Hi,

My daughter Theresa happens to be 4'9inches and 70 lb. also if we're
keeping track!:) Theresa had her fourth fondoplication July 6th. They
went in saying yes she was refluxing (according to the PH Probe), but
the wrap was still in place (according to the Upper GI and scope). They
came out of surgery saying the fondoplication was "standing open" and
that she had a hole in her esophagus. They also said the tissue around
there is falling apart from "taking a beating" each time they went in,
and next time they would need to remove a good deal of her esophagus and
upper stomach, and rebuild it. When she came home, she was dumping
(she has dumping syndrome after a vagotomy last year) everything, but
started eating right from the start with none of the "food getting
stuck" problems we had every other time. I was glad but wondered how
tight it could be if everything went through. By two weeks after the
surgery she was refluxing again. She had her follow up appointment with
the surgeon today. He did an upper GI first using her gastric button
and then having her swallow and came out saying nothing was coming up
through the fondoplication at all. She promptly went out in the parking
lot and threw up all the barium. I called the surgeon's office to tell
him things obviously could come up since she could vomit and had. He
didn't call me back.

It is so frustrating to deal with these people sometimes. My husband
and I both feel like we need to take her to someone else, but have no
idea who the real experts are or where we should call. Does anyone have
any suggestions? I've read that many of you have traveled to other
cities to see Dr.'s Has it been worth it? Does the new person then
continue to treat the child -- flying or driving back and forth? I just
don't know how to do all this.

Jennifer Kuehnle