Healing After Robotic-Assisted Giant Hiatal Hernia Repair

Hi All - I am 11 weeks post-op, and feeling odd; still. A couple (ok 3) issues having me searching the web for answers. Having read what is posted from 2007(?) - 2011 about hernia repair with Fundiplication, I feel like my problems are somewhat diminished, compared with what a few of you have gone through. And I wonder how you all are faring now; 4 to 8 years later.

I'm not a person who goes to the Dr. regularly, having gotten bummed out in the past by same. So I ignored the issues and pain caused by the hernia for quite a few years. Hitting the beginning of Medicare years, I decided it was time to find out what the heck was wrong with my tum. Endoscopy revealed Giant Hernia. At last, a diagnosis. Lot of time went by, more aggravation, then consult with Thoracic Surgeon at our near University Hospital. Yes, please; fix this darn thing! A lot of testing took place prior to the surgery. We felt very confident in the skills of the Surgeon, and in a good setting.

The Surgeon was very upbeat, and didn't mention anything about post-surgical issues. Just that I would feel better and better over time. Good so far.... But I sure wish there had been access to patient education! Most everything I know about all this has been garnered from lots of time on the Internet!

After surgery, I had a 2-week follow-up to answer questions, and check the wounds. All seven of them! Nine weeks later, I still have lots of questions. And I have come to realize this is not going to be a quick recovery. I did receive a video with 7 10-minute files of the main part of my surgery. It has answered some of my questions. Interesting; I can see my heart, liver, and kidneys all at the same time, in a couple of the files. Hmmmmm..... A little hard to watch. Makes me cringe a bit.
Surgery was 2 1/2 hours approx. Time in ICU 24 hours under morphine. Then they chucked me out of there, rather unceremoniously I thought. Home with a prescription, to cope. Ugh! The first two weeks were awful!

Week six, the nerves in my abdomen came back on-line. Ouch! I could feel the trocars going in..... painful stabbing sensations, random, in seven places. That lasted for about a week, then subsided.

At week eleven, my husband wants to know how I can stop expelling bowel gas so lustily. I just tell him it feels better on the outside.... And I have chronic pain in my back left side near my spine. Coincides with area of considerable curettage and sewing up at juncture of hiatus with esophagus and stomach. I get relief from lying down on the bed flat on my back and taking a nap or long time-out. Ibuprophen dulls this, but doesn't make it stop. Only time I don't feel this is when on my back or asleep. Hopefully it will go away with time.

Still challenged with eating and drinking, but I just try to take it one meal at a time. Want to lose some more weight, so that is on my radar too.

So, has anyone out there had replacement of stomach (completely in chest and up to carina behind heart) and intussecption of esophagus, laparoscopic da Vinci assisted surgery? Would like to know your experience, challenges, and victories!

Ingrid

Fresh Greens:

I can offer some help, I had a full Nissen Surgery via DaVinci. Unfortunately, your surgeon probably didn't tell you much about your recovery. It's a slow process, I didn't start feeling myself until the six-month mark and I'm feeling almost 100% at a year post-surgery. Gas is a common problem, and I took OTC medication for and it did help. If you are like me, after surgery I was no longer able to belch normally and there is only one way to get rid of the gas in your system. I'm thinking that your back pain will subside, it will just take time.

It sounds like you are well on your way to recovery - good luck, Sharon

Ingrid,
I agree that there seems far too little information about recovery from this kind of surgery. People assume that anything done laparoscopically is simple surgery. And I suppose having robotic assistance makes people think that even more. But this is a major surgery! I was told that I would not really be back to normal for 6 to 8 months but that I could return to work after 3-4 weeks. Since I'm retired, that won't be an issue, thank heavens since I am very, very tired! And then I got only very sketchy information from any of the medical people I encountered. My experience was of a 3-4 month period of going for one specific diagnostic to another, with several weeks wait time in between until I at last had all tests done and met with my surgeon who pulled the pieces together, diagnosed a GPEH that would need a Nissan repair, probably a Troupet but perhaps a Nissen to be done via lap unless he found during surgery that he needed to perform an open procedure. A surgery date was selected and, like you, I studied the internet for all the information I could find. This site, Healing Well-GERD, was without a doubt the source of all the most useful information I found. Reading others' stories, comparing their diagnoses to my own and sharing experiences gave me more information than any other source.
I have a great surgeon and great hospital and I don't think they are intentionally ignoring questions. I just think they focus on the surgical procedures and don't really give thought to this from the patient's point of view. I feel I was very well prepared for my surgery because of what I learned here. And I know that as questions come up for me I can ask them here and I will get answers and information that I need.
Now I have a question for you: how in the world did you get video clips of your own procedure? I agree that seeing your own heart and other organs like that might be a little overwhelming but golly, who do you know who can say they've done that???
Peg

Hi, Elke thanks for being on my Cheer Team! Hope you are doing well!

