Nissen Fundoplication Recovery

Hi Rob,
Welcome to Healing Well! Be sure to consider starting your own recovery thread, so people will find your questions more easily.

Yes, yes, yes. Difficulty swallowing is the norm at your stage of the game. You're just past the 2 week mark, and that is the peak of swelling. You've had a major revision of your GI tract, and although laproscopic surgery makes it seem like no big thing, it IS.

I have noticed that surgeons don't prepare their patients for what to expect post surgery. They give some general directions, but since they've not lived through the recovery, I don't believe they think it's as difficult as it is.

That said, I had researched the surgery fully before I finally had it in February 2009. I honestly found the recovery far easier than I had ever hoped. Yes, I went through the swallowing issues, the spasms, the shoulder pain, etc., etc., etc., but I expected much worse.

My doctor put me on solid foods Day 5 post surgery--however, only foods that could be chewed to a liquid. Believe me, that provides a lot of leeway.

I'm not sure how your swallowing is, but I will tell you this. You can not chew and swallow the way you did before surgery. You are in the early recovery stage, and you need to take very small bites, and chew whatever you are eating until it is a full liquid. If you enjoy tea (You live in England! You must!), it will help to relax your swallowing and help get things through your wrap. If whatever you're eating doesn't chew to a liquid, don't swallow it. Also, no steak or bread for a couple months. Surprisingly, if you simply toast the bread well, it generally chews to a liquid easily.

Don't drink things that are too cold, as they can cause spasms. Before I had the surgery, other more experienced members here told me to expect that my food might get a little stuck. They even described how they had coughed food up that was stopped at the wrap site, and compared it to a cat's hairball.

You will need to chew your food very carefully for a long time. To this day, I still try to eat slowly and chew my food completely.

Be sure to stick around and ask whatever questions that come up! We've been where you are now, and were helped by others here. We stuck around to pay it forward, and help others as we were helped.

Glad you've joined us!
Denise

Hi Rob,
Start with chicken. It is very easy to chew to a liquid. If you've got a taste for beef, try using a slow cooker. Put together some carrots, onion, potato, and a nice piece of beef. You can look online for a recipe. Once it's cooked for many hours, the flavors meld, and the beef will be easy to chew, and delicious. An acquaintance who'd had the surgery earlier than me, suggested it for a way to get vegetables/nutrition during the times when swallowing was difficult. Of course, I couldn't resist trying some beef, and lo and behold, it was very easy to chew to liquid. Just a suggestion. As I said, experiment and see what you can handle and chew to a liquid. That's the main thing...small bites, and chew to liquid.

Plain bread just doesn't chew to a liquid unless it's well toasted, so stay away from sandwiches. No steak until (I believe) 8 weeks.

If you eat slowly, and chew completely, you should be fine. Liquids--especially warm ones--can help get things swallowed. Your esophagus has been highly irritated, and it takes time to get working at full efficiency.

I also had the left rib area bothering me the most. When I asked the surgeon, he said that it's the port where they did the most manipulation with their tools. I found ice to be the best defense against pain there. I also had lung issues during recovery, and coughing made it hurt even more! Why not start your own thread? Nobody minds if you "hijack" theirs, but if you have your own, you'll be likely to get more responses and answers to your questions!

Take care, and best wishes!
Denise

Totally agree with Joy, I had those Viena sausages and they are very soft and kind of tasty for someone like me that can't do anything descent in the kitchen, that has been the most challenging part, that I can't seem to do anything tasty, but I had that problem even before the surgery.

The medication that I use is zofran, that is here in the United States, I don't get nauseous either, I just have it just in case, we should avoid to throw up as much as we can because the whole surgery can fall apart.

Hi guys 17 days post op, and an advice for everybody, do something at the first sight of constipation, I spend 4 days with a bowel movement, and omg, I was so bloated. It took me 3 glasses of prune juice to be able to go to the bathroom. That has been one of the hardest thing about this recovery, the fact that we can't eat bread or cereals, can make us constipated. So to everybody, don't let the constipation to set in, on the other hand I find out that my abdominal pain and belching when my stomach was empty was do to the fact that I was not eating things that will made me full, in other words, I was not consuming the proper amount of food. Still having some burning in my chest. Also another advice for people, be careful with the things you heat up in the microwave, once you heat up anything there, things become more dry, so it is harder to swallow, I experienced that today, so I learned my lesson, no reheating chicken or fish. Still having some burning in my chest. Lets hope it will go away, still nervous about if this surgery was worth it or not. But time will tell

Hi laura,
I totally understand your worries. After my surgery I was afraid of every twinge, and I did get some heartburn feelings as well. It is frightening to think that the surgery didn't work...I get that.

Your surgeon is right. You've got a lot of healing ahead of you. It's hard to remember that you've had an assault to your upper GI and other various and sundry organs that were pushed aside to make the surgery possible. It's going to take a while for them to feel back to normal. Also, if you had burned your esophagus prior to the surgery, it will take time for that burned tissue to heal.

You have had a surgery that will change your upper GI tract. You will always have some quirky things that occur because of it. It's just a fact of life. The main thing is that you will have the symptoms that brought you to this surgery relieved. Keep in mind that you wouldn't have had this surgery if you weren't suffering greatly before you had it. Try to be patient, and give yourself a chance to heal.

Best wishes!
Denise

After being diagnosed with an esophageal hiatal hernia I had the repair along with the Nissen Fundiplication 4 weeks ago.  I am doing very well although my stomach will tell me what I can and can not eat without hesitation.  I am so glad I had procedure done as I know if left untreated, you can have BIG problems.  Everyday gets a little better.  I have lost 12 lbs (not a bad thing) and get full if I eat 1/4 of my usual portion.  Wish anyone who has any hesitation for having procedure  to get a surgeon who knows his business... and you will should do fine.

Barbara I am so happy for you, i wish my recovery would have been so straight forward, I am still having some heartburn-like symptoms, the ppis and antacids don't even touch it, my surgeon doesn't look too concern about it, he said it is normal still after almost 3 weeks. I agree with you, I had the procedure because I was having a lot of reflux, and my quality of life was miserable. So I decide it to give it a shot, after all I am still young and healthy, and my surgeon is one of the best. So we basically all have to wait and see.

the first 2 weeks were rough. I had alot of shoulder pain and across my back. Dr. said that was due to the tight wrap he did. One morning I also had alot of severe cramps in my tummy. then all of a sudden....it went away ??. the only problem I have now when I eat something I guess I shouldn't (i will get severe cramps). Never had a swalling problem or any hearthurn. Thank goodness....no more reflux or pain I used to have in my chest.

I still have that gurgling at times. It's odd to be sitting there and hear that. I've gotten some odd looks when it happens.

It has been a month now. I get the gurgling also. It is great to read this website beause you think you are alone with an issue and smile when you read someone else experiences the same. The gurgling can be so funny when I am lying in bed or night or someplace where it is quiet. I just turn to my husband and say "gee it sounds like a storm coming"...then we both laugh. I have benefitted from what another blogger said also "chew, chew, chew" thanks Denise...I think that has alot of benefits. Sure beats the stomach ache when you don't.

Best wishes to all,
Barbara

Barbara A.
Welcome to Healing Well! So glad you've joined the forum! It sounds like you're making a great recovery. I agree...find a skilled and experienced Nissen surgeon, and you'll do just fine.

If you'd like to start your own thread and ask questions or share your experience, it would be great. Just go to the main GERD-Heartburn page (www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45) and start a new thread...the "Post a New Thread" button is at the top of the page.

Hope things continue to progress well for you. Keep us informed!
Take care,
Denise