Special Needs

Nissen?

The GI doc thinks that Ben is a canidate for a Nissen.  He has severe food allergies, reflux, Eosinophilic Esophagitis and is currently not eating.  He has barely taken 2 bites of food a day for the past 2 1/2 months. He is in feeding therapy, but the fall/ spring are really hard on him and it seems as though he just doesn't get hungry enough to sit and eat. He will put food in, but he either takes only a few bites, or just spits it out.

We are going to try erthrymacin 1st, and he has an NG tube now so he gets the calories, but the dr wants us to think about doing the Nissen and G-tube and schedule it when we go for our next appt in December.

What can you tell me about it? Did it help? How long was your child in the hospital? Ben also had a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia that was repaired at 2 days old, but we are very hesitant to alter anything, on top of everything he has already had done. Any information you can share would be great.

 Thank You!

Katherine Proud Mommy and Foster Mommy

Re: Nissen?

  • Robbie was born with a diaphragm issue, which lead to a hiatal hernia. He was also a 26w preemie with IUGR, so she had a ton of issues with his stomach.

    He had his hernia & diaphragm repaired, a nissen and a gtube places when he was about 2 months old (but not due yet.) while still in the NICU.

    The G tube was taken out a short time later because he was eating very well. Then a few months later, he stopped. We struggled and struggled for months, eventually had an NG for a bit, and then in March finally discovered that his hernia had recurred and basically did it all (minus the nissen) again.

     Robbie is a rare case in that the nissen did NOT stop his vomiting. They say it looks tight, and in the right place, so they don't know why not, but it didn't. He still pukes an average of 2 or 3 times/day. (He's 16 months actual.) which is down from 15 or 20 times/day just a few months ago.

    The fundo is not w/o side effects. Even though they theoretically can't puke, they can still retch  & gag, and sometimes they have trouble with gas because they can't burp. You can vent the gas with the G tube, but that can be a pain, too.

    Why do they recommend the fundo? If I had it all to do again, I probably wouldn't do it, at least not when we did. I would only do it if he were aspirating his vomit or puking so much that even when given proper nutrition via a tube, he still couldn't gain weight.

    Which we went through both of those even after the procedure, but again, we're rare.

    You might ask about the nissen on the preemie board as well. I know preemieparent's daughter has one and there might be more.

     

  • My son was born with end stage renal disease and is on dialysis and will receive a transplant next year some time.

    He had a gtube nissen done when he was about 4 months old due to GERD and not able to keep anything down.  The nissen does it's job although he is a very gaggy baby because of his illness.  Sometime I just wish he could throw up so that he would feel better, but he can't because of the nissen.  That is my only complaint about it. 

    He is now 17 months old and stable.  He is gaining the weight that we need him too because of the nissen not allowing him to spit it back up. 

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