Spent this afternoon at our local National Cemetery, here in Sierra Vista Arizona. What a peaceful place! There was a complete set-up for this evening's ceremony, but we couldn't stay that long. Have attended this ceremony before, and it is so moving.

We walked around through the columbarium areas, and met a sweet widow who was visiting her Beloved, who had passed in January. We had sweet conversation, and some shared kleenex and some hugs. Took a lot of photos of the State isle of flags, and the two Commital Shelters. The property is situated facing west, so its pretty bright in late afternoon.

A lot of folks were visiting the graves of military buddies and Loved Ones. Each crypt and each grave had an American Flag. I was struck by how those who gave all, many dying way before their time, must have suffered so terribly. There are remains from the early 1800's through present time interred in this beautiful cemetary. I hope some day my ashes will be there, too.

Walking around several miles of the property fired up my incisions and my back. I was glad to get home to take my BP med, some Ibuphophen, and take a lovely warm shower. All in all it was a good day, well-spent.

You are all in my thoughts! We are all still on the top side of the turf!

Fresh Greens (Ingrid)

Well, the main source of daily aggravation is out of state for a few days; a big breather for me! Its so strange to love someone and yet they can aggravate you to tears.....

Didn't get into the pool; Sister wasn't in the mood. Too jumpy about travelling the next morning. Darn! I was really looking forward to that.... will try again some other day.

My shopping day in Tucson started at 5:15 in the morining.... off to the airport, then back to the hotel to rest for an hour. My back was already yelping. Then up and off to first store.

Lunch was interesting. My favorite go-to place is a salad bar restaurant called 'Sweet Tomatoes'. They feature salads; both prepared and make your own. Soups, foccacia breads with various toppings, three kinds of pasta, a dessert bar, and assorted other goodies. Very healthy food. Noticeably short of protein items, though. So, I usually take two salad plates. One for prepared, one for self-prep. Going down the line I realized a lot of things I used to put on my plate, I'm leery of trying now. Didn't fill either plate. A first for me! Eating, the prepared salads were problematic; too spicy. So I just got rid of that plate and ate from the other one. Then some soup, some foccacia, some pasta. And they make some heavenly breads! With lots of butter, so it wouldn't stick going down. Everything at the restaurant is offered in very small sizes, so you can try a lot of stuff without really eating that much. (Unless you want more, of course....) So I enjoyed nibbling at all the starchy stuff, which agreed with me more than the salads.

By lunch time I was tired. Two more stores to go to, for groceries, then home. Trader Joe's and Costco. I found a parking spot in the shade at Costco. When I got done in there, all I wanted to do was push back my seat and go to sleep. By then it was getting hot outside; 93 degrees. Of course I didn't nap, because the later it gets the worse the traffic on I-10 is. Well, so off I go. The car thermometer got up to 103 by the time I got out to the Hiway. Yikes!

Traffic was really bad on the way home. Lots and lots of Big-Rigs in groupings of 3 to 5 together, and impatient motorists trying to get in between and around and beyond them. Scary! The speed limit is 75 mph on this stretch, and some people in cars want to go 90. You get the picture.... I usuallly set the cruise control for 73 mph. Had to knock it down to about 65 for over 10 miles because the traffic was so heavy.

Guess who was mentally and physically worn out by the time she got home!?

All's well that ends well.

I'm at week 14 now, and things seem to be really improving! My back soreness continues, but it seems less painful. A lie-down for an hour or so most afternoons helps me get through the evening with a fairly even temper. (Yay!)

I can eat whatever I want; no reflux or nausea. Even had a few cocktails here and there. No problem! I did notice, though, that I didn't enjoy them as much as I used to. Maybe because I am worried it will cause a bad night's sleep or stomach problems.... Beer didn't work too well, though. Caused very painful bowel gas in the night. Wish it didn't taste so good....

At first I ate a lot of dairy-based foods even though I'm lactose-intolerant. Caused a lot of painful gas, but at least before I could eat meat, I was getting some protein. I still enjoy a 1/2 cup of ice cream some days.

My incisions are shrinking well, and the lumpiness on my abdomen is fading. Still just a tiny bit bloated, but not too bad.

Have faith and patience, new patients of hernia repair and fundoplication; things will get better. It just takes a lot of time for Mother Nature to do her job well.

Best to you all! Fresh Greens