Esophagectomy surgery: Want to know what to expect

And will you be making that trip alone? I hope not, especially after surgery my friend. See if you can arrange someone to accompany you and drive you back home? You could very well be hooked up to a J tube ( feeding tube in your intestine ) plus oxygen tank as I was regarding both.

Yes that is one of my concerns. As the time gets closer I’m sure my intuition will kick in. Just seems soo hard for me to make decisions these days.

Oh my!!! That is a ways to travel. I was only expected to be in the hospital for a week but one of my drainage holes became infected. ( in terms of time line away from home ).

Yes for the most part it's protocol. He's just telling you what to expect ( potentially ). As with any surgery there are risks involved and he wants to make you aware. The only negative thing I encountered right after surgery was my drainage tube in my neck became infected so had to be a guest @ St. Mary's hospital for another week ( 2 weeks total ). Oh and that J tube in my lower intestine for 10 weeks was no picnic either ( no pun intended).

He went over a lot of potential negative repercussions. All very scary. Is this just protocol?? Just such a huge decision and I want to be under the right/best care. I will definitely tell him Lori from Benson said hello! Thank you @lori57216

Dr. Wigle ( pronounced Waggle ) and his team are the BEST!!! He's very very thorough, down to Earth and great bedside manner. I honestly don't allow anyone to touch me as far as any other Dr. unless I or they consult with him first, that's how much I trust him. He follows his clients progress for years after surgery. Plz, tell the good Dr. that Lori from Benson, MN said HI. You will do fantastic under his care Fracturedd.

@lori57216 I had a phone consult with Dr. Wigle, he said he would do my surgery. I’ve never met him in person which scares me a little bit. Can you Tell me anything about him.. were you happy with him as your surgeon etc. thank you 🙂

Oh wow!!!! You & I were in St. Mary's / Rochester at the same time for the exact same surgery!!!! Dr. Wigle was my surgeon. I had my esophagectomy April 15th and was home on the 29th ( neck drainage tube site got infected after the tube was removed ) so I had to stay another week. Lower intestine feeding tube for 8 - 10 weeks. In the meantime NPO. I'm doing fairly well for the most part except the monthly dilations where the stomach & remaining esophagus connect. Hoping the temporary stent will remedy that. Thank God I'm a retired Certified Dietary Mgr. which turned out to be a Godsend in the dietary / caloric aspect. I lost a significant amount of weight but I was over weight to begin with so..... I'm steadily holding a healthy 140#. I have most recently been suffering from that pesky acid reflux. Why now a year after surgery? That is really my only 2 negatives other than the sometimes extreme pain on the right side where the huge incision is along the entire ribcage. Hope you continue your adventure successfully. Hoping also to receive a response and connect.

Hi Lori, welcome! I’m tagging @survivorsuz and @mitchm2009 to make sure that they see your messages to them.

We just opened this group dedicated to Esophageal Cancer. Did you also see that you can register for a free patient conference on July 31, 2021 and attend either virtually or in person?
See more info here:
- Gastroesophageal Cancer Education Symposium https://connect.mayoclinic.org/event/gastroesophageal-cancer-education-symposium/

@lizzier’s son-in-law just had surgery for esophageal cancer today. What tips would you offer to someone as they recover? What do you wish you had known?