Laparoscopic Fundoplication

[ArNG11]

Has anyone tried this aggressive treatment for GERD?

[ArNG11]

Here's another ? of sorts. I am using private insurance to take care of a 0% service connected condition, GERD (on appeal) is it possible to have the VA reimburse me for the bill. I can't even get my VA PCP to change and add prescriptions to mirror my civi docs.

[Vync]

I have bad GERD and have had upper GI's done. That's about as aggressive as the VA has been to me. They give me anti acid meds and the GI cocktail. If that fails to put out the inferno, I go to the VA ER where they treat me like a heart patient. Symptoms are near identical. In the end, they usually give me IV mes.

Your regular VA primary care doc is limited to what he can prescribe. To get the better, nonformulary meds, he likely will need to refer you to the GI clinic.

They are supposed to reimburse, but my VA gave me the shaft in that department. They said i could have got the treatment from them and denied reimbursement. I'd keep all receipts and file for reimbursement anyway after they grant SC. They can only say no.

There are some meds that are well known to cause GERD, particularly NSAIDs like motrin. If you are given them to an treat SC condition, it should make it easier to get GERD awarded as secondary. Despite being so widespread, they don't have a dedicated GERD, so they tend to rate it under hiatal hernia.

[ArNG11]

Yeah that is funny. A hiatial hernia can cause GERD to happen. The rating schedules are funny that way. I got connected at 0%. I will find out after my DRO appeal what they finally grant. By regs and medical evidence I should have been at 30% for the GERD. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. I imagine that will head on up to BVA as well. Regional offices play silly.

[georgiapapa]

ArNG11,

Check out the LINX Reflux Management System. This system was approved in 2012 and is used by Dr. Daniel Smith at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. It is GERD surgery using a ring of tiny magnetic titanium beads. It is supposed to be better than the Nissen Fundoplication procedure.

[ArNG11]

thanks GeorgiaPapa. Definitely different.

[georgiapapa]

You are welcome.

My gastro doctor wanted to do the Nissen Fundoplucation procedure on me a couple years ago which I put off and last year he told me about the Lynx procedure he had learned about at a conference where he met Dr. Smith. My gastro doctor told me if I wanted the procedure, he would refer me to Dr. Smith at Mayo but I declined his offer. I had been on Nexium for over 15 years and my GERD was beginning to get worse; however, my new medications (Dexilant and Zantac) seem to keep my GERD under control most of the time so I am not in a hurry for the surgery. Also, if you have the Lynx procedure, you can no longer have MRIs.

Good luck.