Howard,
I was doing some researching online in preparation for a possible
revisional la****oscopic operation depending on the Bravo/Manometry
tests this month. During my research, I was shocked to read something
from someone whom underwent a 2nd fundo operation. This person said
that their GI doctor talked at length to them about the risks for
undergoing a 2nd fundo and the high probability of scar tissue from
the 1st fundo preventing a successful LAP surgery. It is especially
problematic if the scar tissue is heavy in the area around the
esophagus & diaphram. If he can't do it LAP, he goes in through the
chest - which is major, major surgery - and not to be taken lightly.
The GI Doc will not do the open surgery abdominally because he thinks
the success rate is significantly reduced when the procedure is done
this way.
Because of scar tissue, the surgery can take 2 to 3 times longer than
the first fundo. Plus, the surgeon is not working in virgin territory
- the anatomy has been re-arranged, and, as a result, it can be
difficult to tell where vital parts really lie when they are having to
cut through a lot of scar tissue. This is a "high-rent" area and there
is concern with accidently damaging the liver, speen, stomach,
diaphram, esophagus, lungs, aorta, or vagas nerve when cutting the
scar tissue. He always takes the first fundo completely down and
redoes the entire procedure.
As mentioned before, I had nissen fundoplication done in 1995 and
MIGHT need to have LAP done depending on the above tests---but if I
already had the first OP, is it really that risky for the 2nd Op?
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