Hi, just wanted to say that I had my sliding hiatus hernia repair carried out Monday of last week and am more than happy (so far) with the results! I had the hernia for about 10 years taking the usual medication (espomeprazol and ranitidine) in varying doses depending on the severity of the discomfort. The op itself was apparently very straight forward with the repair and the nissen fundoplication (where they wrap stomach around your esophagus) taking around 1 1/2 hours - albeit a blink of an eye to me! I was in quite a lot of discomfort (discomfort though and not pain) for the first 3 days and feeling weak from the lack of calories but am now moving better and not feeling as though I need to rest all the time. I have also started using complan to build calories and strength. Eating still a little hit and miss and am trying different things to gauge my bodies response to textures etc but as long as you are eating within your limits (i.e. take each stage sensibly) don't panic when something doesn't feel like it's going down as with relaxation and patience, it does eventually. I know my experience won't be the same as everyone, but I am kicking myself for not having had this done years ago.
Hi Sallyann - How interesting to hear from someone whose experience has been good so far. I have a sliding HH too but no-one has ever offered to do anything about it. To be honest I have always been scared of any operations because my GP has always said they are the last resort etc.
Was this done by heyhole and which hospital was it done at?
From what I have been told I think i have a fairly large sliding HH - was yours very big?
Many thanks for sharing your experiences
Hi Barnie, I was at the Royal Berks in Reading on good old NHS and yes it was keyhole. I think they said it wad about a 5cm one but i don't know how big/small that is compared to others. My doctor had been telling me for years that the medication and losing weight would remedy the situation but after one particularly nasty experience just before last Christmas when even after doubling all medication for 2 weeks still left me in crippling pain, he relented and put me on the waiting list. Onwards and upwards as they say! Hope you get yours sorted soon.
Hello to all on this wonderful website. Hopefully Marie is having a nice day as well as the rest. Very encouraged to learn of the satisfaction sallyann1964. It's a shame a person has to convince their doctor how severe their pain is. I've been dealing with them here in the colonies so long I'm swapping emails with Mexican Medical Tourism trying to get a flat charge for the procedure. Fortunately I could drive almost all the way to the hospital from where I live in Florida. We'll see, the constant abdominal pain is blinding! Best of days to my new friends and good luck Barnie. Your doctor sounds very outdated.
Ron351
Hi SallyAnn - Good luck in healing really well - would love to hear your updates of how you are doing. I have no idea how big mine is but I have also got Barretts Oesophagus so have to be really careful.
Hi Ron
I think it is an operation that the medical world does not like doing unless they have to so maybe that is why they have to be sure that we really cannot cope unless we have the operation. I hope you get somewhere with yours as it is not fair if you are in pain like that. I am lucky in that mine is reasonably controlled with the meds but I do not like the thought of being on these meds long term either.
I find if I keep my carbs low - and especially white carbs - then I do not have the acid nearly as much. I also use Digestive enzymes after a meal that I think may give me problems later and I have found them to be really helpful.
Good luck and keep us posted of your Mexican experience if you are successful.
Barnie
Hi all, Hope everyone is having a good day. I too have Barrett's esophagus. I also have had the hiatal hernia for around 10 years, the last year or so I would get up sick at night from the acid reflux and a lot of nights it was like swallowing battery acid, at which point I couldn't get my breath because it was burning so bad. I had my scope in November, hadn't had one in probably 5 or 6 years. They said I had a very large hiatal hernia that needed repaired or I wouldn't get any better. I had tried several different medicines over the last 15 years and none were working anymore. I am thankful for the doctor I had, I no longer have heartburn but I do feel a little sensation in my throat when I wake up at night. I think it has to get to a certain point before they will do the surgery.
Marie
Barnie,
What kind of digestive enzymes do you use? I too use them with all of my meals and they definitely help me. I use prescription Pancreaze.
Jeanette
Hi Jeanette
I just buy ordinary Digestive Enzymes from a well known health shop. I don't have them on prescription and not even sure they would be available under prescription. Are you in the UK?
Hi Marie
Would you mind telling us about your experience of your operation and recovery etc - would you recommend having it done after your experience etc? Also how often do you have to have your Barretts checked ?
Hi guys,
Great to follow the post. I have just had some pH manometry tests done for acid level measurement and hoping to be operated on in the near future. I have only had my hernia for two years which is nothing compared to some of you but the quality of life has gone from exercising hard 4 times a week to nothing. Apart from the acid reflux style style symptoms, I'm wandering if anyone is suffering with palpitations/irregular heartbeat at all related to the hernia possibly trapping a nerve. This symptom is making me uneasy about trying to exercise again and hence have become very anxious. Seemed to happen as soon as I had the hernia and had no problems before, so am hoping the surgery will help the problem in some way.
