My Positive Experience so far! had a Partial/Toupet (270 degree) Fundoplication Surgery one week ago

I hope this helps someone who is considering/ interested in or who has also experienced this surgery!

So let's get into it:

My main symptoms before the surgery:

dysphagia (getting food stuck often)

regurgitation

sometimes feeling acid (but not severe)

bloating

gassy

Note: I have had severe eosonophilic asthma and GERD since birth. It look around five months and about seven tests (endoscopy, manometry, barium swallow, etc.) to get the green light from my surgeon for this operation.

My surgeon does 250 gastric operations per year and told me that it is a very rare case in which he would do the Nissen Fundoplication due to many people reporting that they have severe bloating and dysphagia afterwards. Well since I already was suffering from those two symptoms he said it was best to go for the Toupet Fundoplication instead.

I was very nervous about this surgery and tried to read about many people's experiences on this site and also on Reddit but it was discouraging as sometimes the reviews were so awful. I watched on Youtube video of a girl who had undergone a fundoplication surgery and she couldn't even drink water for the first few days or swallow her own saliva (she had to spit it in a bucket) and was in pain and had nausea for a long while afterwards. I felt awful for her and I was so worried I would regret my decision to undergo this quite major operation - it was my choice after all, nobody was forcing me to do it!

My main worry was the general anesthesia for some reason, but as soon as I was in the pre-operating room, the anesthesiologist was chatting to me in such a friendly way that I felt really calm. Once they put the mask on you and you take a few deep breaths, you are gone. The next thing I knew, I heard several doctors saying my name and I was able to wake up for a moment and nod . I was wheeled off in the bed to my room and for the first day I wasn't in any pain, just had nausea from the anesthesia they give you but the nurses were great at putting anti-nausea medication through my IV all day. I have not had any nausea since this day.

I actually woke up hungry which was a surprise! I drunk my first sip of water and had the tiniest burp but have not burped since. I was only allowed liquid meals for the first two days (the first day being only clear liquids - so apple juice and broth). After that I was quickly put on a soft diet which I am still on. I have zero acid and zero dysphagia and it feels like a dream. It sort of feels like the first time that food goes down to my stomach and just stays there. I have less hunger and have lost a little bit of weight. The operation overall pain on a scale of one to ten was probably around 3 or 4 for me. I think it may be because of the 270 degree wrap, it gives room to start soft foods more quickly. I am eating soft pasta already (with olive oil and pasta sauce) with no problems. Have not and will not try bread, meat, alcohol, carbonated drinks and citrus for a long while. The first four days - everything I ate came out of me about five minutes later! So prepare yourself for that surprise! Now that situation has sorted itself out.

The biggest "pain" I had was really from the gas the pump into you during the operation, to have room to work on your stomach.The first four days I was really swollen all over my body, not just my belly. Even my hands. After two days the gas had travelled up to my chest, neck and face and my face ballooned and was very hot and later started to ache. I was convinced I had a fever, but I didn't. They said the body will eventally get rid of the gas and gave me morphine through my drip. This helped calmed my nerves, and I fell asleep with an ice pack on the side of my big tomato face. They said this gas-travelling can happen, although I have never read of this experience online before! That's something to be aware of but again - not unbearable.

I am so happy so far with the results - I cannot believe how tiny the seven cuts on my stomach are from the DaVinci robot who did my surgery. I still have the bandages on, they will fall off by themselves in two weeks or so, the nurse told me. I am still bloated, and have a foggy brain and get tired quickly. I get puffed out whilst I am walking the dog, but all this is normal. I also look pretty rough - dark circles under my eyes. When I eat now, sometimes I get a sharp cramp-like pain in my side for a minute before it goes away. The nurse told me this is the food travelling through the gut and starting working again.

I'm happy to answer any questions regarding the surgery! Thanks for reading!

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