nissen op diet

Hi Titch, good luck with your upcoming surgery.

I am 20 days post-op today (had a toupet, which is a partial nissen, but the post-op diet is the same.) The first two weeks, my surgeon had me on a full liquid diet (so I could have milk and products with milk in them, like ice cream.) The first week wasn't bad at all, I had very little appetite anyway so just having things on the diet list were fine. During the second week my appetite started to come back and I was getting hungry for more food. I did break the liquid diet a couple of times and had things like scrambled eggs and macaroni and cheese, which went down pretty well and tasted fantastic after a week+ of jello, broth, juice, etc. But, even after my appetite started coming back, I couldn't (and still can't) eat more than maybe 1/2 cup to 1 cup food at a time. I get full very easily. So even if I'm "hungry" if I can get a little bit of something down, I will fill up quickly and forget about wanting something else.

Definitely ask your doctor what s/he wants your diet to be like following the surgery. Not all surgeons order the same diet. Some people are on clear liquids (no milk) for the first week or two, whereas some people can start introducing soft foods after the first few days to a week. Once you know what your surgeon recommends, stock your fridge/freezer/pantry with appropriate foods and get a wide variety of flavors/choices so you don't become bored of eating the same thing each day.

Hi Titch,

Maggie is right...each surgeon has his/her own eating protocol.  I expected mine would want me on soft/liquids for a while, and I didn't know what to expect post op, so I bought some liquid breakfast mix, made applesauce and squash and froze them, made some fresh broth and froze it, etc.  I ended up not using much at all.  I never even opened the instant breakfast box.

My surgeon was one who had this eating recommendation:

1. Liquids the first day in the hospital.

2. Once home the next day and until I saw him on Day 5 or 6, soft foods.

3. After my follow-up I was released to eat "whatever could be chewed to a liquid/creamy consistency", which was wide open.  My teeth/mouth was my blender.  I took small bites and chew, chew, chewed until whatever I was eating was "blended".  If something didn't chew completely, I didn't swallow it. (I kept a paper napkin handy and would deposit the offending food there.)

It was trial and error, but I found I could eat a wide variety of foods.  I even put beef and veggies into a crock pot and cooked it until it was very soft, and it was very easy to manage.  My surgeon warned me off steak, untoasted bread and sandwiches, but everything else was fair game.  Crispy things (like saltines and well-toasted bread was quite easy to handle.)  Softer things like pasta tended to get stuck in my case...it is an individual thing, but overall, the eating protocol my surgeon suggested was perfect for me.  It allowed me to use my own good judgment to make more interesting and varied eating choices.

In the beginning the top of your stomach (where the wrap was done) is swollen and your brain interprets that swelling as fullness.  If you're like the vast majority of people, you won't be able to eat much at all--1/4 to 1/3 cup at a time.  You will feel full very quickly.   If your stomach doesn't tell you when to stop eating, you'll have to monitor amounts yourself, as if you overeat you will become very uncomfortable.  Also during the first couple of weeks your swallowing will be dicey and at times uncomfortable.  That's the roughest time, but it's very manageable.  Here's my early recovery journal to get an idea of one person's experience:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2183443

Here are some good eating recommendation websites.  Check them out if you haven't already done so:

http://www.preopguide.com/PostFundoDiet.html

http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/nutrition/Pages/diet-after-nissen-fundoplication-surgery.aspx

http://www.nissenfundoplication.com/nissen-fundoplication-diet

https://healthonline.washington.edu/document/health_online/pdf/Esophageal_Diet_After_Surgery_3_11.pdf

Congratulations on having a date set for your surgery!  Soon you'll be on the road to recovery!  This is a great website to get support and information as you progress through your recovery.

Best wishes!

Denise