Its good to read others perspectives on this.
Myles
Hi Myles,
I hope you get your op soon. The discomfort of the PH tests are worth it. Yes I also experienced some scary palpitations and also light headedness and increase in asthma symptoms (especially at night) but when checked out with the doctor and my heart given the all clear, they were put down to the acid reflux.
I'm looking forward to being able to do some gardening soon without the reflux etc.
Best of luck
Thanks Sally Ann
Its certainly the mechanical aspect of it I'm wanting to get rid of the most. Not being able to exercise and play sport has been horrible. I'll be sure to post once I've had the surgery, hoping for positive results!
Hi Barnie,
The enzymes (Pancreaze) I use are by prescription. The bad thing is they are very expensive and most insurance companies do not cover them. I am lucky, as mine does. I have been using them since 1989.
I live in the U.S.
Hi Barnie, I had my operation on Feb. 11th, I am so glad I had it done. I had a very large hiatal hernia, the flap on my esophagus was always open, therefore the acid would come up when I laid down. I don't have that now and can sleep all night for the first time in years. I have to have another scope done in November to check everything an then I will find out how often I have to be checked. The first couple of weeks after surgery were the worst. I am having some trouble finding solid foods that agree with me, but the doctor said there might be some foods I won't be able to eat anymore.
Thanks for the info Marie - good to hear that you have got over the op well and this will be good for keeping
the Barretts under control too.
There is a good thread on here for Barretts too if you feel you want to have a look. There is lasering treatment for that but only when it gets to a more severe level - in the UK anyway. I am not sure what criteria you have in the States.
update - 4 weeks post op. Well, i can say that the refulx side of things has improved greatly to the point where I can bend down and do gardening again without re-visiting lunch! What hasn't gone completely is the acid indigestion and to be honest, this op is to repair the hernia and won't stop your body producing the acid it always did but with the hole repaired, it should at least reduce the severity and frequency of the acid attacks. I am thankfully, taking a fraction of the amount of pills I took previously for the acid but when it does get through, the pain is almost unbearable. Food is a bit hit and miss still, one day I can eat a few mouthfulls of lasagne and the next can only manage custard but after only 4 weeks I am not entirely sure of what my progress should be. Am seeing the consultant tomorrow as asked for an earler follow up appointment and will let you know what he says.
Hi Sallyann, I am about 10 weeks post op. I am pretty much the same way. I still feel a little bit of the acid reflux, but am only taking half the medication. I still have some issues with certain foods and they make me feel a little nauseated, but it is alot better than it has been in over 15 years. I am so glad I had this done.
Marie19160. Thank you, that has put my mind at rest a little over the food issue. Sometimes it's really hard to relax to let 'stuck' food go down. I just wish that it wasn't so unpredictable. I can eat one mouthful of food and think 'well that was fine' but then the second mouthful gets stuck and then it's half an hour of pain and nausea whilst it slowly goes down. I wasn't happy with such rapid weight loss either (needed to lose some but slowly so that it stayed off at the end) so decided to start using complan on those days when my food calorie intake was very low. On the whole though, I too am very glad that I had the op. x
Hello to those that have had the haital hernia repair.I live the U.S., and I do have questons and concerns regarding surgery for this.
Through a Barium Swallow it was discovered I have a 7cm hiatal hernia, I am experiencing esophagus spasms that is being medicated with Bentyl ( anti spasm med for pain ) I am also on Prilosec once a day and Zantac 2 x a day. I am scheduled for the esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD 
in 2 weeks. Then I can only assume from there it will be decided if I'm a candidate for surgery.
I have have been on meds for gerd for several years now and the spasms started just recently, very painful when they hit and not once have they hit while I was eating, its various times of the day or week just out of no where they start. Have any of you had esophagus spasms before your surgery and if so did the surgery end the spasms? Are you back to eating normal foods after healing from the surgery? Which surgery did you have?
Hiya, for the past two years a have been suffering and am on esomeprazole and zantac. Have been diagnosed with a hiatus hernia and gastric reflux disease.The medicine are not helping. The consultant is saying the surgery will not help. They have requested a CT scan as they are thinking the pills are not helping my symptoms so it could be something else wrong as well. How did you get your surgery done?
Thanks
Clare