Keeping Your Stomach from Stretching Eat small, frequent meals (six to eight per day). This will help you consume the majority of the nutrients you need without causing your stomach to feel full or distended.
You should be able to progress to a soft-normal diet 4 – 6 weeks after surgery.
On average a year after the LNF procedure people lost 8.9 lbs. People who weighed more before the procedure tended to lose more than those who didn't. So, while it is possible to lose weight after the LNF procedure, one shouldn't expect "massive" amounts based on the surgery alone.
Because the surgery makes your stomach a little smaller, you may get full more quickly when you eat. In 2 to 3 months, the stomach adjusts. You will be able to eat your usual amounts of food.
A soft diet is recommended for the first 2 to 6 weeks following surgery. You will then slowly advance to a regular diet; depending on your progress and tolerance for food. The foods tolerable on this diet can vary greatly from one person to the next.
Limit liquid with meals to ½ cup. Continue to avoid chocolate, nuts and seeds. Avoid- tough meats, strong flavored cheeses, strong seasoning on foods.
A surgeon completely wraps the fundus of the stomach around the bottom of the esophagus. Although this works well to control reflux, it can also cause complications such as bloating and swallowing difficulties, called dysphagia. In some people, these complications persist after surgery.
Dumping syndrome is a condition in which food, especially food high in sugar, moves from your stomach into your small bowel too quickly after you eat. Sometimes called rapid gastric emptying, dumping syndrome most often occurs as a result of surgery on your stomach or esophagus.
✓ Do NOT do sit-ups, weight lifting, abdominal crunches or any activity that you may get hit in the abdomen for six weeks after surgery.
Dumping syndrome is a rare presentation after Nissen fundoplication and is predominantly reported in the pediatric population. Many of these reports suggest that there may be an association with vagal nerve damage, although the exact etiology is unclear.
Fundoplication surgery, partial or full, creates a one-way valve; Food gets inside the stomach, but stomach content cannot reflux back into esophagus. Consequently, both Nissen and Toupet fundoplications prevent vomiting.
The foods to avoid are breakfast cereals with hard dry pieces of fruit or nuts e.g. muesli, bread, muffins, crumpets, bagels, pizza, potato chips, corn chips, raw vegetables, large fruit pips (kiwifruit pips okay) fruit skins, nuts, seeds, popcorn, cooked fibrous vegetables e.g. cabbage, celery, sweetcorn, beans, tough ...
Avoid any foods that cause stomach gas and distention. These foods include corn, dried beans, peas, lentils, onions, broccoli, cauliflower and any food from the cabbage family. Avoid carbonated drinks, alcohol, citrus and tomato products.
We demonstrated a great response rate of 77.1%, with a mean follow-up of 3.7 years. In this study, we found excellent quality of life after Nissen fundoplication. Nissen fundoplication has been proven effective in reducing GERD and preventing recurrence, even at the long-term follow-up.
Nissen fundoplication not only relieves symptoms of acid reflux, but it can also help prevent future complications—even for patients whose acid reflux symptoms are mostly well managed by medications. Oftentimes, these patients are unaware of the long-term effects of GERD.
The surgery is relatively safe with morbidity of less than 1%. Like any major surgery, fundoplication also has a risk for complications that are usually treatable or transient. Some common complications are: Bleeding.
Do not drink alcohol for 24 hours after surgery and/or if you are taking opioids. Once in awhile after surgery, patients struggle with Dumping Syndrome. Dumping Syndrome can make your stomach upset by causing cramping, cold sweats, dizziness and liquid stool.
Plan on taking 1 – 2 weeks off from work to recover from surgery. The time may need to be longer if you have a strenuous job. Avoid exercise, and limit any exertion for at least 2 week following surgery. This includes no bending, lifting (more than 10 pounds) or straining.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, citrus and tomato products - these may cause stomach discomfort.
Regular exercise, particularly gentle exercise after meals. Over the counter preparations such as peppermint capsules, WindEze, Charcoal type medication, Beano dietary supplement (alpha galactosidase) are available from pharmacies. These medication types can help absorb gas or prevent its formation and reduce bloating.
Shortness of breath may result from a slipped Nissen fundoplication, aka recurrent hiatal hernia. Shortness of breath may be precipitated by a heavy meal or gas accumulation in stomach. Obviously, shortness of breath is worse with a larger herniated stomach size.
Transient dysphagia occurs in 40% to 70% of patients after Nissen fundoplication. This is thought to be secondary to edema at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) or transient esophageal hypomotility. Fortunately, dysphagia usually resolves spontaneously within 2 to 3 months.