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Nissen Fundoplication Recovery

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 3/4/2019 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi ALL

I am about 3 weeks out from Nissen Fundoplication Surgery. Surgeron said he did a loose wrap so I was able go burp right away. Burps are far better than the old wet burps I would get before surgery, so that is a plus. Liquid and soft foods for another 3 weeks until by 2nd post op visit.

Swallowing has been an issue but has got better. First few says liquids went down but it would feel like it would get stuck and then I would hear a gurgling sound and than the rest of what was in the esophagus would go down... is that a normal issue?

Furthermore, if I eat too fast and the soft mushy food or liquid gets caught up I get the worse hiccups ever. I would say a good 20 to 30 minutes of hiccups. Very frustrating. Has anyone had that issue?

Finally my main concern. I constantly have chest pain especially after eating...DR said it will get bette. However, the chest pain stays pretty much all day and worsens after I eat or drink something. As anyone had this issue in their recovery?

Thank you
Posted 3/4/2019 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
yes absolutely. for me, it was gas build up. sometimes, so bad it could feel like a heart attack. it does get better, slowly. at just over 3 years out, it still occasionally happens. but always be safe, with chest pains. if your not sure go to the ER.
Posted 3/4/2019 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah as for the chest pain.. they did a work up of my heart before the surgery to rule out heart issues. My EKG was top notch as the doctor put it. So just a little skeptic to why I have this chest/sternum pain even after the surgery.
Posted 3/4/2019 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
I was an athlete, before this operation snuck up on me. and for me, and most likely for you, its trapped gas. I can burp as well. what you are dealing with, in time will get better. you are so early, into what can be a very tricky recovery. good luck.
Posted 3/5/2019 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
I definitely miss my 10 mile runs every weekend. When I first started with GERD I would finish a ran...burp and food would come up. Knew than something was wrong and it was confirmed on a barium swallow when they saw everything from my stomach empty into my chest when they did the test for reflux.

So its nice to burp and not have anything come up or have a wet burp ..that's a start.
Posted 3/5/2019 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
The best thing is to slow down when you swallow. Remember that your esophagus has been tightened, so you can experience the feeling of food/liquid being stuck - but it does get better. The chest pain is more than likely some gas buildup as the others have suggested. Try taking some simethicone, and the best thing to get rid of the gas is just walking.

Sharon
Posted 3/5/2019 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you

Would gas pain in the chest be located by the sternum or throughout the entire chest.

Mine seems to be more on the right side very close to the sternum.
Posted 3/5/2019 7:54 PM (GMT 0)
If there are gas pockets, they can be pretty much anywhere.
Posted 3/6/2019 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
Would burning in the chest while laying down especially at night signal a failed wrap?..I am exactly 3 weeks now out of surgery.

Thank you... very frustrated
Posted 3/6/2019 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Don't be frustrated, you are very early in your recovery. What you are experiencing is quite normal, and you can expect small setbacks along the way. Everyone's healing process is different. I really didn't start to feel better until around the 6-month mark, and the "new" me around 1 year. Unfortunately, most surgeon's don't do a good enough job of explaining what you could experience during the recovery process. Also, some people do continue to temporarily take PPIs post-surgery, it depends on your surgeon. It's highly unlikely that your wrap has failed. If you are really bothered by the burning, call your surgeon's office.

Sharon
Posted 3/6/2019 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
Yes Dr had me start dropping my dosage of Prilosec in half for the next week then every other day after that starting this weekend.

The burning is pretty consistent the last few days... I will be contacting my surgeron this morning. He is one of the best surgeons in the NY area so I trust him and he is very pro active in helping
Posted 3/6/2019 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Sometimes you temporarily experience "rebound" acid, as you are weaning off your PPI, but it does subside.
Posted 3/6/2019 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
Surgeon has me going in tomorrow morning for a Upper GI series.

He said I really should not be experiencing heartburn and wants to make sure the wrap is still good. He believes it should be okay especially this early in the recovery but he wants to be safe
Posted 3/6/2019 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
That should give you some peace of mind, good luck!

Sharon
Posted 3/7/2019 9:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sur 214
I’m 7 weeks post hernia repair and NF and I’m also suffering with a burning type pain/ache in my chest and throat. My surgeon assures me it’s just the way the inflammation is interpreted and will subside with time, he stresses it’s not heartburn!
Good luck with the tests.
Cheers
Rosie
Posted 3/7/2019 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
Just finished.... wrap is good. No reflux but radiologists said the liquid got stuck on the way down and thinks its causing the burning and irritation. It took about 20 to 25 seconds for the liquid to go down into the stomach. We heard a gurgling and watched on the screen as the liquid passed into the stomach finally.

I assume this is the normal for this point in the recovery time (3 weeks)
Posted 3/6/2023 1:31 PM (GMT 0)
All: do a little research on this site. Put your symptoms/ key words in the search box at the top right of the page. You'll have to scroll up to see it. You'll find tons of people posted on all these symptoms.
The shoulder pain is explained there. Swallowing problems are there.
It's a new life for a while after Nissen, but most are happy they had it done. I'm one of them - way more than 10 years out.
Posted 3/8/2023 12:43 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Alcie, Pleaseuse the search engine. This Forum does not have the traffic that it once had, and a lot of questions can be answered by searching older threads.

Sharon
Posted 5/21/2024 11:22 AM (GMT 0)
Dinny:

Your surgeon should have prescribed Zofran for nausea, I would call his office and ask for the medication. I would also ask about your constipation issue. It's usually caused by painkillers, but that should have subsided. Most people complain about diarrhea and dumping syndrome. Bloating is common and it does take a while for your digestive system to reset itself. I would also take some anti-gas medication such as simethicone to break up potential gas in your system. When I had my Nissen, it took a good six months until I really started to feel better and a full year to feel like the new me.

Sharon
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