Hello, I am 24 years old and I currently live my life on 40mg of ompreazole a day.
Last week I confirmed with my consultant that I am going to have the fundoplication, he seems very positive and said due to my young age and no other known serious medical conditions my recovery and results will be good!
I have seen so many negative posts about the surgery on this forum and very few positive, but I am going to be positive, I'm 24 and having already had Barratts confirmed I am not prepared to let my mouldy oesophagus win haha!
Just wondering if there is anyone else of a similar age who has successfully had the operation?
Wow stephanie, let me know your outcome. I'm thinking about the surgery myself but have read so many negative recovery responseS, I'm a little skeptical but I am determined to live my life reflux free
Sorry Older () but I'm just over a week since my surgery which also included a hernia repair. So far so good. Best advice:
-Excercise before the surgery (I was walking abt 3 mi a day) -- but you may not want to do things that you will not be able to do after surgery (like abdominal workouts)
-Start watching what you eat even if you don't have to loose weight, to get in the practice of paying attention to your diet (very important afterward)
-Also when you go in for surgery be sure to take yoga pants or something with an elastic waist as you will be very swollen when you go home
-Also before surgery, be sure to check out the Nissen diet and stock up your house on the liquids and soft foods that you will be eating
Sorry to crash the party, but I am not a fan of fundoplication surgery of any kind for treating acid reflux. I know I'm going to get some flack for this but I believe it is overkill. It is life changing. It can have many complications that could make you wish you could go back in time. One large meal could literally blow the surgery apart. How big of a meal is too big? One holiday meal, one trip to the local buffet and your back to square one. Or worse. People like to eat, it is human nature. I am wondering how you got here at the age of 24. I have heard some doctors indicate that the surgery may need to be repeated as often as every 10 years. My nephew just got to 10 years and is in need of a repair surgery. I hate to use the term but I think it is a bit barbaric. Recovery can be an ordeal. I feel sorry for anyone who has had this surgery. For a woman, what if you get pregnant? Pressure from pregnancy plus an insatiable appitite could be disastrous. I would like you to postpone this temporarily and try my easy, natural, low cost treatment. I will send it as a private message. Regards, Jonathan.
Hi, I was in a similar boat to you, living on 60mg Lanzoprazole a day, and in between taking ranitidine, gaviscon, rennies, basically anything I could get my hands on to make me feel better with no improvement. I had my op in March for my fundo, also aged 24! Reflux wise I feel great, the operation seems to have really helped and I went to see my consultant on Thurs who is really happy with me. I am so glad I had the op because I really felt reflux was ruining my life. I wasn't able to go out with friends and get drunk cause of feeling so rough from even half a glass of prosecco, I wasn't able to eat a lot of things without feeling awful and without even realising it, I was becoming really depressed. It had started to effect work as I was constantly off sick. I think until. You suffer with reflux you don't really understand how crap it makes you feel!
Since having my op, I have had some issues with my bowel but both my surgeon and consultant don't think it is linked to the op and I am struggling to get back to work... But as I say that's a completely different issue.
i firmly recommend the surgery being somebody who is the same age as you!! X
I am the same age as Stephanie and have had it in March. The surgery worked very well and you just have to follow the suggested diet.
Your stomach shrinks with the surgery anyway so literally, you don't feel like large portions. You are advised to have 6-8 small meals/snacks a day and it's working for me !!
You have have to look into the future and what implications reflux can cause somebody longterm when having this condition at such a young age.
Jonathan, you say it is barbaric them recommending it for your 10 year old? I am actually a family support worker and know several children who have had this op at a young age and it has been brilliant for them, I only wish my mum was able to have pushed consultants when I was young.
I have lived my life being able to be sick at the push of a button, puking whilst driving, in middle of restaurants, for laughing too much, anything! Friends and family knew I could be sick really easy, as did doctors but never once did they suggest acid reflux, for years it was just put down to the fact that I was lactose intolerant. I don't think this was ever the case!
I have probably suffered unknowingly with acid reflux for 24 years!
When you suggest surgery should be a last resort I ask; have you had confirmed Barratts? With only being 24 I am then given the Barratts chance to progress for the next however many years?
