After surgery

You will likely stay in the hospital for one or more nights. After you return home, follow the instructions below and any others you are given.

Activity

Here are suggestions for what you can and can't do as you recover from surgery:

• You will likely want to take it easy for 3 to 5 days. You can go back to your normal daily routine when you are feeling well enough. When you can return to work depends on what type of work you do. Check with your surgeon.

• You can do light activity at home, like using stairs. But don't do any heavy lifting, pulling, straining, or strenuous exercise for a period of time as advised by your surgeon.

• Walk as often as you feel able. This will help with your recovery.

• Don’t operate any machinery or drive while you are still taking opioid pain medicine. These medicines cause drowsiness, so driving or using machinery isn't safe.

• Drive when you're sure you can hit the brake pedal without wincing or hesitating. 

• Continue the coughing and deep breathing exercises that you learned in the hospital.

• You may feel some pain in your shoulders for the first few days. It's caused by the gas used to inflate the abdomen during your surgery.

Bandage and incision care

Your incisions will be covered by plastic bandages or strips of tape.

• Don't get the bandage or wound wet for 48 hours or as advised by your surgeon.

• You can remove plastic bandages in 48 hours or as advised by your surgeon. If strips of tape were used to close your incisions, don’t pull them off. Let them fall off on their own.

• When you can get the incision wet, very gently wash your incisions with mild soap and water. Pat them dry. Don’t use oils, powders, or lotions on your incisions. Talk with your doctor before using antibiotic ointment on the wound.

• Do not go swimming or soak in a bathtub or hot tub until your doctor tells you it's safe to do so.

• Check the wound daily for signs of infection. These signs include redness, warmth to the touch, and drainage that's thick, yellow, green, or milky.

Medicine use

Take all prescribed medicines as directed:

• Until you can swallow easily, take liquid medicines. If you are given pills, crush them and swallow them with liquids. Some pills can't or shouldn't be crushed, so check with your doctor or pharmacist before crushing pills.

• If you are given pain medicine, take it on time as directed. Don't wait for the pain to be severe before you take it.

• If you are prescribed antibiotics to fight or prevent infection, take all the medicine until it is gone.

• If you have been on medicines to prevent reflux, ask your doctor if you should stop taking them.

Eating and drinking

At first, swallowing will be hard. This is due to the swelling inside your esophagus, which will get better over time. You may also have belly bloating and pain. That's because you won't be able to belch for a time after surgery. Follow any guidelines your doctor gives you for what to eat and what to stay away from during your recovery.

• Follow a liquid diet as advised.

• Add solid foods back into your diet as you can handle them and as advised by your doctor.

• Don't drink iced, hot, or fizzy beverages. Don't drink through straws. This is to help prevent mild pain in your belly. Ask your doctor what foods you can eat and drink right after your surgery.

• Take small bites and chew well when eating solid foods. Always swallow the last bite before you take another. Sip water with your meals to help with swallowing.

• Don't eat foods that stick together. These include peanut butter, bread products, rice, and dry meats. They can be tough to swallow.

• Limit foods that produce gas. These include tomato products, fatty or spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, onions, green peppers, beans, nuts, and raw fruits and vegetables.

• Sit up straight while eating. Stay upright for at least 20 minutes after a meal.

• If eating makes you feel bloated, try several small meals a day instead of three large meals.

Keep follow-up appointments

Go to your follow-up appointments. These allow your doctor to check your progress and make sure you’re healing well. During office visits, tell your doctor if you have any new symptoms or any reflux. Ask any questions you have.

Call 911

Call 911 right away if you have chest pain or trouble breathing.

When to call your doctor

Contact your doctor right away if you have:

• Reflux symptoms that continue or return.

• A large amount of belly swelling or pain, especially pain after coughing.

• Bleeding.

• Soreness in your belly, or your belly feels hard.

• Increased redness or drainage of the incision.

• A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as advised by your doctor.

• Chills.

• An inability to drink or eat.

• Bowel movements that are black or bloody.

• Pain or soreness in your legs.

• Yellowing of the skin or the white part of your eyes.

• Trouble breathing or a cough that doesn't go away.