Repeat surgery - what do they do?

[Guest guest]

Just curious....when/if a person does require a repeat Heller, what

do they do? Do they re-cut those muscles and then re-attatch the

stomoch flap back up....or what? I assume it can be done

laproscopically if the first was done as such and nothing else

prohibits it?

I was assuming for most of the time that people having repeat

proceedures of the Heller were having " botched " surgeries corrected -

or for some other reason their first operation didn't accomplish the

goal and needed " tweaking. " I didn't realize that years down the

road it just might need repeating as the condition progressed.

I thought someone had posted that their Dr. had told them to wait on

the operation as they were still young and they shouldn't use

the " big gun " so soon as it would limit their options as they got

older. But, if th Heller can simply be repeated....then that

destroys that theory.

Joy

[Guest guest]

Joy,

I can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you that my

surgeon told me that he could not do the procedure laproscopically

because of scar tissue from the previous surgery. Evidently the

scar tissue presents a problem. I wonder if anyone on the board

that has two surgeries has had the second one done laproscopically,

and if so, how it went...

The other thing my GI told me that it was better to have the surgery

done when you are younger because you tolerate the surgery better.

I guess surgery of any kind would be less risky at 40 than it would

be at 60 or 70. I guess it all probably depends on your situation

and symptoms.

Sharlene

> Just curious....when/if a person does require a repeat Heller,

what

> do they do? Do they re-cut those muscles and then re-attatch the

> stomoch flap back up....or what? I assume it can be done

> laproscopically if the first was done as such and nothing else

> prohibits it?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/26/2004 2:01:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time, srochen@... writes:

Joy,I can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you that my surgeon told me that he could not do the procedure laproscopically because of scar tissue from the previous surgery. Evidently the scar tissue presents a problem. I wonder if anyone on the board that has two surgeries has had the second one done laproscopically, and if so, how it went...The other thing my GI told me that it was better to have the surgery done when you are younger because you tolerate the surgery better. I guess surgery of any kind would be less risky at 40 than it would be at 60 or 70. I guess it all probably depends on your situation and symptoms.Sharlene> Just curious....when/if a person does require a repeat Heller, what > do they do? Do they re-cut those muscles and then re-attatch the > stomoch flap back up....or what? I assume it can be done > laproscopically if the first was done as such and nothing else > prohibits it?

Sharlene,

I can't speak to the lap Heller op. , but over a year ago I had a lap. Nissen fundoplication, and less than 2 months later, because of dysphagia, they did a repeat lap Toupet fundoplication( for GERD). The surgeon told me he thought that the 2nd proceedure might have to be open, but, upon waking up in recovery found that they were able to do it laproscopic.

Jan in NKY

[Guest guest]

Jan,

More interesting information! It may just be the surgeon's

preference then, or some kind of case by case basis decision.

Sharlene

> >

>

>

> Sharlene,

> I can't speak to the lap Heller op. , but over a year ago I had a

lap.

> Nissen fundoplication, and less than 2 months later, because of

dysphagia, they

> did a repeat lap Toupet fundoplication( for GERD). The surgeon

told me he

> thought that the 2nd proceedure might have to be open, but, upon

waking up in

> recovery found that they were able to do it laproscopic.

> Jan in NKY