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BayCare offers several convenient health care services that help get care you need to get back to feeling better.
Nissen Fundoplication Procedure for Reflux
The fundoplication is a laparoscopic surgery done through 5 small incisions that consists of folding (plicating) the stomach around the lower esophagus, thereby recreating a lower esophageal acid barrier which can restore the normal function of the gastroesophageal junction. When this procedure is performed, if a patient has a hiatal hernia, it is repaired at the same time.
Most patients stay overnight in the hospital and can return to work in 2 weeks after this laparoscopic procedure.
Benefits
- One of the most studied anti-reflux surgeries, there are over 60 years of data on the durability of the Lap Nissen procedure
- 90-95% of patients with heartburn will come off their daily heartburn medication post-procedure
- Works well for additional symptoms of GERD other than heartburn, while certain other procedure target only heartburn
- Patients don't need to be weaned off their medications, they simply stop taking them post-surgery
Recovery
One of the biggest benefits of the Lap Nissen is that patients can immediately stop taking their daily heartburn medications after the procedure is completed, rather than being weaned off the medications. After the surgery, patients are required to stay overnight in the hospital for observation. You'll be placed on a liquid diet for two weeks following the surgery, a semi-solid diet for weeks 3 and 4, and should be back to a fully unrestricted diet by 8 weeks after the procedure. It is also recommended that patients take two weeks off of work following the procedure.