Esophageal Myotomy

Recovering from Surgery: Digestive Discomfort

Stomach Discomfort

You will not vomit and belching will be significantly diminished because the new valve stops the regurgitation of material from your stomach into your esophagus.
To avoid bloating, limit your intake of carbonated beverages during the first few months and then gradually increase them. (other dietary guidelines following surgery)
Should you get food poisoning, get the flu, or overimbibe, you will feel sicker, longer than others do and may have more epigastric abdominal pain that you did before surgery. Although this should do you no harm, contact the office so we can prescribe medications to help with this.

Difficulty Urinating

Some patients may experience burning while urinating and/or an increased frequency of urination. This usually results from the catheter which is placed into the bladder during the operation. Do not be concerned that you have an infection. The difficulty will usually go away in a few days. Call the office if you cannot urinate at all, as you may need the catheter replaced for a few days. This is especially true in men.

Bowel Discomfort

Some patients report loose stools or constipation following anti-reflux surgery. These changes usually are related to diet and to pain medications. You can take over-the-counter medications if either constipation or diarrhea is a problem.

For diarrhea, try Metamucil, Amphogel or yogurt.
For constipation, try Hailey’s MO or Milk of Magnesia.

Remember that most people who undergo an anti-reflux procedure will experience more flatus postoperatively than they did before the operation. This is not surprising, since air that was ingested before surgery could be passed by belching, and after surgery it must be passed via flatus. Although this can be annoying at times, most people gradually get used to it and don't find it problematic. Any over-the-counter anti-gas products, such as activated charcoal or GAS-X, can be used to treat this problem.

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