1. < Digestive Health
Profile picture for qbnbgirl

Eating problems after hiatal hernia & nissen fundoplication

Posted by qbnbgirl @qbnbgirl, May 27, 2025

Hi. I had anhiatal hernia and Nissen fundoplication operation eight weeks ago. I am finding that I need to eat small bits of food and chew it into mush and also add some water or some liquid to it before swallowing. I can only eat a small little bit at a time. otherwise I start choking. Can anyone tell me when they started to actually eat properly and normal food? Thank you in advance.
ACanuck

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

Profile picture for dapierce07
dapierce07 | @dapierce07 | Jan 16 5:51pm
In reply to @jlharsh "Hi @qbnbgirl You are having a difficult time, I am sorry. While waiting for others with..." + (show)
Profile picture for Janell, Volunteer Mentor @jlharsh

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?

Jump to this post

@jlharsh
I had the same surgery December 18 and I had to have it redone two weeks later on the 31st. The reason I had to have it reached on as we had a swallow test done because I was having the same trouble and determined that the Whole, which is in the esophagus, opening was too small it wasn’t much bigger than a straw opening so if you feel that this is taking too long, I would ask for another swallow test to make sure you are not having the same problem. Now my experience was I was choking on my water and some food, and I would have to spit it all back up because it would not continue to go down. Good luck. I hope you get it settled down.

REPLY
Profile picture for mnogueiras
mnogueiras | @mnogueiras | Jan 30 11:15pm

Me too! One week postop. Qbn also

REPLY
Profile picture for Janell, Volunteer Mentor
Mentor
Janell, Volunteer Mentor | @jlharsh | Jan 31 6:33am
In reply to @mnogueiras "Me too Qbn too" + (show)
Profile picture for mnogueiras @mnogueiras

Me too
Qbn too

Jump to this post

Welcome to Connect, @mnogueiras. Your comment says you are one week postop from the same surgery. You included a comment, “Qbn also”.

I am tagging @qbnbgirl for an update after creating this discussion about having hiatal hernia & nissen fundoplication procedure 10 months ago. How are you doing @qbnbgirl

mnogueiras, when did you have your procedure and how are you doing?

REPLY
Profile picture for lorusogirl
lorusogirl | @lorusogirl | 1 day ago

I am 5 weeks post hiatal hernia and fundoplication surgery. I struggle with eating and drinking and need to constantly burp to help food or drink go down. Anyone else have this problem? Other than that mostly feeling ok

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for Lisa Lucier, Moderator
Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | 1 day ago
In reply to @lorusogirl "I am 5 weeks post hiatal hernia and fundoplication surgery. I struggle with eating and drinking..." + (show)
Profile picture for lorusogirl @lorusogirl

I am 5 weeks post hiatal hernia and fundoplication surgery. I struggle with eating and drinking and need to constantly burp to help food or drink go down. Anyone else have this problem? Other than that mostly feeling ok

Jump to this post

Hi @lorusogirl - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Having to constantly burp to help food go down would be a bit tiresome, I imagine, and maybe not what you'd prefer to do in public, ultimately.

Glad that otherwise you are feeling okay.

Have you gotten to discuss the issue with getting food and drink to go down with your surgeon? If so, what did he or she say?

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.