Had Nissen Fundoplication Surgery on March 1, 2010

I had the surgery 3 weeks ago and sometimes when I eat I get a choking feeling that hurts and I have to lay down on my right side until it passes. I can burp but not like before and I always get a gurgling sound when I open my mouth after I take a bite of food. I'm still on the soft food diet for another 2-3 weeks.
I also have severe left collarbone and shoulder/arm pain after the surgery, had it in the hospital after I woke up.
Last night was a new thing, it started with severe knife pain on my left side in my stomach area and it lasted all night long. I could hear air rumbling through me and I was passing gas but this pain wouldn't go away. I couldn't lay on my right side or my back. This morning it is still sore. I am wondering if this is gas and what should I use to prevent this.
Also I am 49 years old and I am so tired, anyone know when I will get back to normal?
I put in a call to my Doctor this morning for him to answer these questions but any help would be appreciated.

Thank you for your response.

My Doctor actually just called me from his cell phone and is setting up an x-ray to make sure everything is ok and also to investigate the shoulder pain.

I will report back after the x-ray is done and I hear what it is. He did mention the "nerve" being moved but he wants to make sure it is nothing else, ie: being moved from one table to another.

Welcome fellow wrapper! :)
I had a lot of gas after my surgery so I took gas-x. I took almost two boxes full over a two week period. I still have some gas, but I've found out I'm lactose intolerant and I had increased my milk intake since the surgery.
My stomach noises calmed down after I started pureed foods. Grits (thinned down) helped alot.
I'm 42 and the energy level was low for me too. I'm three months post-op and am just now beginning to feel energized.

Joy

Good Morning and wondering how you are doing today? I am glad to hear your physician was very prompt and responsive to your call. Hoping any tests turn out normal.



Blessings,



Kitt

Bursitis in the stomach? Maybe they were talking about the omental bursa, a sac behind the stomach, but how can they tell if it is inflamed (-itis)? Maybe it's filled with gas or fluid? Are they really sure you don't have free fluid or gas under the diaphragm or in the chest?

As a survivor of both Reglan and gas-x, let me warn you that Reglan can (usually with continued use) cause muscle spasms, and gas-x doesn't work on the colon, which is where the gas pain is usually felt. It doesn't do much for the stomach either in my experience. I can't imagine how either would help with "bursitis." I'm probably just confused.

The good news is that when the swelling goes down, the gas in the stomach will be easier to burp up (for a lot of us). Meantime don't drink with your meals. Drink in between meals. It seems to help to not swallow so much air.

For colon gas all you can do is cut out the carbohydrates, which your intestinal bacteria turn into gas.

Hi Mam, I will try this again.  This is a great site for information and encouragement.  I had the surgery in July and am still recovering.  Still have occasional shoulder pain when I am tired.  It is due to the nerves which pass through the diaphragm being disturbed during surgery.  They continue on to the shoulder.  I had lots of reconstruction on my diaphragm (SP).  Keep up the soft diet.  I keep returning to it at this stage .  I think most of the abdominal pain is gas since your stomach has been so re-arranged. IT can feel scary though, cause it is not like the garden variety gas, but quite painful. I use beano when I eat and gas x through the day.  I sometimes get ambitious and over eat or eat too much spicy stuff.  I find that I get really hungry now, but have to avoid eating too much. IT never turns out well.  I have lost about 30 pounds and am where I need to be weight wise.  I eat a lot of apple sauce and boiled eggs.  I try to avoid carbonation, but give in occasionally.  THe gas and rumbling was horrendous the first month to 6 weeks and has gradually calmed down.  I have a very stressful job (teaching) and find that when I have an exahausting or demanding day-like an evaluation, My stomach feels about like it did the first week after surgery!!!! Get lots of rest and be patient with yourself.  I think I started semi solids too early so don't rush it.  It is not something that most of us just breeze through.  I didn't have many symptoms, but had a giant hernia and huge hole in the diaphragm.  Baby yourself if you can.  I went back to work at three weeks and ended up on the bathroom floor resting a few times. I have days that are marvelous, but they still aren't the rule.  I am a little older than you, 63 in May, but very healthy and active otherwise.  This site will be invaluable to you as you heal.  You are not alone.  That is probably the best part about it.  Good luck with all your healing and ups and downs.  Good Luck to you as you continue your journey.

Mariacarole

I keep forgetting to ask, what happens if you have to throw up early on after the surgery. This morning I got hit with nausea and the other end and I was in the bathroom for an hour and a half!! I felt like I could throw up but I fought it.
I will say that I feel like all the bloating has left me but I am still nauseated.
Has anyone thrown up since their surgery? I am afraid that I will cause tearing if I do.

