Recovery from Fundoplication

This is in reply to Jesse’s question about recovering from fundoplication…

The gastroenterologist told me that the surgery is done laparoscopically through five small abdominal incisions.  One of those is through the belly button.  I’m going to ask my surgeon if indeed it is the belly button because when I had pelvic laparoscopy done before and they went through my belly button, it took forever to heal and was very painful.

The gastroenterologist and surgeon both said that the surgery is more involved than an appendectomy, but much less involved than a hysterectomy (of which I had the full abdominal version last year and had an extremely easy recovery).  They said I’ll be in the hospital overnight and unable to work the day of and day after surgery.  Since I work in IT and am mostly sitting in front of a computer all day, I’ll be able to go back “to work” the day after I get home.  “To work” means that I’ll be required to not drive for a week, and I’ll have to work from my home computer, which is easy for me to do.  I also won’t be short on help, as I work for the hospital where I will be having the surgery.

Jesse’s Manometry Test

Hi, Jesse, thanks for writing.   I hope I can help.  I find that I feel better if I don’t eat too late in the evening and if I eat several small meals througout the day.  Nighttime eating can help cause backup into your esophagus when you lie down to go to sleep.  You can also try sleeping with the top part of your body elevated on a bed wedge or a few pillows.  You need gravity to help keep things down there.

As for time — I had an RN who did the actual manometry test, and she sent the data to a physician who does the interpretation who then sends that report to the physician who ordered the test.  My gastroenterologist had his report and recommendations ready for me the next day.

My endoscopy (tube down the throat) didn’t show anything except a small hiatal hernia.  It could be that the medication I keep taking was helping prevent esophagus damage.

On the other hand, my manometry test (tube down the nose and into the stomach) showed that my lower esophageal sphincter is weak, and that’s the main reason I have the reflux.  Because of this result, my gastroenterologist referred me to a general surgeon, and that surgeon is now requiring that I have a barium swallow test.  After that, I should be ready for surgery.  The surgery is called Nissen Fundoplication, and what they do is wrap the upper part of the stomach around the lower part of the esophagus to give a stronger sphincter.  The success rate of the surgery is around 94%, even after ten years.  Right now, I’m taking medication that is very expensive and is not doing a very good job of helping, so I’m ready to go through the surgery and get to feeling better.

I hate to break it to you, but the manometry test is awful.  If you have sinus troubles, you might want to take a decongestant or something over the country to try to get your nose as open as possible.  I was also choking and coughing when the tube first went down.  They can’t sedate you for the test because you have to be able to swallow salt water and thin gel during the test.

Best wishes to you!

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s what Jesse asked: 

I just needed to add that.. this thing, this itch, or pain usually comes after i eat.. but not always.. but sometimes at night its impossible for me to sleep.. its like torture :/ and how long does it take for a manometry result? sometimes i feel i cant hold it any longer.. From esophagus test — fascinating, but don’t want to be the nurse who does it!, 2008/05/11 at 9:12 PM	2008/05/11	Approve | Unapprove | Spam | Delete
	Jesse drumahfoo@hotmail.com | 66.68.233.181 They are doing that Manometry test on me tomorrow… ive been feeling chest pain, but could indentify the source when i swallow in my esophagus, ive had 2 endoscopies and neither showed anything bad.. but i keep feeling this nausea, mostly gag from the pain or feeling like theres something stuck in my lower esophagus, like this itch that doesn’t go away.. Anyway, what kind of surgery cures a weak esophagal sphincter?

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