Dear Lindsey,
I had the Nissen procedure about five years ago.
My experience is that symptoms are greatly lessened but
still there. I can't take any medications for reflux as
I had severe reactions to all I tried. I still watch my diet -
fanatically when I'm going to be singing. I also keep my
bed tilted and all the usual GERD precautions! And no,
it's no longer possible to regurgitate - so I am very careful
to avoid food poisoning. And migraines. It took me a
year to get back to work after the surgery but I had been
very ill for five years before. Now I'm actually capable of
being slightly overweight! I use calcium sometimes for
the reflux that remains.
It seems to me that I read about a procedure being done
at Stanford - something about using heat, I think, to tighten
the lower esophageal sphincter? An outpatient procedure.
It sounded like something I might have considered had it been
available five years ago.
I had the fundoplication at UW in Seattle, Dr. Pellegrini
was the surgeon. They were just starting a study on the
effect of this particular surgery on singers. You might possibly
contact him. At my first post-op appointment, I told Dr.
Pellegrini and the two other doctors with him that I was a
singer and the three of them started prancing around singing
bits of Carmen - in falsetto. It was hysterical!
Good luck to you. If you want more info on my
experience with the operation, you can write to me privately.
Robin (A Vocalist lurker soprano)
Sandalwood5@j...
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