Eating problems after hiatal hernia & nissen fundoplication

Hi @qbnbgirl You are having a difficult time, I am sorry. While waiting for others with first-hand experience I thought I would look online a bit. My mom did have this surgery years ago and I remember how difficult it was.

I found this:
Trouble Swallowing
It’s common to have trouble swallowing after your surgery. This can be caused by the swelling from your surgery. It will get better as you heal and the swelling goes down.
If you’re having trouble swallowing, tell your surgeon. They may recommend going back to following a liquid diet while the swelling lessens. You can also try drinking warm liquids. Warm liquids can be easier to swallow. They can also make it easier to swallow foods you eat after drinking them.

I hope this helps! Did you have open surgery? Are you having other post-surgery symptoms you are managing along with trying to eat?

Hi, and thank you for the lovely note. I will definitely take the suggestion to go back to more liquids and hot soups, etc.… I have a laparoscopic surgery and a hiatal hernia surgery at the same time. Everything else seems fine and I can actually even burp which most people don’t seem to be able to do. Even the laparoscopic surgery is quite painful and I’m so glad that I had someone to help me get out of bed. The first few weeks as the muscles are totally gone and it is very painful. Once again, thank you for a lovely note you sent to help me.

Look at you @qbnbgirl recognizing all the positives!

I missed that you had both surgeries. Your body has to be saying, “what just happened to me?” I am certainly no medical professional but it sounds like now is the time to heal. I remember my doctor painstakingly telling me before my hysterectomy that I would feel good and on the outside would look like I should be ready to go, that I would need to remind myself a lot happened inside benefiting from considerable time to heal. She was right.

Maybe now is the time you can try a new quiet activity before rebuilding those healing muscles. You could come help me with my first 3-D puzzle that I am determined to do without accessing any online help. That’s cheating, right?

I, too, had hiatal hernia repair & fundoplication surgery done at the same time laparoscopically. Mine was the end of 2014. At first I found it difficult to eat bread or chicken breast which has somewhat subsided. My main problem is I cannot vomit which, apparently, is common.

Thank you both for your replies.It sounds like I need to be patient with myself and give my insides time to heal and adjust. I wonder when I will be able to eat ‘normally’. If anyone has had these operations I would love to hear from you and know that there is ‘hope’ down the road.
Thanks again for your positive responses as they are much appreciated:)

Several Mayo Clinic Connect members have talked about having a hiatal hernia and/or Nissen fundoplication (surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD) operation and may have some insights for you, @qbnbgirl, about whether they could eat their typical food afterward and if so, how long that took to do so @natefish @faithann64 @faithincrisis @marianna1968jt. @cblue @rosemaryhow @btowngal @nirolk @pdilly @fourof5zs @marychapman @jobarbara @sickvick @claytamos @dstb83bb @faithful55 also may have some thoughts about this.

Thanks so much for trying to connect me with these people. I am grateful for your help:)

I had organioaxial volvulus stomach with periesophageal fundiloplication done laparoscopicly done 8/10/23. I am still having problems. I had an Hgb or 4.8, bilateral lung PE, aortic embolism, and small R basil ganglion lacunar infarct, I was given transfusions and blood thinners k but was not told of the stomach issue and it was not realized and surgically corrected for 6 months, This has resulted in vagus nerve damage, and now have bleeding esophagus. Health care in America is unfortunately broken, and doctors are given very little nutrition education, They don’t seem to be aware of how much they do not know .
PPI made things worse and after a few searches, I found out that they not only can cause malabsorption of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and B12 but can relax the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). I also found out that GERD symptoms can be caused by low acid as well as high acid levels, , Before treating ask your doctor to confirm if acid is high or low, My doctors are looking into reactivation of varicella for esophageal bleeding as this requires a different treatment, I don't know if the reason is because Medicare only pays for a nutritionist if you have diabetes or kidney disease, or because doctors are given very little training in nutrition, or they are really not given enough time for a quality assessment and time to research more rare issues, but it is a vital part of healing, I now google every food to see how it affects the LES (relaxing or strengthening) and the effects on esophageal bleeding for better food choices,
I recommend googling every food you plan on eating and as if it is ok with whatever your diagnosis is, and then check out the results with your doctor, Healing can take a long time, so you are smart to be kind and patient with yourself, I have also found guided imagry tapes by by Bellruth Naperstek found at Hayhouse.com or on Amazon audio, to be very helpful, Request a PT referral to learn diaphram strengthening . Or google diaphragm strengthening breathing exercises to start, Breathing exercises are ap very important to strengthen the diaphragm and to balance sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, I think every surgeon should be sending their. Patients to a nutritionist and for PT to assist with the best surgical outcome,
You can also google the importance of sunshine, plants in your bedroom, and use of organic regenerative foods for quality, Hope this helps. .food luck with your recovery

Thank you for your recommendations. I will definitely research some of these things. I’m so sorry that you have had to go through all of that. Sending you a big hug.

thank you for the hug, Sending you one back,
let me know if any of these things help or if I can help I’m Amy other way, Take care,