Hi Mam,

Glad to hear you're doing well after surgery!  I had the surgery done in February 2009, and am very glad I did.  The symptom that sent me to surgery was GERD related asthma that was totally out of control.  Since the surgery (after time went by and the lungs healed) my lungs have been SO SO SO much improved. 

As far as eating after surgery...After five days, I was eating solid foods--"anything that could be chewed to a liquid."  Attending to that advice, I ate pretty much anything I wanted, and had only very mild issues with swallowing (in particular, for example, I was at a restaurant and ate a cherry tomato, which I didn't chew completely.  It wasn't a big deal, but did cause some spasming and discomfort).

The shoulder pain was most likely made worse by the floating gas that travels internally after the surgery.  I was one that walking really helped.  My pain control was in exact relation to the amount I walked.  Glad to hear you found out what's going on there.

It'll take a few months for things to get more normal for you, but being able to eat whatever you like (within reason) is a real treat.  Remember to take small bites, and chew, chew, chew.

My surgeon asked me to stay away from bread and steak for a while.  I found that toasted bread was fine.  Also, if you enjoy beef and have a crock pot, you can combine carrots, a little onion, some potatoes, (onion soup mix with a little water) and beef.  Cook it for hours, until the meat is really soft, and enjoy.  A friend who'd had the surgery suggested that I do that, then just eat the veggies that were flavored with the beef, but I could eat it all.

Remember to eat SMALL meals more often, since your stomach will continue to feel full after a little food.  You don't want to get uncomfortably stuffed.

When you're eating, don't talk.  It causes you to swallow more air with your food, and creates more gas issues.  If your stomach can burp itself, Gas-X can be a help.  It won't help with the gas that's floating in your body, obviously.

I was warned by members here to get anti nausea drugs to have on hand in case of nausea. I got Zofran (little tiny pills that melt in your mouth) and Compazine suppositories from my family doc.  I got a stomach virus in January that came on suddenly and didn't have nausea to warn to take the meds until it was too late.  I was surprised to find that I could vomit.  I took anti nausea drugs immediately, but after 4 hours threw up again.  I took a dose of Compazine, and didn't throw up again, as I took it regularly to stay ahead of the nausea.

At your stage in the game you don't want to test your wrap, so be sure to get anti nausea drugs and carry them with you wherever you go.   Don't be overly worried, though.  Many either throw up or have dry heaves without any damage to their wrap.  It's just better to take precautions if you can.

Later, when you're eating more normally, you'll want to have BEANO.  You take that just before your first bite of potentially gassy food.  I find it helps a LOT!

Good luck with your future healing.  Feel free to ask any question that you might have.  Keep in mind that my surgeon said pretty much anything can happen (symptom-wise) during (especially the early) healing process.

Take care,

Denise

I had the fundoplication 5 days ago. Woke up in the recovery room with severe left neck pain. Doc told me it was from the stitches in the diaphragm after repairing the hiatal hernia. Still on just clear liquids as could not tolerate a pureed diet. Cold things are really irritating and get spasms with taking medications. No real abdominal pain and neck finally starting to feel better. Anyone else had the neck pain? Fatigued, but doing okay, each day seems to get better.

thx,
Doc didn't tell me about the bending over, just no lifting. Will have to be more careful. I want this to be successful.

I had the 270 degree wrap and my doctor told me no lifting for six weeks and then slowly increase it. Also not to bend over for 3 weeks or more. I just did it when I felt no stress on my wrap which was around 5 weeks mark.

Take care.

Joy

That would be me who needs support. Feeling lousy again for the last couple of days. Tried to discontinue PPI and sleep flat. For the first 10 days felt good no problems, but since a couple of days ago nausea and wrap discomfort wake me up at 5 am and then contniue intermittenly all day. Also some random short-lived chest pains here and there. My wife keeps saying it's my fault because I eat the wrong things or to much of something. I guess I may be overdoing it. I'm 6 weeks post op and I've been eating everything I want except spicy and acidic things. I ate meaty, fried, fat and oily stuff. Could that have been bad for my wrap? Sorry for the stupid question. Today I see my surgeon for the 6 week post op. Some days I feel so bad that I begin to think maybe it didn't work and maybe I still have the reflux? Or maybe its a different problem altogethr from the beginning? But then later I feel better and forget about the bad thoughts. I need to be steady on soft and liquid foods for a while. Have you guys ever questioned the outcome during your recovery? Or am I just being a wussy? Nausea is the killer! I thought I'd be good as new at 6 weeks :-(

Post Edited (rummaan) : 9/19/2010 5:45:58 AM (GMT-6)

((((((((((((((mam)))))))))))))))))))))
So sorry for your loss.

rum, hang in there. You are rushing the foods a bit. I know you want everything to hurry up and get back to "normal", but what was normal may be changed. Ease into the foods.