Is Nissan Fundoplication really safe?

Rahjcc,

Thanks for your question. There are a few resources on the site that may help answer your question.

In his latest post, Dr. Eisner, anwers common questions about surgery for reflux. In his answer he addresses the safety of Nissan Fundoplication surgery. Click here to read his post.

You may also want to refer to our community members post about her experience with laproscopic Nissan Fundoplication.

If anyone else can help please do!

Hi rahjee,

You can read about a user named Karla here in her sharepost regarding her Nissan Fundoplication surgery last year. You can also read more about the surgery itself and the alternatives here in the treatments database.

Take care and stay in touch! Let us know how your surgery turns out and how you are doing!

Vicki M

can acid reflux cause you to cough

I had this surgery Oct 2007. I am pleased. I was told depending on how tight the procedure is, will determine burping, and vomiting. I am able to burp, and have not needed to vomit, but I think I would be able to. Don't be concerned over the vomiting. The doctor can give you medication for this, should you have an upset stomach. Not sure which one, but it could be phenergan. Anyway, you should talk more with your doctor over your concerns. For me, I would have had it done in a heartbeat before now, but just kept putting it off. I now have Barrett's Esophagus after 29 yrs of acid reflux. I will be rechecked every year for the Barrett's with a endoscopy test. I do know there are some people that may not able to vomit or belch afterwards but the it is the doctor's hope that you will be able to. Your doctor should be able to give you more information on that. This surgery to me is more important than the ability to vomit, since there are medications available to  deter the vomiting. I wish you the best.

i had the procedure last year for a hiatal hernia and the resulting problem with my esophegus-i wont worry about burping and all-what you should worry about is whether you have an experienced surgeon-mine has been a painfull nightmare compliments of dr. buzzes in bend oregon-i will probably have to have it redone-it can very painfull if not done correctly

I had the surgery about 6 1/2 years ago now. My life was terrible before surgery. Before surgery I was taking Nexium and that helped the acid, however, when I bicycled or did other activities I would feel like I was throwing up. My doctor called it "volume reflux."

Since the surgery I have recovered my active lifestyle and for the most part have been happy. It is the inability to throw up that has landed me in the hospital twice and the emergency room once. I now have perscription drugs that I carry with me when I travel to relieve the gas build up and pressure, should it happen again. It is still a rotten feeling but at least now I know I am not going to die... well, I knew that but at the time it felt that way.

I had this surgery 12 years ago and recovery was difficult but well worth it.  It changed my life.  I am not able to vomit.  I don't think it has been that big of an issue.  I have had maybe 5 times over the last 12 years where I wish I could have been able to vomit, mostly for drinking too much, which I almost never do as I don't really drink.  The best thing you can do is not put yourself into a situation like that.  Sometimes you have the flu and you can't control having to vomit.  You learn to deal with it.  You'll heave but nothing will come up.  

However, do some research on long term effects.  The internet was in it's infancy when I had this surgery and now you can find everything.  The problems I was having prior to surgery are starting to come back.  I wasn't told about this.  I thought this surgery would basically be a cure, and it was for the first 11 years.  Now I find out that after 10 years about 50% of the time the surgery will fail and may need to be done again.  If it comes to that, I would have it done again.

has anyone had this surgery recently? I am not sure this is what I want to have done any suggestions except being on Prevacid for the rest of my life. Its fustrating.

No surgery is safe. Surgery may be sucessful, but that doesn't make it safe.

My husband had this laproscopic surgery in 1999 to treat gerd and hiatal hgernia and continued to have all manner of complications, belching, hiccups, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, pain, cramping, bowel problems, difficulty swallowing and breathing, cronic pain and fatigue, and diminishing "happiness". The surgery had to be redone non-laproscopically (he now has a foot long scar on his abdomen) in 2006. Apparently a step in the proceedure was not correctly the first time and his stomach had herniated through his diaphram.

He has continued to have complications since the second surgery. Everything listed above as well as having developed Dumping Syndrome, Gluten intolerance, and an inability to each much more than pureed foods. He can not bend nor place any pressure lighter than a shirt on his abdomen. He can not lay on his side. He cannot sleep through the night.

Oh, and all the meds designed to treat symptoms like nasuea or cramping tend to cause depression or anxiety. ANd all the meds to treat the pain cause nasuea and vomiting.

