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Nissen Fundoplication this Friday

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Posted 7/20/2011 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys,

I'm going to go through the nissen fundoplication procedure this friday. I have a few questions I was hoping u guys could help me out with:

Approximately, how long does it take to recover from this kind of procedure (aka, when will I be able to go back to work)?

Do u guys have any ideas what kind of foods I should be taking during my liquid diet?

Also, are there any specific questions I should be asking the doctor the day of the surgery?

Finally, do u guys know if I can get plastic surgery to hide the scars later on?

Thanks!
Posted 7/20/2011 5:35 PM (GMT 0)

arsenal009 said...

Approximately, how long does it take to recover from this kind of procedure (aka, when will I be able to go back to work)?

If it's a desk job-two weeks, hard labor job with heavy lifting-six weeks

Do u guys have any ideas what kind of foods I should be taking during my liquid diet?

broth, jello, puddings, popsicles, thin soups, anything that goes through a strainer

Also, are there any specific questions I should be asking the doctor the day of the surgery?

How long will I be here? When is the follow-up? what are your diet recommendations?

Finally, do u guys know if I can get plastic surgery to hide the scars later on?
Scar Zone does well to hide the scars. I'm 18 months out and they are very faint

Posted 7/21/2011 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
I just had my wrap back on July 1st and the recovery has gone pretty smooth. I am a teacher so I am out of work until August 8th but would have been able to go back after about 10-12 days. The first few days are the worst with the gas pressure and sore abdominal area.

One of the foods I enjoyed a lot was ice cream. I started eating it 3 days in to my recovery. I am now almost at three weeks and my diet has expanded greatly. I eat veggies that are cooked really well like green beans, peas, etc. Meats are a little tricky. I tried a pork chop the other night, took little bites, and chewed until it was almost a paste. Ground meats like turkey and beef have not been a problem. I am avoiding bread as my surgeon suggested to wit until about 6 weeks to try.

The biggest difference in my diet is portion size. I can't eat nearly the amount I could before surgery. My surgeon told me that the fundus is the part of the stomach that really stretches when we eat and that since it is no longer free you fill up fast. From what he said and from the experiences posted on this site I expect it to take 6 months to a year before my diet gets back to normal. In the mean time I am not complaining. I have lost 14 pounds thus far and am back to my old high school weight of 166.

As far as the scars go, mine are healing up nicely. They look pretty rough the dayafter but heal quickly. One of the scabs from the five incisions has already fallen off and is very faint. I will probably buy some sort of scar cream soon.

Good luck to you.

Post Edited (Tduga1) : 7/21/2011 9:21:09 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/21/2011 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
Tduga1

Did you have a general surgeon or a specialist in the field of NF if you don't mind my asking. I'm looking at probably surgery next week with a general surgeon and he's the best in my town.

How did you go about locating a surgeon and would you use the same one again?

I'm nervous as you can tell but it's because my own surgeon has retired.
Posted 7/21/2011 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
My surgeon was Dr. John Sweeney at Emory University in Atlanta. He is the chief surgeon of general and GI surgery. I was referred to him by my GI specialist. The first question I asked was how many surgeries he had performed. He was very experienced with 30 plus operations year over a 20 year career.

I would highly recommend him. He was very thorough pre and post op with what to expect and I got the feeling he really enjoys seeing people benefit from this surgery. This was my first major surgery and he did a great job a helping me through it. Despite all of his help, the week before I did get cold feet and it was the people on this site that gave the reassurance I needed to move forward.

Don't be afraid to ask your surgeon many questions. If you get a bad vibe go to another doctor.
Posted 7/21/2011 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
I live near Tulsa, Oklahoma and am too far from your doctor. I wouldn't be as concerned as I am about the surgery if my own surgeon were still practicing but he no longer does abdominal surgeries and is nearly retired.

I could have a Tulsa surgeon do my surgery but I wasn't too pleased with the surgeon who handled my case during pre-op tests in Tulsa that couldn't be done here where I live. I didn't like his "bedside manner" and things were very fast-paced and confusing at the major hospital there.

I have so much pain now that I just want it over. I will ask the surgeon my GI doc suggested a lot of questions at my appointment next week and I guess I'll just worry about it till then and probably afterward as well.

I've researched him as well as possible even calling the hospital where he practices.
I've had two babies, a hysterectomy, a gangrenous gall bladder removed and just last year my tonsils, adenoids removed along with sinus and nose surgeries so I'm no stranger to pain and recovery.

I've just never been as sick as I finally got a couple of months ago and continue to be now and I'm worried that the surgery won't be successful for me.
Posted 7/23/2011 6:58 AM (GMT 0)
If a surgeon has a bad bedside manner I skip over them. My experience with them has been they seem to want to do as many as possible and don't have the time to help you all the way through your recovery.

Bill
Posted 7/23/2011 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
The words "bedside manner" were in quotes above if you look again. I've had several docs with a less than stellar bedside manner and some were really good and some were not.

The absolute best surgeon I ever met was my ob/gyn who just passed away from a heart attack. He was my doctor, my friend of 27 years, one of the most-loved physicians in the area and a fantastic surgeon with a wonderful bedside manner. If he were still living I'd ask him who to go to and go there in a heart beat.

Not sure I could agree with your generalization when it comes to something as important as this.

Post Edited (halloweenbaby) : 7/23/2011 6:03:23 AM (GMT-6)

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