Also I had it confirmed after a manometery and ph test that my acid levels were reading 48.9 which is dangerously high, and they should be max of 14. And when they did this test i was having a.very good 24 hours!
I do really appreciate your advice and I'm glad that the remedy is working for you, but how do you know it is actually repairing and not just helping the symptoms?
Different things work differently for everyone if we were all just the same, medicine would be easy!!
Perhaps you have a birth defect that has caused this issue. That would be an entirely different situation, and I would not have any problem with you having that repaired. You have suffered all your life and its time to get relief.
My advice was for a person who gets acid reflux from stress or age related causes.
I have a friend who was born with a sealed esophageal sphincter and needed surgery days after birth or he would have starved to death.
So I understand your situation.
If I were in your shoes I would have the surgery. I do recommend a second opinion, perhaps you already have it.
I wish you all the best. Please let us know how you are doing afterward.
I am much older and had the surgery - it has been a success, providing you think about what you eat. Smaller portions, more often. I could not keep any food down at all, but at least I am not sick now after every mouthfull or meal. My recovery time was quite long - 6 weeks. I stocked up on soft foods - jelly and ice cream, soup, rissotto, custard, rice pudding etc. Just make sure you do not eat bulky, dry foods. I still have issue with bread and chips - mainly because I am lazy when it comes to chewing. There is loads of advice on the site and it is good to keep up with the forums for feedback. Good luck with the op
Yes Stephanie I agree to weigh all options - can it be controlled with medication/diet? I had the pH test which was as high as 49 and that was taking 2 Zegerid in the morning and 2 in the evening. So quadruple the normal dose. I also had a Upper GI that was + for Barrett's Esophagus. I am 55 and my grandmother died at age 56 of stomach cancer. These were all factors in my decision to have the surgery.
In my case Jonathan (as I've written befrore), the volume reflux meant that no drugs were any good on their own. I weighed up my lifestyle benefits with potential risks opted for the surgery with it's risk. My quality of is so much better with this op but I'm 56 and so I've had a life anyway. Don't really want a miserableold age. But horses for courses as they say.
Now here's an interesting fact:
Before the surgery, I decided to up my life insurance just in case the worst should happen. Needless to say, I had to declare my forthcoming surgery My insurers upped my premiums by 250% for 12 months after which the premiums return to normal. This fact alone told me more than any surgeon could about the medium to long term risks.
This is a good debate going on here and I hope that others (like me) are learning useful stuff
Everyone is different, I agree. I am the type to avoid surgery like the plague. My mother on the other hand was like a magnet to surgery. She probably had 8 seperate surgeries. But she did okay and is now 88 and is quite healthy.
What do you think of the insurance though Jonathan? Actuariies tables are based upon empirical data so I guess if people make Year 2 then they're thought good to go
I would think that if that had happened in the U.S. that it could possibly result in a lawsuit. Unless there was some kind of clause in the original policy.
Besides that point, it is obvious that every surgery has its risks. Nothing is really routine. They are now finding that many colonoscopy devices are not being properly sterilized between patients and have actually spread antibiotic resistant bacteria to some people.
Im still waiting on an ednoscopy, because doctors dont seem to know what I have, though My GP said it was a severe case of Acid Reflux, and it can take a toll on your life, as we all know, its only August , and Im still waiting for that appointment here in New Zealand at the Waikato Hospital .