He is currently hospitalized for uncontrollable vomiting. His pain is unbearable.

This man did everything the doc ordered. He quit smoking and drinking. He eats a diet far healthier than most people could image. He is fit and works out to the best of his ability considering his constant stomach complications.

No one can tell us what is wrong with him. I suspect he has vagus nerve damage.

Please to anyone considering this surgery, pursue all other options. Spend more time on this internet looking into dietary treatments, manipulative therapies, and herbal medicines. This gentleman has found greater relief from herbal teas than from medications. Oh because of course medications cause stomach upset.

Spend more time looking into the complications that may result. Check out vagus nerve damage, and gateoparesis amoung others. Because even if they may be rare, you will not want to be one of the rare ones. I would wish this agony not upon mine enmy. Is agony safe? Hardly.

No surgery is safe. Surgery may be sucessful, but that doesn't make it safe.

My husband had this laproscopic surgery in 1999 and continued to have all manner of complications, belching, hiccups, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, pain, cramping, bowel problems, difficulty swallowing and breathing, cronic pain and fatigue, and diminishing "happiness". The surgery had to be redone non-laproscopically (he now has a foot long scar on his abdomen) in 2006. Apparently a step in the proceedure was not correctly the first time and his stomach had herniated through his diaphram.

He has continued to have complications since the second surgery. Everything listed above as well as having developed Dumping Syndrome, Gluten intolerance, and an inability to each much more than pureed foods.

Oh, and all the meds designed to treat symptoms like nasuea or cramping tend to cause depression or anxiety. ANd all the meds to treat the pain cause nasuea and vomiting.

He is currently hospitalized for uncontrollable vomiting. His pain is unbearable.

This man did everything the doc ordered. He quit smoking and drinking. He eats a diet far healthier than most people could image. He is fit and works out to the best of his ability considering his constant stomach complications.

No one can tell us what is wrong with him. I suspect he has vagus nerve damage.

Please to anyone considering this surgery, pursue all other options. Spend more time on this internet looking into dietary treatments, manipulative therapies, and herbal medicines. This gentleman has found greater relief from herbal teas than from medications. Oh because of course medications cause stomach upset.

Spend more time looking into the complications that may result. Look into vagus nerve damage, look into gastoeparisis. Look at your cancer risk. Because even if they may be rare, you will not want to be one of the rare ones. I would wish this agony not upon mine enmy. Is agony safe?

After reading all the posts by people who have had this surgery, I am convinced that the most important aspect is to find a Dr. who is an expert. The Dr. who performed my surgery in 2003 is the head of the department at USC. Every patient there at that time was from out of state. They are taken to my Dr. from all over the country when their local Dr. does something wrong. My Dr. even told me the reason for failures is the Dr. takes a short cut, or forgets to do some minor little portion of the surgery. You need to choose an expert who performs this surgery many times a week, not just a few times a month. Otherwise you may end up with problems. When you take your car in for a brake job, do you want a guy who does brakes once or twice a month, or the guy who does brakes all day long? Same concept here.

Good luck. The surgery is great, with no side effects.

I had this surgery in Dec 06.  Burping no problem.  Vomiting is an issue at times.  You get the dry heaves bad and it is not fun.  But It has only happened about 4 times in almost three years.  THE BIG ISSUE that you need to be aware of and I found out the hard way is that your body is not always able to process B12 after this surgery.  B12 over the counter vitamins are also not well absorbed.  I took shots every other week for a year and now I take them monthly.  But I sure feel better.

Was it worth it.  Absolutely.  Your option is to continue to fight it and run the risk of esophageal (SP) cancer.  That was the road I was headed down.  I do not know how old you are but that is a horrible thing.  I can eat anything I want and a few things will still bother me.  (onion rings being the main one)

Good Luck to all

I am in the same boat as you. My endoscopy showed ulcers in my esophagus. I have been on Nexium for years, but it's starting not to work all day long. My Dr. wants me to have this surgery. I could do Over the Counter H2 blockers (my health plan will not cover any of the good reflux medications), for the rest of my life, but that is expensive when you're taking it twice a day. I am at a point where there is no severe damage, except chronic refulx. This is probably the right time to do the surgery, but I hate having to do it, when it's seems like overkill....