We where kinda told and assumed that he couldn't reflux after his surgery but after reading things on this site now I am really wondering .Do they reflux after a fundo and does it ever go away? Our son had his surgery 2 years ago and he is still struggling and recently has gotten worse from refluxing. Thanx Rosie

Rosie, three of my children have all had fundos done. Presently they all reflux past their fundos and are on meds for it. I will say that they are no where near where they wear prior to surgery but they still reflux.

When my children had their surgeries we were told that this would be the cure all. Well we have learned that it is not and that it may not be permanent. If I had to do over yes my children would still get the fundo because it was live saving for them but I wouldnt think that it would be the saving grace.

Is your child on any meds presently? Are they refluxing as bad as prior to surgery? Have they been checked to see if the fundo is intact? Also is the funding still functioning?


Melanie

I agree with Melanie. I went into the first one thinking it would be a cure-all. When it came undone a few months later, we did a second hoping it would work longer. My expectations going into the second were more realistic, but doctors still like to say it should take away the reflux enough to go off meds a month after surgery. My daughter, although she got 13 good months with her 2nd fundo, never went off prevacid, and 4 months after the fundo went on pepcid too, then nortriptyline for chronic spasms. She ended up with more meds than before and still refluxes.

Unfortunately, I have heard this more often than not. I read a study, and it is on this website, that said 60 percent of kids with fundos were back within a few months post-op needing to be treated with meds for continued reflux. How disheartening that there isn't a better way to treat our kids!

Yes, kids can start to reflux after the nissen & it isn't a cureall for Reflux it just is supposed to lessen it but, then alot of post fundo kiddo's like mine reflux worse after surgery then before. There is a science yet to be arranged for figuring out what kids will benifit from surgery and those who won't.

Perfectly said Katy. I think that should be the bottom-line summary on whether to do a fundo or not---some kids benefit from it and some don't. There isn't a science that will help you decide which it will be for your child. So be sure it is clearly necessary when deciding to do it. Doesn't address this specific posted topic, but I think it was a great point.....thanks Katy!

We were told never to consider a fundo for reflux itself. The reason to do a fundo is only for problems caused by the reflux because it could help with those problems like pneumonias, sinus, ear infections, FTT and low immune system due to all the illnesses caused by reflux. This is why we did the surgery and it helped in these areas. So, we are happy with it. If someone does it just because their child has reflux they will be disappointed.

Erin,
You said that the reason to do a fundo is to help with problems like pneumonia, FTT, etc. etc. but the reason it helps those problems is because it minimizes or stops reflux at least temporarily. So you do it thinking that it will stop or lessen the reflux enough so that the way the reflux affected your child will stop. Then you hope that it will "buy them time" so that when they do start refluxing again they wont be affected by it the same way because hopefully they are older and stronger and bigger. Unfortunately that isn't always the case! It of course does not mean you dont try if it is clearly needed, but I do think a better solution should be invented!

This is true, but if it is just reflux symptoms they are experienceing then it shouldn't be considered as I said in my post.

And, in alot of cases it doesn't even stop the reflux temporarily, just lessons it, which makes things better in the other areas discussed.

I have to agree with Erin on this one. We were told that the fundo would be the cure all but it was not in our case. I will say that it did lessen the number of pneumonias, sinus infections,ear infections, breathing issues and aspirations that my kids had experienced prior to fundos being done.

All three of my kids that had the fundo are all still on the med that they were on prior to surgery and still reflux.

It has lessened those for us as well, Mel, and I am so thankful!! Its one thing to have reflux but all others things on top of it are just heartbreaking...