It worries me a little,they did all tests, Throat Swab, Blood test, everythign test, barium swallow test, I also have a feeling of food stuck inside my throat, but when they did the barium swallow test nothing actually come back, this is where they watch the liquid in an xray go down your throat incase something could be preventing it or obstructing the liquidd from going down so now I await an appointment, I wish they would hurry the process along cause its actually really time consuming'., and they said it could take up to 4 months to be seen from a specialist'. which really sucks to be honest, Im trying to keep positive, yes the feeling of Acid reflux, is Not nice . it can take over your whole life, even more so to the point where you dont want to go out anywhere. cause its embarassing'. its almost like a lethargic feeling'it completely wears me out'. the Burping moreso . all the best for you and your surgery . I am too on pantoprazole'. but I feel like it doesnt really do wonders to be honest'.Does the pantoprazole do anything for you or should I say the OMeprazole do anything for your situation Please Keep informed and let us know how it all goes with the Surgery. All the best
Hey stephanie do you also have problems with Burping continuously alot, and have you lost weight at all, I have , I went to the doctors the other day , and he was like, oh are you taking the pantoprazole, I said Yes I am , and he said, and did it work? I said no , and he said, Well it probably isnt anything, .. I said, ANd you know this How? some doctors are lazy I tell Ya , expecially when they cant find the cause, Iv been referred to a specialist, and am still awaiting an appointment, could take up to 4 months, its just the waiting. while I still suffer with This, My Actual GP said it could be Sever Acid Reflux, I really cant tolerate it in other words, it takes over my whole life and makes me depressed.. Iv lost a bit of weight, I try and keep my eating up , I find that spicey foods makes it and I end up feeling nauseated'. I feel nauseated everyday , I hope that your surgery is a success keep us informed. Also I have been on pantoprazole as well. so im still waiting to be seen , I feel like I have another month to wait'. which is ridiculous, they expect us to wait and merrily carry on with our lives'. while feeling the discomfort and pain of it all'. Do you eat much during the day at all? and if so what foods trigger of your reflux?
Hi aryt, sounds like your at the beginning battle most of us have faced trying to get results, I was originally really unwell Nov 2014 and looks like I'll be having my op Sept time so nearly a year of different meds, tests and I've lost count of how many consultants I've seen!
I get on with day to day life fairly easily at the minute, but as I said I take 20mg of ompreazole twice a day, I tried various other medications first that either made it worse or didn't work, maybe you could ask your gp if you can up your dose or change meds?
I burp a lot more than I ever use to, however I feel when I burp I feel a lot more comfortable so I'm not overly fussed.
Trigger foods; I agree definitely spicy foods, which annoys me a lot, chocolate or anything overly greasy.
When I was at my worse, I followed a bland diet and tried to stay away from all high acid foods and it did make a huge difference.
I'm sorry to hear you have Barretts. I've been told I have Barretts three times after endo's but each time the histology(luckiliy for me) has proved negative. I had this surgery 10 years ago and it cured a life long problem with reflux and all manner of complications that go with it. It does make your stomach smaller and you can neither vomit nor burp. The air you swallow goes all the way through you so this can be uncomfortable and embarassing, you can never chew gum again! This seemed a small price to pay for the relief of daily pain and the chance of developing Barretts and worse. However in my case and, I imagine many others, the prodedure is not very durable, After 8 years the symptoms slowly returned and I am now back on 40mg Omeprazole a day, each and every day. If anything my condition is worse than before the operation but it's impossible to say how my untreated condtion would have been after this time. I run a housebuilding company and during the recent financial crisis I left the office and went back to site. I believe the strain losened the wrap and caused it to slip or become misplaced in such a way that anything in my stomach is being pushed up the oesophagus.. The consultant concurs with this. It would seem that this prodedure is at a higher risk of failure for people who do strenuous work or are fat.
The procedure is not reversible and(with hindsight) I would have tried all other options before having this done. There is a new procedure called Linx in which a "elastic" expanding band is fitted This is reversible so if it's no good you can always go for the Fundo'. I would find out about this. My physician warned me years ago that surgeons are great enthusiasts of the procedures they have mastered and they are just as vulnerable to a lack of objectivity as any other human being.
There also seems to be a great reluctance within the NHS to carry out "redos" as they are called. I've read lots of American info' where redos seem quite common but they as carry a higher risk surgeons here seem wary of doing them. If anyone has had a redo I'd love to know. Good luck and I hope sharing my experience is helpful.
I had a 270 toupet fundoplication back in March. I am 46 - and it has worked fantastically for me. I can burp - probably better than I used to - the thing is - and I will admit this myself - when it goes well you don't tend to go into forums - as you don't feel the need. I very ocassionally pop in here - to try and be a balance! I had 3 weeks off work - and was back eating normally by about 8 weeks. It does take time for things to settle down - but for me it was well worth the wait. The only difference is you can't eat the same volume of food - but that's no bad thing. I can't comment on vomiting - as I've had no stomach issues since my op! I think I could though! If you have any questions ask away!
) but I'm just over a week since my surgery which also included a hernia repair. So far so good. Best advice: