# I had surgery for GERD



## Tucker (Dec 18, 1999)

I had surgery for GERD in 1991. I also had a hiatal hernia. My only symptom was CHRONIC heartburn. The doctor told me I would have eventually bled to death if I did not have the surgery. The surgery cured me. I have not had any heartburn since that day. I was about 23 when I had the surgery. It was done in Seattle by a Dr. Lucius Hill. He has since passed away. His assistant, Dr. Aye, was an associate. He now does The Hill Repair, which lowers the stomach back into the abdomen and "creates" a valve to prevent future heartburn. If anyone is considering surgery and has any questions contact me. I'd be glad to help you.


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## lissylou73 (Feb 5, 2001)

Tucker (that's my doctor's name : )Thanks for the info regarding the GERD surgery! I never have heartburn, but I do have reflux of stomach contents, pain between my shoulder blades, and constant burning in my stomach and bowels. I had been on 20 mg of Prilosec for several years, and recently had to go up to 40 mg. Right now I feel OK. But, I am afraid surgery may be in my distant future.







I am glad your surgery has helped you!


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## silver (Dec 21, 1999)

Did you have the Nissen fundoplication? if so could you tell me what it was like after the surgery in regards to what you could eat and so on? I'm contemplating it myself but I'm so afraid.Thanks


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## Jleigh (Dec 8, 2000)

I need to have something done but first we have to make sure I have GERD. I've been told it is acid reflux, bile reflux, esophagus spasms and just part of my IBS. I've had several test but none of them showed anything conclusive. I am so tired of the pain. I don't have acid rise up in my throat or burning. I just have severe chest pain that goes away when I drink water, take pepto bismol and walk around. PPH's and other acid reducing drugs do not help.I'm at a loss.


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## slacker (Mar 23, 2002)

JLeigh, PPI's do not help me either. In fact, they just give me more abdominal pain at high doses. I've taken Protonix, Prevacid, Aciphex, Nexium, at different dosages and intervals. Useless. Pepto n the like helps the reflux, even if its Bile, but it doesn't exactly cure it. I'm at a loss too. Before I had major GI problems, I thought there was a magic pill for just about everything. Find out later the PPI's do nothing for Bile reflux, which an endoscopy verified I have. I kinda burp up and regurgitate food and liquid, whatever I swallow, have moderate chest pain sometimes, and I get the soury bile taste. Problem ends up being small bowel dysmotility, not an excess acid problem (although the dr. saw tons of acid as well as bile in my esophagus). Basically, if you are not helped by PPI's, then I would cast doubt on it being "just acid reflux." Yeah, ya got acid reflux, but there could be an underlying problem if eliminating most of the acid doesn't help. Everybody else I know thats taken the PPI's for acid reflux thinks they are great, they can eat chili and whatever, problem solved. Hypothesis: they really do have just acid reflux. I saw a new GP recently, who told me his feelings about the area GI's (Peoria, IL), which I had been hearing from other doctors, too. They don't care, they don't think, they just wanna pass the scopes cause they get paid for it. Don't wanna look into anything. Call it IBS, anxiety, stress, GERD. Took me months for them to finally do a esophagal manometry, 24hour ph, Bernstein test on me. I got a feeling this isn't the only practice where the apathy reigns. The results, no evidence of reflux, no esophageal spasm, no esophageal dysmotility, no nothing. My pH was slightly better than normal people with no symptoms. This GI in charge of this test and the GI who did the endoscopy are from the SAME PRACTICE. Endoscopy: Reflux!...manometry: Not at all!Hmmm... They wouldn't do the gastric empty test, which found my problem, a YEAR later. They wouldn't even refer me somewhere, my psychiatrist eventually got me to Mayo when the psych meds, surprise, didn't fix my physical problem. Have you tried Reglan (Metaclopramide)?"Gastro-intestinal stimulant", supposed to help reflux, nausea, fullness by makin your stomach empty faster. If your stomach isn't the problem, it isn't very effective. If you actually have esophageal spasm, or something weird like achalasia, they do have treatment/meds for it. Everything you take that doesn't work, rules out one more thing I guess. But you might not like what you're left with =(.Good luck getting diagnosed.Slacker


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## Tucker (Dec 18, 1999)

I had The Hill Repair. It's named after Dr. Lucius Hill.


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## slacker (Mar 23, 2002)

Tucker, Can you elaborate on "creating" a valve? Does he literally create a new one, beef up the LES, or what? My LES sucks. I want a new one. Like, if I smoke, the majority of each "inhale" goes in my stomach. Thats messed. And of course I have perpetual reflux.Slacker


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## Tucker (Dec 18, 1999)

When I say "create" a valve, from what I understand they wrapped apart of my stomach tightly around my esophegus, thus "creating" a valve.


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## silver (Dec 21, 1999)

Tucker, what you describe is the same procedure as the Nissen fundoplication. They also wrap your stomach. Glad its working for you.


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