Anyone who has POEM

Posted , 5 users are following.

I went to a new GI at Henry Ford and he informed me one of their surgeons does POEM and highly recommended it for me since I am only 35 and deserve a good quality of life and can recover from surgery.

Just wondered what the recovery time is. I have a desk job and I have no idea how long to predict being off from work. Any input would be wonderful.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Recovery time is 6 weeks and the surgery is estimated to last 1-10 years. The HM is holding up better than the POEM is what I have researched. At one point POEM was thought to maybe be better but the HM has been around longe. Good luck and you are young but I have met us as young as 12. Sad huh.. let me know and take care
  • Posted

    Hi Danielle , my name is Bob and I had POEM back on June 14th of this year , well 2016. To tell you the truth I had no pain at all. The diet was the hardest part for me. I lost 32 lbs between clear liquids 2 weeks before and after surgery.

    I will tell you that it stopped my severe chest pains when my esophagus would push to get the food to pass into the stomach. But..... I now have a new problem. I have been taking heavy meds before every meal and bedtime but I have been waking up all hours of the night with a burning in my throats like you can't imagine and it lasts for about an hour or longer. I am actually seeing my surgeon this morning to talk about a 2nd surgery called TIF. This is where they wrap the stomach up and around the opening to the esophagus to create a new flap to block the acid from traveling up into your throat.

    Do your research and ask a lot of questions , remember .... this is how they make their money and look good to the hospital they belong to. Don't be a notch on anyone's belt.

    I had mine done at NYU in Manhattan and the nurses had no idea what was going on. Be careful, what everything, ask questions and be involved. Good luck, I hope it helps you out

    Bob

  • Posted

    Hi danielle.

    I am 29 years old and had the poem done 2 weeks ago. I had surgery on Tuesday and by Thursday I was off the pain Meds. Seriously. Nothing really hurt but i was more tired than normal for a few days and it takes some time for your lungs to recover from the anesthesia. For a day or two i would get winded walking to the bathroom. Haha. Very weird experience.. I was back to work on Monday although my doctor gave me a 2 weeks doctors note just in case.

    The poem surgery changed my life. I am so happy with the results. I have type 1 achalasia so my muscles still don't work but i can now drink water and i couldn't before. I recommend it fully. I remained really positive for the past few years when i was struggling, but now after the surgery i wished i had it done sooner. My quality of life is vastly improved. I am so happy now. Drinking coffee or eating the simplest thing just gives me joy. I am so grateful. Let me know if you have further questions .

  • Posted

    Hii all,

    I often wonder what the conditions or criteria might be that will be considered for suitability to surgery. Not in terms of severity or relieving symptoms (we all want that sorted) but more in terms of actual physical characteristics of ones condition. For example can a barium swallow result indicate characteristics that would tick definite boxes for suitability to surgery; and vice versa of course.. Has anyone any experience here?

    Warmest. N.

    • Posted

      The barium swallow would indicate how 'baggy' the oesophagus has become.   It is a long term condition, and the longer you leave it unresolved, the more likely it is that the oesophagus does become baggy and loses the tone that would help successful surgery.   I think that the remaining peristaltic muscles might get trained out of working anyway as time progresses.   So I think that a first option might be dilatation or botox;  but if that does not succeed in the short term, the sooner one has a definitive longer term procedure, the better.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.