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Opinions on the Hill Repair and Post-Op Diet

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 6/4/2021 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
Greetings!

This is my first post in the forum. A pleasure to be here.

I have GERD and will have a Robotic Hill Repair next week in the hope of going off my Dexilant 60mg permanently.

Being on this drug for many years and all the other PPI's before it has left me totally susceptible to gastric infections, many of which have left me in the hospital. I have an excellent surgeon and have great trust. Yet, I have anxiety.

Therefore, I would like some input as to real world results and what to expect Post-Op, especially in terms of diet and length of recovery. In addition, does spicy food play a role in the recovery process versus bland food?

Many thanks in advance. smile
Posted 6/4/2021 10:22 AM (GMT 0)
Proton:

I don't have any experience with the Robotic Hill Repair, hopefully someone will come along to share their experiences. I have to warn you that the Boards are very slow, and you may not receive any responses. Your surgeon should have given you a sample diet to follow and you might want to ask them about your length of recovery and if spicy food plays a part in your recovery. For example, my post-op diet for the Nissen was very specific and did not contain any spicy food. It's very important to follow the diet you are given and not to advance it too quickly.

Sharon
Posted 6/13/2021 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sharon -

The diet for the Hill Repair and Hiatal Hernia closely mimics that of a Nissen or Toupet.
Having the surgery this past week, I must say that the lighter and slower the better.

Dr. says that I could probably eat steaks and heavy breads at the 4th week mark.
Is that a bit overstated?

Proton smile
Posted 6/15/2021 11:19 AM (GMT 0)
Proton:

Eating heavy breads and steak, certainly wasn't the case for me. Everyone's recovery is different.

Sharon
Posted 6/15/2021 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
I was on liquid diet for the first couple weeks after my surgery. Here's are three brief takeaways I had about dietary adjustments:
1) I had to be super conscientious of chewing once I moved on from the liquid/mush stage of the diet. I knew to expect it, but the degree to which it impacted me was still staggering.
2) Digesting proteins was... a process. While healing, I tried to take a lot of fish oils for fats and drink a lot of protein shakes (casein, whey, and plant proteins). I didn't want to risk too much muscle wasting, and I wanted the right aminos to help the muscles heal.
However, proteins and things like bread are hard to digest, and the gas they can create is problematic. I had chewable digestion enzymes to help, but it was still tough. When I could eat chicken, it wasn't too bad, but red meat was a lot for my still-recovering stomach to work through.
3) In general, my stomach and my intestines are still not totally stabilized, and I'm nearly 9 weeks out. There's a lot you won't anticipate, beyond just your esophagus and stomach.
The conventional wisdom is "listen to your body," and you really can't overstate that. You'll be hungry and want to dig into food after your liquid diet, but do it slowly; you won't realize how it's impacting you until after you may have eaten a lot. Introduce foods one at a time, see how your body reacts to things. And consider chewable digestive enzymes to help your stomach out.

Oh, and as for spicy food, it hasn't bothered me yet. I put Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha on everything—chicken, salmon, eggs. I use it like people use salt and pepper. That said, I waited a little over a month before I even put a teaspoon on anything. Like I said with my third point: take it slow. Don't try to plan ahead; plan to react.
Posted 6/15/2021 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SP -

Thank you for contributing to this thread!
May I ask exactly what surgery you have had?

It's been nine days since my Hill Repair with the DaVinci Robotic System and my most significant problem now is Esophageal Dysphagia and to a lesser extent, Constipation due to the lack of roughage. More fluids really don't help that.

I'll be seeing my surgeon in a couple of days for my first post-op exam and I have questions.

Things that used to be a no-brainier to eat cause me moderate to severe pain unless I hold back and keep the soft foods and liquids going. My surgeon said it would be about 4 weeks before things normalize again and I can tackle things like Steak and Dense Breads. I was always skeptical of that statement but he is quite respected and credentialed in the field.

So I have two questions:

1) When will I be able to eat mostly anything I want, being pain-free and able to burp more?
2) Is it normal for a drop of reflux to occur right now or does it mean a potential failure?

Many thanks,

Proton smile
Posted 6/15/2021 7:01 PM (GMT 0)

SharonZ said...
Proton:

Eating heavy breads and steak, certainly wasn't the case for me. Everyone's recovery is different.

Sharon

Understood.

May I ask exactly what surgery you had and how far out are you?
Are you able to eat normally now?

Thanks,

Proton smile
Posted 6/16/2021 11:24 AM (GMT 0)
I'm six years post surgery. I don't have any side effects other than the occasional bout of nausea for no reason. Steak and bread sometimes still give me issues, and I have to make sure that I eat slowly and chew my food to an almost liquid consistency. You have to remember that everyone's recovery is different. I didn't feel much better until 6 months post-surgery and the "new me" at approximately one year.

Sharon
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