What can I expect after esophageal surgery?

Patients should expect six to eight weeks of recovery and adjustment in eating patterns after the procedure. Most patients benefit from eating smaller, more frequent meals after esophagectomy. In addition, patients may benefit from sleeping slightly elevated on pillows or a small wedge.

What is the most common complication after esophagectomy?

Overall postoperatively most common complications are respiratory(pneumonia, aspiration),followed by conduit related(leak, necrosis)and cardiac(primarily atrial fibrillation).

What is life like after an esophagectomy?

It may cause you to feel light-headed or sick to your stomach, or to have cramps and diarrhea. Most people go back to work or their normal routine after 6 to 12 weeks. You will need more time to get better if you need other treatment for cancer, such as chemotherapy.

Can you live a normal life after esophagectomy?

Most people report improved quality of life after esophagectomy, but some symptoms usually continue. Your doctor will likely recommend comprehensive follow-up care to prevent complications after surgery and to help you adjust your lifestyle.

What are the complications of esophageal surgery?

Possible problems after oesophageal cancer surgery include difficulty eating, or a leak where the surgeon joins the oesophagus to the stomach or the bowel. Other risks include infection, blood clots and bleeding. Many problems are minor but some can be life threatening. Treating them as soon as possible is important.

What To Expect After Esophageal Cancer Surgery

Do you lose weight after esophagectomy?

Conclusions: Significant postoperative weight loss is common among minimally-invasive esophagectomy patients. Higher preoperative BMI and postoperative anastomotic complications are significantly associated with increased postoperative weight loss at 3 and 6 months.

Can esophagectomy cause stomach problems?

After surgery, you may have problems such as getting full too fast, heartburn and reflux, stomach discomfort, bloating, nausea, diarrhea or dumping syndrome. Some people also experience discomfort or “sticking” when swallowing foods. Nutrition plays an important role in managing these symptoms.

Can your stomach stretch after esophagectomy?

When the esophagus is removed, the stomach is pulled up into the chest and reattached to keep the food passageway intact. This stretching of the stomach takes away the ability to eat large meals, as there is no longer a large "holding area" for food to be digested.

Can you eat normally after esophagectomy?

You will be on a liquid diet at first. Then you may eat soft foods for the first 4 to 8 weeks after surgery. A soft diet contains only foods that are mushy and do not need much chewing. When you are back to a normal diet, be careful eating steak and other dense meats because they may be hard to swallow.

How long does it take to recover from esophagectomy?

Patients should expect six to eight weeks of recovery and adjustment in eating patterns after the procedure. Most patients benefit from eating smaller, more frequent meals after esophagectomy.

Is esophagectomy a major surgery?

An esophagectomy is a major surgical procedure that involves removing part or all of the esophagus. This may be performed due to cancer of the esophagus, or trauma to the esophagus. The surgery carries risks, some of which may be life-threatening. Recovery from the procedure can take time.

Can you drink alcohol after esophagectomy?

Avoid alcohol. Do not lie down after eating. Wait at least 3 hours before going to bed after eating.

How do you eat after esophageal surgery?

Eat Small Meals

Since the capacity of your stomach is reduced after the surgery, you should eat small but frequent meals (four to six times per day) — for example, three main meals and two snacks. Do not force yourself to eat to the point of discomfort. Stop eating immediately when you feel full.

Is coughing normal after esophagectomy?

After an oesophagectomy some people develop a dry cough which can be persistent and cause you to feel sick and regurgitate. Try to keep your throat moist, suck a sweet or try codeine linctus syrup which will suppress it. Also try not to talk too much as this can exacerbate it.

Does an esophagectomy change your voice?

Conclusions: Surgical procedures in the vicinity of the recurrent laryngeal nerve appear to be the cause of postoperative phonation disorders in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and these disorders can occur in the absence of symptoms such as hoarseness and dysphonia.

Is esophagectomy life threatening?

Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is associated with a substantial risk of life-threatening complications and a limited long-term survival.

How long does a damaged esophagus take to heal?

It might take 1 to 3 weeks to heal. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems.

Can you live without an esophagus and stomach?

It may be surprising to learn a person can live without a stomach. But the body is able to bypass the stomach's main function of storing and breaking down food to gradually pass to the intestines. Absent a stomach, food consumed in small quantities can move directly from the esophagus to the small intestine.

Why would you need an esophagectomy?

Most of the time, esophagectomy is done to treat cancer of the esophagus or a severely damaged stomach. Esophageal cancer is cancer that starts in the esophagus. This is the tube through which food moves from the mouth to the stomach.

What is sugar dumping syndrome?

Also called rapid gastric emptying, dumping syndrome occurs when food, especially sugar, moves from your stomach into your small bowel too quickly.

Is esophagus transplant possible?

Vascular surgery to reconstruct the esophagus

In some cases, the doctor will use a section of your small intestine to replace your esophagus and create a new connection between your mouth and stomach. This is called an intestinal auto-transplant.

What is esophagus surgery called?

Esophagectomy. Surgery to remove some or most of the esophagus is called an esophagectomy. If the cancer has not yet spread far beyond the esophagus, removing the esophagus (and nearby lymph nodes) may cure the cancer.

What foods are good for healing esophagus?

What is a 3 hole esophagectomy?

In the three incision esophagectomy, the esophageal tumor is removed through an abdominal incision, right thoracotomy, and left neck incision. The esophagogastric anastomosis is located in the neck.

What is minimally invasive esophagectomy?

What Is Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (MIE)? MIE is surgery to remove cancer in the esophagus. The surgery involves small incisions through which surgeons insert a tiny camera and can remove cancerous parts of the esophagus and stomach.