Thoracic Surgery

Information for Patients Undergoing A Laparoscopic Esophagomyotomy

Prior to Surgery

  • You must begin a clear liquid diet 3 days prior to your OR. This includes clear soups (bouillon, chicken, or beef broth), grape, apple or cranberry juice, Jell-O without fruit, popsicles, coffee or tea without milk or cream, and carbonated beverages. Please note hard candy, gum, and sugar are OK. Avoid alcohol and all solid food. You should take in at LEAST 10 cups of fluid each day.
  • Do not smoke at least 2 weeks prior to surgery.
  • Do not take any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (i.e. Motrin, Ibuprofen, and Aleve) or Aspirin products up to 1 week prior to your surgery date.
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is fine to take prior to surgery.
  • Please let us know if you are using an herbal medication, since some can result in excessive bleeding or other complications at operation.

After Surgery

Hospitalization

  • The hospital stay is generally 1-3 days. When you wake up from surgery you may have a tube placed in your nose called a nasogastric tube. This tube is used to help drain air and fluids from you stomach. Although it may be uncomfortable, it is very important to keep in as long as instructed by your surgeon. Generally this is removed the next morning.
  • You may also need a Barium Swallow prior to being sent home, to assure that there is no leak or obstruction.

Managing my pain

  • Most pain can be associated with the "gas" that is used to inflate the abdomen during surgery; the best way to get rid of this is to walk!
  • However, you will be prescribed a pain medication. With this you will also be prescribed a stool softener. To help avoid constipation, which can occur often while taking most commonly prescribed pain medications. It is also important to drink plenty of water and other fluids, to avoid constipation.
  • No driving for 2-3 days after surgery, or longer while taking narcotic pain medicine.

Taking care of my Incisions

You will have 5 small incisions on you abdomen. It is not uncommon for the one closest to the belly button to have some drainage as long as it is not thick in consistency, or greenish in color. If you notice thick/green drainage, then we should be called. If you are unsure, please do not hesitate to contact us. Here are some other issues, that if they occur, we need to be contacted.

  • Temperature above 101 F
  • Significant increase in abdominal pain or discomfort
  • Redness, swelling or drainage from the incision sites
  • Incision opening up
  • Change in overall health status nausea, vomiting, chills, profuse sweating, diarrhea or constipation
  • Difficulty swallowing

No dressings are needed for the incisions unless otherwise instructed. Avoid tight clothing around the incision sites or fabrics which may irritate the skin.

Keep your incision clean with soap and water in the shower. You need to wait 48 hours after surgery(unless otherwise instructed), before taking a shower. No tub baths, or soaking your incisions in a pool/hot tub until they are well healed, which will be around 4 weeks or may be determined at your post-operative visit.

Diet

It will be very important that you see a dietitian prior to discharge as you will be on a special diet for 2 weeks. If you are unable to speak with the dietitian, she will leave the information for you to go over, please feel free to contact her, should you have questions.

Activity Level

  • Do not lift anything greater than 10 lbs for a month.