After Your Operation

Will my GERD get better?

GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) is common in parathyroid patients because our bodies use calcium as a trigger for acid production in the stomach. The surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center published a large, prospective study in parathyroid patients with GERD and found that the GERD improved significantly or went away completely in about 82%. We found that these improvements in the symptoms of GERD happened between 2 weeks and 3 months, but typically around 1 month after the operation. For this reason, we recommend that if you are taking medicine for GERD (like Nexium or Prilosec) that you continue taking these medications for about 1 month after the operation and then start to taper it down to zero. Of course, you should discuss this with your doctors back home, especially the doctor who put you on these drugs.