

I think what's important to note here is that your esophagus is a "dumb" organ. The only way it knows to communication discomfort is to make it feel like GERD/LPR symptoms. So, while it might feel like you have the irritation you once associated with heartburn, it's really the healing process your esophagus is going through that is causing that particular feeling, not heartburn/reflux itself. Peak swelling hits between weeks 3-4. After that, it starts subsiding which is why you're starting to feel some relief from that. Warm liquids help soothe the irritation and help the esophagus and wrap site relax. I always felt that having a warm liquid with my meals helped everything go down better.

I'm at 6 months post-op and I don't feel a bit of reflux or heartburn, despite all the spicy and acidic food I eat. It gets better!

Be well,
-TonyG-

I really was more LPR and not GERD. I went to the doctor for a sore throat. My PCP sent me to a couple of different ENT's to determine what was going on with me. My vocal chords were inflamed and I had a polyp on one of them. I put the surgery off for about 6 months after all the testing was done hoping for divine intervention or something to make it magically go away, and nothing happened. My wife pushed me for the surgery because I am only 36 and the risk of cancer was there. I woke up from the surgery talking better and its slowly getting better every day. I used to wake up in the mornings hacking and I have not done it once since surgery. I still have head pressure and some mucus in my throat but it is getting better everyday. Mine wasnt severe as my wife made me go to the doctors until something was found out. I would have drug it out a while..lol I'm getting better everyday and I am sure you will also.

Heres an article I found that may explain it a little better,

"Patients notice improvement in direct symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation immediately after surgery. Indirect symptoms such as asthma, hoarseness, dysphagia, cough, globus, and esophageal spasm often take weeks to months to improve. These symptoms are not as reliably improved after surgery as the direct symptoms of GERD. Indirect symptoms also do not respond as well to medical treatment"

http://www.markfuscomd.com/lap_nissen.htm

I found this on a website that I reading.

"Even fundoplication surgery does not result in immediate improvement in LPR, and symptoms and examination findings continue to show improvement from 4 to 14 months after fundoplication."

I've been finding a lot of great information on this nature website.

http://www.nature.com/gimo/contents/pt1/full/gimo46.html

I keep listening to Denise!
My symptoms are still bad. I feel like I'm drowning in mucus at times (like now). But, all the experts have said give it at least 6 months. We must be patient.

Hey there, haven't been on here in a year or so and i just so happen to see this... I've done everything thing I can to rid me of LPR. Been to Mayo, Koufman, TIF, NISSEN, Gluten Free, No Dairy, sleeping in chairs, pillow wedge, 2 ppi's and 4 zantacs a day, nerve drugs, anti D's and anti anxiety meds... Natural remedies... I've done it all.

... It sucks, but this is slowly becoming the new me. I'm just happy I can do the things I use to. There we're dark times in my life where my breathing was so bad, I couldn't be happy. I couldn't enjoy going to parties or playing vids.

I'm 25. I still think my life ended when I was 21. I had to quit running in college... was my life. I'm happy now. The other day, I thought to myself... well jeez, I haven't thought about not wanting to live for a while haha. I made a job shift in the last few months... Went from being a correctional officers to being a mail man. Day shift woo!!!

My point is... there is a point where there is no help, but there is still life beyond it. My thought hurts and burns at this moment, but thats ok with me. We'll see how the future goes...

As for the surgery, I felt worse after. Stuff got clogged up in my wrap and I would gag it back up. It made me feel like i was refluxing worse... has been feeling like this less and less. Just about at a year. It does feel better...

But the best thing for me has been trying to control my anxiety... helps my breathing a lot. Reflux is still the cause of my issues in my throat and if it wasn't there, I could start running 5k's super fast again... But I'm happy. Still wanna do an iron man some day. I walk 10 + miles a day now and have ran a 18:40 5k recently! not quite the college days, but hey 6 min miles is legit enough for me.

I don't know the answers to our problems and it seems like doctors don't either... but I know I feel better when I stop worrying about it and do the things I love evening If I cant enjoy them as much as I use too. I'm just happy that I can.

Come to this site for help. It's great, but I've been thinking... The more I come here. The more I worry. I'll check in from time to time. This site was my home for over a year and a half. Being there for me when others around me didn't understand what I was feeling.

I'd like to say... Thanks to everyone. Thanks to everyone who suffers along with me and who understands what it's like...

I'm so excited to come across this thread. I had my nissen 6 days ago. I had terrible burning acid in my mouth all the time. After my surgery I was dehydrated for 2 days. Now as that has been worked out I feel the acid again! I am so afraid it did not work. So, there may be a chance it is just part of beginning to heal. I just thought I'd wake up and have no acid... And here it is again. I will see my Dr. On Tuesday but any thoughts?mgm

Hi hopeoutthere and earthbelle,

Welcome to the Healing Well Wrapped Club! At Day 6 (as my surgeon said) anything is possible. You're in the midst of the roughest part of recovery. Any problems you dealt with for months, or even years, before your surgery, aren't going to disappear immediately. It will take time for healing and adjustment.

There can be some reflux post-Nissen...especially during early recovery when there is swelling. The wrap is often misshapen in these early days/weeks and doesn't work the way it will once the swelling goes down and everything fits together more snugly. That is one reason why some surgeons keep their patients on PPIs during the first months of recovery.

I had atypical symptoms which led me to surgery. Mine were lung-related. The surgeon told me that if my lung issues were caused by reflux, the surgery would improve them. It took my lungs over three months to heal and show improvement. I didn't know of the surgery would solve the problem, but I knew I had to give it a try. At least I could rule reflux out as the cause of my very sick lungs. Thankfully, the surgery did work.

Another thing that happens during the first few weeks is swelling, that can keep food/liquid and even medication held up where the esophagus and wrap meet. This can be irritating to the esophagus and mimic reflux in two ways. First, the esophagus is a dumb organ, and interprets all pain as reflux. That's why many people experience what they interpret as heartburn during recovery, due to irritation. Another is the fact that air can burp up this liquid slurry of those liquids that have been held back by the swelling. You can get a "reflux" of this all the way into your mouth. For those who've suffered from this type of GERD symptom, it's frightening to experience something similar post-op, and it's very understandable that it would be worrisome. Fortunately, it's not something to worry about, and will resolve with healing.

During the first two weeks or so of recovery, your wrap will become increasingly more swollen. This can cause increased difficulty swallowing and discomfort. Once swelling reaches peak, things will gradually get better for you.

Here's a link to my early recovery journal. Hopefully you will find it helpful:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2183443

If you can surrender to your recovery, and follow its lead, you will find your recovery easier. Your body will heal in its own sweet time. You can't rush it, no matter how much you'd like to. If you can go with the flow, you'll find things go more smoothly. Bill, another moderator here, reminds us all that this recovery is "a marathon, not a sprint." It takes six months for most of the healing and a year for the rest.

Glad you've found the forum! It's a great place for support and information.

Happy healing!
Denise

PS...SIXness, and DOGBONES...good to hear from you, and happy that you've found a positive way to deal with a challenging problem. I do think that hanging here too much, can keep you stuck with the problem. You're very wise to see that. Best wishes!!