Nissen fundoplication - Hiatal Hernia Repair

 hello i had surgery on june 29th things are getting better day by day i am eating solid food the only thing is i must chew chew chew and swallow slowly i pray that this will not be for long  do anyone know if i can eat cheese also why do when you put the food in your mouth and it gets to the lower part it feels like its getting stuck then if i wait then it goes down to the stomach could this be that its still swollen  or will that get better  if you know please let me know thanks

You may have to give up bread for a very long time. It's a huge gas producer. Now that you are "wrapped" you can't burp normally. some of us get it back, but usually not completely.

Look up lists of gas producing foods and you will see what to avoid. You can add them in slowly - but only after the swelling goes down in your wrap.

If you have hiccups you may possibly have a food trigger. Certain foods cause sensitivities which cause all sorts of reactions. For some people some foods triggered the gastric reflux in the first place - although the valve had to also be bad for anything to come into the esophagus. Other symptoms can be esophageal spasms, heart arrhythmias and coronary artery spasms (which I get) and migraines. Keep a good food log with times and reactions.

Hey hope things get better soon for all you i go back and see gi dr aug 6 to get results of my sec bravo test and he said already i am most likly need surgey after all your experice i have no clue what to do

Dear wordworker,

I had the same surgery twice. The first time was laparoscopic and it came loose when I lifted a very heavy object :(

I was able to eat Semi-Normal after about 8 weeks.. everything seemed to get stuck in my throat for a while, but it did get much better.

The second time I had the surgery, they had to open me up because of scar tissue and do an open nissen fundo..... It was a very long time before I could eat solids. I lived on broth, thin mashed potatoes, jello, pudding, and boost shakes for 3 months.. it was a very slow transition, but well worth it. I am soooo glad not to have reflux anymore and have saved my self from esophagus cancer because the lining of my esophagus had already started changing from the acid !

I still got choked on pills for about a year and scrambled eggs seem to hang up horrible.. CHEW, CHEW, CHEW... I still have to avoid carbonated beverages because the air gets trapped and gives me stomach discomfort. I guess if it keeps acid out of your throat then it keeps the air down toooo.

Hang in there... I promise it gets better :)

My husband is currently 4.5 days post-laproscopic nissen fundoplication surgery.  He's had two swallow tests and neither has shown that liquids are flowing through very quickly.  The docs have taken a wait and see approach.  Has anyone else had this experience/had to be hospitalized this long?  They say no slippage of the wrap and that it is probably just edema as a dilator was used to perform the procedure, but I am becoming very distrustful of their statements.

 

Hi Rummaan

This is Marie.

How are you?

Sorry - haven't been on here lately. Just saw your post tonite.

I had my surgery while ago - but it sliped.

Don't know why it come loose! Probably it was never done tight from the first place.

After I woke up from surgery, I was able to burp - I don't get the uncomfortable feeling like everyone here mention.

I don't get the bloated feeling. I can burp easily. I also noticed that I had a lot of sour  after surgery. I mentioned that to the dr. at the time and he told me that it was normal. I was very careful and afraid to damage the wrap from the very beginning, everything I eat - I always chew into H20 and swallow very small at a time.  Today,

I am still getting the burn pretty bad -  everyday with sever burn -PPI help somewhat.

I am going back to see the dr - this time - I am planning to go to OHIO Clevenland.

I live in California. Hope everyone here doing well. Remeber to take it slow -

Take care, everyone.

Marie

 

Hey all - I'm 15 days out of lap nissen and hiatal hernia repair. WOW, I didn't know either that it was going to be so painful. Yikes! I have felt like a compete baby until I read some of your posts. Last night I tried the first of a soft diet, but holy cow it got stuck and was extremely painful! Has anyone stayed on pain meds for this long? The little holes from the surgery don't hurt, it's my stomach and diaphragm. Any advice? Thanks! Trish

Hi Trish,
I was using the pain meds intermittently for about three weeks after the surgery. It sounds like everything is very swollen and congested so food is having a hard time moving through and this is causing already swollen and angry tissue to get even more angry by being moved around. If possible you may want to back off to near-liquid foods like porridge, oatmeals, apple sauce, puddings, jello, baby food; I found that for the first few weeks after the surgery when everything was angry (whoo boy was it angry) these were great fall back foods. I also chewed any semi solids/solids to a fine pulp and then swallowed with water, I found this helped with the more complicated foods.

I'm glad to hear it. From what I understand from these forums most doctors suggest eating whatever works for you for the first few months. Sounds like the more solid foods were too much for the time being. Just take it slow and gradually step up, you won't damage anything by experimenting but there is the possibility that it could get stuck/hurt/'need to be regurgitated' all of which isn't fun.

I'm about 5 weeks out an I'm having few problems at this point. Little to no heartburn and few problems swallowing (though chunks of fruit will get caught if I don't chew properly).

Thanks Marie, I hope you find solution soon!
I'm 6 weeks out and I'm still struggling. My burn and nausea never really went away, just become less with the medicines. Now I began to feel burn and the nausea in the night and early mornings. Can't sleep can't even recline. It's awful. My surgeon says "it's okay, it will pass, but I feel something's wrong" I do get a lump in the throat sensation after eating but no burning. I'm on PPIs twice a day. I tried quitting my night dose and it got much worse. I don't know what to do. Maybe I need to go to the States and book an appointment at Mayo or some other clinic. Anyone had experience of a Nissen at Mayo? I heard they have a good surgeon there in Rochester, Mr. Deschamps. Any Minnesotans here? I lived in Minneapolis for 7 years then San Diego for 2 years then San Francisco for 2 years. This whole situation is driving me nuts. My deductible is high and I have no sick time left after Nissen. I heard some other guys were convinced they had heartburn after Nissen but then it went away.

Hi there, am I ever glad to find this forum. Hopefully you guys can help me. In 05/2005 I had a stranglelated hiatal hernia and had to to have surgery with the

lap method. 2 years ago I was doing some stretching and felt something pull in my stomach, my symptoms starting as follows, vomiting, acid reflux, pain in

stomach and chest. As time passed the symptoms got worse, I'm now a prisoner in my home because I never know when I'm going to throw up, there is no

for warning, no nausea, just spraratic vomiting I can't lie down and sleep at all my throat and mouth fills up with my stomach acid. I throw up so violently

that I almost black out and there is blood mixed in my spittle. Shortness of breath. I've have my esophagus stretched 3 times since my surgery twice within

6 months. The Dr. that did the surgery told me to lose weight and I would be fine, no exams no nothing. I'm 30 lbs overweight. 2nd Dr. stretched my throat

and sent me on my way, 3rd dr stretched my throat twice, 3rd dr ran tests and dismissed me after finding nothing. 4th dr discovered I have a rather large

hiatal hernia, I'm waiting on a call from him now to found out if he will do the surgery or recommend someone who will, he doesn't like to do repair work on

another dr's work, he said it's a complicated surgery. You guys have no idea how grateful I was that this dr found something. I was beginning to believe it

was self induced unconsciously. I feel like someone has punched me hard in the stomach and it never lets up. I'm 57 and nervous about this, I'm so out

of shape for being so sick so long, so any feed back will be appreciated. Thanks Ellie-mae

Hi,

I'm about 3 months post op for a hiatial hernia repair and wrap

I have some good days and then I seem to have some bad ones where the pain in my stomach in terrible and I have to lie down and take a couple of pain killers.

I also have loud hiccups.  They don't always occur after a meal I can be just sitting and I get this feeling in my throat and I know one is going to explode.

I am also expierencing some sensitivity around my scars.. very itchy...

Any ideas please. 

Cheers

deb