Why gas???

amourette · March 15, 2006

Hi all, I have been searching thru' the posts but can;t find anything relating to why people suffer gas pains after surgery? Sounds like some people are in a lot of pain, why does this happen, is it because the stomach is swollen or something?:omg:

tilly · March 16, 2006

they inflate your abdomen and chest cavity with air so they can move around a bit easier in there, so a lot of people suffer with gas afterwards, I didnt so I was lucky,

also for quite a while after banding your bowels are a bit off to say the least, your eating soft food and not a lot of Fiber so you get quite windy as well

amourette · March 16, 2006

AAaahhhh, thanx Tilly, now I understand.............would you know also why people often get pains between the shoulders also??? Many regards

PhotoNut · March 16, 2006

Tilly's right, they use gas to inflate your stomach into a domed like ceiling which gives the surgeons room to introduce and manuever the necessary instruments for the surgery. However, I don't think they inflate the chest cavity. After surgery, the gas is let out through the laproscopic incisions but not all comes out. The remaining gas will rise against the diaphram and the pressure against the diaphram is what causes the pain. Often this pain is felt in the shoulder or neck. For me, it was just a band around my middle, just under my ribs.

Typically, walking and moving around help the gas dissipate.

There is a webcast video that show's a great deal of the surgery and at one point when the ports for the instruments are removed, the surgeons have to stick their fingers into the incisions to prevent the gas from leaking out. You can even hear the hissing from the gas that does manage to leak out. Here is that video, in case anyone's interested:

http://www.brighamandwomens.org/surgerywebcast/default.asp

BandsterHopeful · March 16, 2006

The gas used to inflate your belly really dissipates right after surgery. But the EFFECTS remain - the stretching and irritation of the diaphraagm. I found a warm heating pad helped a lot, and pain meds if needed.

The other kind of gas pain - (abdominal , real gas) is from foods in the intestines when the gut is paralyzed during surgery, and then sluggish for a day-2 after. Many GI docs want you on no solid foods for 24 hrs before surgery, and this seesm to help. ALL those i have recommendde this to had none of this painful intestinal gas. Many of those who ate a big Last Supper before surgery did.

GasX helps this type of "gas" as well as lots of walking to mobilize it out. Renee