“What is the post operative care after a gastric surgery?”
My husband underwent a gastric surgery to treat his GERD. What is the post operative care required to treat this condition?
4 Answers
Discuss with Surgeon.
He will need to eat small meals and be careful not to induce vomiting.
I generally recommend carbonation-free liquid diet for a week and then graduate to soft foods. Continue with the acid reducing medication for at least a month and then ask your surgeon or gastroenterologist. He should notice the difference in his symptoms promptly. Stick to small, frequent meals till he figures it out.
I suspect what you are describing is a Nissen fundoplication, the standard anti-reflux operation. This is typically done laparoscopically using a camera with small incisions. The incisions will be covered with surgical glue or tape. He should be able to shower and get the incisions wet as soon as he likes. The dressings will come off on their own in 10-14 days.
I typically keep my patients on liquids for about 1 week, and then soft foods for another 1-2 weeks. The stomach can swell where the surgery is done, leading to reflux, regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. As the swelling decreases, swallowing should improve, and he can progress his diet. It is quite normal to have a decreased energy level and appetite for 4-6 weeks after surgery. Patients lose about 10-15 pounds immediately after surgery, but everyone tends to put it back on.
I typically keep my patients on liquids for about 1 week, and then soft foods for another 1-2 weeks. The stomach can swell where the surgery is done, leading to reflux, regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. As the swelling decreases, swallowing should improve, and he can progress his diet. It is quite normal to have a decreased energy level and appetite for 4-6 weeks after surgery. Patients lose about 10-15 pounds immediately after surgery, but everyone tends to put it back on.
