Other Post-Op LINX Esophageal Surgery Advice Make an Appointment Ask a Question Refer Patient PPI Use (All Antacid Medications) The LINX surgery should stop the need for antacid medications such as Nexium®, Protonix®, or Prevacid®. You should stop taking these medications once you are discharged home unless otherwise instructed by your surgeon. Staying Hydrated It is important to avoid dehydration, so drink lots of fluids, at least 64 ounces of liquids daily. Cold beverages may cause painful esophageal spasms; room temperature or warmer liquids are often easier to drink. A daily chewable multivitamin is also recommended. Most people will lose five to 15 pounds after surgery, depending on what they choose to eat. Activity Unless otherwise instructed, it is appropriate to walk, climb stairs, ride as a passenger in a car and perform tasks of daily living. Listen to your body, and don’t overdo it early on. Avoid heavy lifting (20 pounds or more) for six weeks to allow most of the wound healing to occur. Major surgery and being in the hospital can disrupt sleep patterns. It is normal to feel fatigued after surgery and need more sleep than usual. This may last for several weeks and can be minimized by making sure you stay well hydrated. We do not routinely recommend sleep medication for home use. You may need to avoid driving for up to two weeks. Pain and use of the narcotic pain medication will impair your ability to drive safely. DO NOT DRIVE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF TAKING NARCOTIC PAIN MEDICATION. Unless otherwise instructed, sexual activity may be resumed as tolerated. Wound Care Most of you will have four to six small incisions. Most incisions are closed with absorbable sutures that do not need to be removed. Dressings vary. If you have a clear dressing over your incision(s) you may remove this five days after your surgery. If there is tape (steri-strips) over your incisions, leave it in place until the strips start to come off on their own (usually seven to 14 days). If you have skin adhesive over your incisions, leave it alone for two weeks. It is ok if it flakes off, but don’t pick or pull it off. In all situations (clear dressing, steri-strips, adhesive), it is ok to shower, but no baths until after your postoperative office visit. Do not scrub incisions. Soap and water can run over them to clean them, but do not scrub. Make sure to rinse your body well. Pat the incisions dry with a clean towel or gauze. You do not need to put additional dressings on the incision after showering, but occasionally you may want to place a dry gauze pad or adhesive bandage for comfort or to protect clothing if the incision has drainage. Do not put ointment, creams or lotions on incisions. If surgical staples or non-absorbable sutures are used, they will be removed at your follow-up visit. Minor drainage of clear yellow or red-yellow fluid from the incision is normal. Thick, opaque, dark yellow fluid or redness spreading beyond incision site on skin can be associated with infection. Please call if this occurs. Bruising around the incision sites is normal and that will resolve on its own with time. Most healing takes place within six weeks after surgery, but the scar will still soften over time. After six weeks, it is ok to massage firm scars with lotions or vitamin E oil to help them soften. The final appearance of the scar may not be apparent until one year following surgery. Protect your incisions from sunburn with sunscreen for the first year to avoid darkening of the color. Work Depending on the type of surgery, most patients take off between five to 14 days before returning to work. Please remember that upon returning to work, you should not lift more than 20 pounds until six weeks after surgery. Please ask the surgeon or the medical assistant about any forms needing to be filled out related to work, insurance or disability issues. Follow-Up Office Visit Please call the office when you return home from the hospital to schedule your follow-up appointment. Unless otherwise instructed, a follow-up typically takes place about three to four weeks after discharge from the hospital. Call our office, 303.398.1355, Option 4 (Ask for General Surgery). Telephone Advice Our surgeons are committed to providing you with the highest quality of care during your surgery and recovery. You can be assured that your surgeon will not be interrupted during your operation unless a matter is urgent. Therefore, our office staff has been extensively trained to answer many common questions you may have before or after your surgery. Your surgeon will review your calls and make sure the information provided to you by the team is accurate and appropriate for your individual needs. In general, expect non-urgent phone calls to be returned within two business days. If the acuity of your problem/question requires more than approximately 10 minutes of phone time, you may be redirected to appointment scheduling. This will allow you and your surgeon a face-to-face conversation to discuss concerns in a private setting. Above all, please do not hesitate to call if you are concerned or worried. Special Circumstances Gas Bloat: Feeling full sooner than you are used to and feeling bloated or gassy are common. This almost always settles down with time as the swelling decreases in your esophagus. Chewing slowly and taking smaller bites will help by decreasing the amount of air you swallow. Gas-X® with meals is also helpful. Certainly, you should avoid carbonation and foods that typically cause gas (beans, broccoli, sauerkraut, etc.) if you are feeling uncomfortable. Diarrhea: You may experience loose stools during the first weeks after your surgery as your body adjusts. It can have multiple causes, including not eating enough natural fiber, eating too many simple carbohydrates, gastric or vagus nerve irritation from surgical manipulation and/or increased gas in the gastrointestinal tract. This typically gets better with time as your diet advances and you continue to recover. Increasing fresh fruits and vegetables and decreasing the amount of sugar you consume will help a lot. (Sugar includes sugar, sucrose, fructose, lactose and sorbitol.) If you are experiencing very watery stools for more than a few days or having loose stools several times each day, call your doctor. It may be sign of an imbalance of bacteria in the intestine, which can be easily treated with an antibiotic. Please call the office if this occurs. Otherwise, feel free to try over-the-counter Imodium® and Citrucel® supplements. Nausea: Many people experience nausea after stomach/esophageal surgery. Sometimes it is related to the anesthesia, a side effect of the pain medication or related to gas bloat, but often it is simply a part of healing. Nausea related to any of these causes almost always improves with time. Please call the office if you are experiencing troublesome nausea, and we would be happy to give you a prescription for anti-nausea medication if you didn’t get one at the time of hospital discharge. Gastroparesis: After surgery, some of you will experience a slight gastroparesis, or lazy stomach. If you experience this, please note that your stomach feels best when you limit the amount of heavy fats and raw fiber. However, as discussed above, eating too many carbohydrates and sugars will likely worsen diarrhea. It can be difficult at first to find the right balance. Some tips: Cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw, and most things that are liquid are ok, even fats and fiber. Avoid beans, whole grains, nuts/seeds, berries, peas and corn. Trouble with Urination: If you had a catheter (Foley) placed into your bladder at the time of surgery, it is not unusual to experience minor discomfort or frequency during urination for several days after the catheter is removed. This is usually a temporary problem that resolves with time. If you are urinating small amounts frequently (every hour or so), or if the discomfort persist or worsens, please call the office. Occasionally it is necessary to replace the catheter for a few days or take a short course of antibiotics. If you experience vomiting, worsening abdominal pain/bloating/nausea or you are unable to swallow or pass gas, please call the office or go to the emergency room. DO NOT get an MRI greater than 1.5 tesla — this will demagnetize the device. Talk to your doctor before getting an MRI to find out the strength. You will get a card to keep in your wallet after surgery. This information has been approved by Emily Speer, MD (October 2017).