Acid reflux and Toupet fundoplication uk
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hi all,
Im booked for my toupet fundoplication 26th May 2023. I've been searching the web for weeks and i have seen alot of negative reviews following fundoplication surgery. I have also read some great success story's and I'm aware alot of people who have had successful surgery's are off living there life rather than updating forums.
Here i will go in to detail of my story and i will continue to update after my surgery in the hope my story will help someone else.
I'm 35 years old and have suffered with acid reflux for 10 years. I was placed on lansoprazole for a couple of weeks and that solved my symtoms for a few month in the very early days. However the same symptoms kept coming back and
soon enough I was prescribed 15mg lansoprazole to take full time everyday.
This worked well for 7 years and I just popped one pill and could eat and drink what I wanted. I had a few flare ups as I call them during those times but it would be if I was changing my diet so alot of acidic foods, slimming world. Then 3 years ago I suddenly started suffering with dysphagia ( difficulties swallowing ) and was having to kind of hawk my food back up before I could try and swallow again. This freaked me out and I went to the doctors. Docs changed the ppis I was on and I just had 3 months of hell. I eventually asked to go back on lansoprazole as this worked so well for me for so long. 15mg didn't touch the pain, burn and discomfort. my dose was upped to 30mg still was calling docs most days saying my stomach is on fire and I can't cope with this pain. During this time my swallowing got so bad I went to A&E I couldn't even swallow porridge.
A&E was useless and told me that until I couldn't swallow water they couldn't do anything. I lived on liquid soup and eventually after my meds were upped to 60mg dayily my symptoms started to calm down, however my diet changed dramaically. I couldnt tolarate decaf tea so had to stop my morning cuppa. my diet was incrediblely bland and no flavor but ut helped and i was just happy to not be in so much pain. I started having tests to find out exactly what was going on. Tests I had was endoscopy- do not attempt to do this without sedation!! this was the worse thing I have ever had done medically!! so traumatic. however some people find this test fine maybe I'm a wuss!
2nd test barium swallow test.
3rd test was scanning my gallbladder. no issues with my gallbladder.
4th and final test was ph elementary test and a Pharyngeal manometry test which involved a tube up my nose and down in stomach. The pH test was a thinner tube up nose down in to stomach for 24 hours attached to a monitor. This test was unpleasant but not completely terrible however I was terrified.
Rsults from all tests was 20% of esophagus not working correctly, hitaus hernia, acid coming in to my esophagus and my LES was completely laxed and wasn't working at all, because of the issues with my esophagus my surgeon and I agreed on a touet fundoplication which is a partial wrap. Medications worked well for me for a long time but as the last 3 years have gone on my symtoms have been worse. Bitter taste in mouth, trapped gas in esophagus, constant blelching, issues swallowing. Now my only option is surgery as the medications just aren't working anymore and I do not feel comfortable upping the dose anymore.
I feel nervous about surgery and the recovery but I'm looking forward to a life without living with this horrible condition that has had a real negative impact on my life, fingers crossed I have a successful operation.
I will continue to update with my recovery and hope this will help someone going though the same thing.
Wish me luck and if anyone who has had this surgery with any tips feel free to message 🙂
0 likes, 3 replies
christina11623
Posted
Hi all,
as promised I said I would update and I will continue to do so.
I had my toupet ( partial wrap) fundoplication on the 26th of May. I am now 4 days post op and I'm back home.
So I'm not going to lie and I want to give my honest opinion of my story but remember everyone is different and copes differently.
when I woke in recovery room I was obviously highly dosed on drugs and didn't feel any pain.
back on the ward pretty sure I just dosed on and off. I realised pretty soon I could swallow with no issues despite having a gastric tube in my nose down in to my stomach. This was in place attached to a bag to drain contents and gas from the stomach. At first it wasn't bothering me but I was soon begging for it to be taken out. It was so thick and everytime I moved or spoke it was rubbing on my throat causing me to retch.. this hurt my stomach area. it was also causing me to swallow therfore filling me with more air. Had it removed later in the morning and that was such a relief.
Had to have help to get out of bed and was up walking round the day after.
The gas they use to bloat you up to be able to do the surgery is very uncomfortable in your chest and shoulders and it does feel like it very hard to breathe. you can breathe but it's uncomfortable... heavy.
walking around definitely helps get rid of this.
laxatives are a must as you get bunged up and can make you feel very sick and of course you can't be sick after this operation.
Day 4 I feel pretty okay actually. I'm resting and tired. Not got much of an appetite but swallowing as not been an issue and I am able to burp. little burps.
the gas bloat is real though but totally normally and I've told that will calm down after 2 weeks.
will continue to keep you posted though my recovery.
christina11623
Posted
Hi all,
I'm now 3 weeks and 2 days post op and I'm feeling good.
I'm eating abit more ( get full quick ) this should settle after 2/3 months once the stomach adjusts to its new position.
I'm eating crackers and hummus, minced beef with vegetables and gravy, tuna pasta, mackerel and today even managed half a piece of toast and some crisp and dip. Dip had onion in it and it felt so good to have it and no terrible heart burn!!
Key is to chew chew chew.
There is alot of negative reviews about this operation and I was really scared but it's really not that bad.
I'm back to work tomorrow and looking forward to getting back to some kind of normality.
I noticed when I was researching people soon vanished and your left wondering did it work for them what was there recovery so I will continue to update in the hope that this helps even just one person.
betty6960 christina11623
Posted
How are you? I had the Toupet fundoplication September 27th, 2023 and I have been so miserable. I thought talking with someone that's had it would help me. Right after surgery I has burning in my chest and the surgeon didn't know what was causing it. Well I went home the next day and the following Monday ended up in the er with burning in my chest and bad nausea. I had an upper GI and it showed gastritis mucosal thickening which the radiologist suggested gastritis. I wasn't given anything for it. I had trouble swallowing before the upper GI and the same week I had an endoscopy to have my esophagus stretched. I'm still miserable. Are you still doing good? Can we talk on messenger?