Re: Re: Complications Years After Heller's Myotomy? -Steve-

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve,

First of all I want to say that I like the way you have improved where it comes

to expressing your bitterness towards your achalasia and doctors. You´ve already

come a long way on that one and I think that is a very very positive

development!

Sure you are bitter, I understand that. You know, Steve, you tell the truth when

you tell people that there is no 100% success rate for any achalasia treatment.

And indeed the great majority of us benefits from the current methods, but for

the other members it indeed is hard to cope with the fact that nothing seems to

work.

This doesn´t mean one shouldn´t be positive going in for any treatment or

achalasia surgery, it just means one should be realistic and be aware of the

fact that things just might turn out differently.

In my case the first surgery helped me a great deal and gave me the opportunity

to have children. Without this surgery I certainly wouldn´t have been able to

have them, that´s a fact. After 12 years I got my 2nd open Heller´s and it

failed. I don´t need to tell you how frustrating that was. You go through the

agony and pain of the decision to go for this 2nd myotomy or not, to end up at

the same place where you were standing before this surgery.

What options did it leave me with? It left me with the esophagectomy. Wow, that

was a process, the process of deciding to go for it or not. But guess what? Once

you research that surgery, that topic that I've always avoided, it turns out not

to be as bad as it sounded before.

Sure it's tough going through this surgery. Sure, 8 months post -ectomy I still

need to have many treatments because of it, but hey, I know things will turn out

OK and things progress by the day.

There is hope for every achalasian, no matter what. The -ectomy is the last

option, the one that should be avoided when possible, but when necessary: it IS

an option and it DOES help us. Everyone and every case is specific and has

specific needs.

Steve, I so much hope that the day will come that you will finally get some

relief as well. You are fighting a hard battle in my opinion and I just hope

some day soon you will win it. But it does mean that you need to stand open for

doctors, even though you obviously don't trust them, even though they obviously

didn't give you any reason to trust them. Give them another chance, who knows

what's in it for you to gain...

Isabella

________________________________

From: steve <stevenakamichi@...>

achalasia

Sent: Monday, December 8, 2008 9:38:06 AM

Subject: Re: Complications Years After Heller's Myotomy?

Complications?

you betcha!

First there is always the possibility of perforations, and permanent

post-surgical conditions (i.e., PAIN), which you may discover that not

too many doctors will treat effectively.

Certainly, the fundoplication can reduce acid flare-ups; but its

function to 'strengthen' the slitted LES can be counter-productive. In

my case, it tightened the LES juncture up even more than it was

previously.

You will be left with a scarred, ______-ed up sphincter, which cannot

be undone.

Your options will be minimal.

Your GI will then probably refer you for more radical surgeries, which

are great ways for your GI to get rid of you and convenient methods to

supply bonus bucks for the surgeon.

Basically the GI approach is always for more surgery.

And since achalasia is a little understood condition, you may find

doctors know less about post-surgical conditions than you will. (ex:

once i was given a drug for 'neuropathic' PAIN. That was BS).

*Not ONE procedure I have had has helped my achalasia in any

significant way. In fact the fundoplication made the swallowing and

pain ( " spasms " ) worse. It isn't just the spasms, but persistent,

long-lasting pain.

The acid-reflux isn't nearly as bad is was when the first achalasia

symptoms hit me 30 years ago. Big deal. The trade-off for acid reflux

relief is chronic pain

And sorry---multiple Botox injections and calcium channel blockers

were absolutely USELESS. And acupuncture, and...

In a pool of people who have these operations, 80-90% receive some

form of relief. Not me.

Do you know how it is, after having some surgery or a procedure, when

you are asked to swallow something, and you feel the SAME? You are

told you feel so much better with time, but don't. You realize your

body has been raped for no perceived benefit.

Or when PAIN is just some unfortunate side-effect that these doctors

would choose to avoid acknowledging or even treating???

Bringing up possible 'complications' of a heller myotomy/fundo is

something I wished I had investigated further.

If you're like the majority, you should be fine. However there is a

small group of us resistant to all the standard treatments.

In those latter cases, with the heightened complication levels, and

'therapeutic surgical failures,' additional surgery is a risky

proposition.

Probably the worst complication you may experience is a lack of

understanding of what bothers you the most.

A better question you might ask is, " what if i end up in 5-10% group

that doesn't benefit from all of the traditional methods mentioned on

this forum? "

We don't hear much about that. Usually, the typical comments are: " Oh,

I fear going to the hospital [like that's some big worry...], " and

" After surgery, I feel so much better. Life is great. I can eat things

I haven't had for a long time. "

These things will not occur in all cases. Be prepared for that.

Sorry to rain on your day, but it's time for some pragmatic realism

>

> Hi,

> I had my Heller's Myotomy with Nissen Fundoplication in August 2003.

I have had

> relatively few problems since then, except for the occasional

esophageal spasm and

> occasional nausea (the bouts of nausea and dry heaving have greatly

reduced over time).

> Of course, I still drink plenty of fluids when I eat. About five

months ago, I started getting

> what I thought was reflux. The pain has progressively gotten worse,

and I am now 15

> weeks pregnant, so I thought it was pregnancy-related reflux. The

pain is at the base of

> my sternum---very strong----kind of resembles spasms, but not

really. It is a sharp

> ache.

>

> Last week I was in so much pain! I was working, and in less than 12

hours time I took 30

> Tums, a Prilosec, and a Zantac (the Prilosec and Zantac were taken

within two hours of

> each other). I finally got some relief, but I didn't feel well all

day. I talked to my midwife

> and explained to her what was going on, and I talked to a few of my

friends who are MDs

> to get their thoughts. Some are at a loss (since they are not GI

specialists, rather critical

> care specialists) , and others have suggested it could be a

complication from my surgery--

> --possibly my stomach is turning on itself? I don't know, they

don't know. They don't

> think it is reflux, and I have been referred to a GI specialist. I

was just wondering if

> anyone else has had problems years after their surgery.

>

> I am kind of nervous when I think about the possibility of having an

upper endoscopy

> while being pregnant---I don't want to hurt the babe.

>

> Thanks,

>

>