🏠 Going Home
What to expect on the day of your surgery:
- You will be observed in recovery for 1–2 hours after the procedure
- Most patients stay in hospital for 1–2 days
- You will be discharged once you are comfortable, able to drink, and passing urine
- You must have someone drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours
- Nausea is common in the first few hours — anti-sickness medication has been prescribed
- You may feel drowsy or unsteady — this is normal and will settle
Important: Do not drive, operate machinery, or make important decisions for 24 hours after anaesthesia.
💊 Pain Management
Effective pain control is important for a comfortable recovery:
- Take regular pain relief for the first 2–3 days — do not wait for pain to become severe
- Paracetamol 1g (2 tablets) every 6 hours as needed — due to the larger tablet size, you may need to cut each tablet into smaller pieces or use a liquid formulation
- Ibuprofen 400mg every 8 hours as needed (if not contraindicated for you)
- Stronger pain medication (if prescribed): take exactly as directed on the script
- Shoulder tip pain is common for 24–48 hours — caused by the CO₂ gas used during keyhole surgery. After hiatal hernia repair, this can persist for up to 1 month due to the crural repair
- Walking helps the gas absorb faster and reduces shoulder discomfort
Note: Ibuprofen should be taken with food. If you have kidney disease, stomach ulcers, or are on blood thinners, check with us before taking ibuprofen.
💊 Medications
Important information about your medications after surgery:
- Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI): You will continue taking your PPI for at least 1 month after surgery or until advised otherwise by your surgeon
- Resume your regular medications unless your doctor has advised otherwise
- If you were told to stop blood thinners or antiplatelets, wait for your doctor's instructions before restarting
- Pain relief: paracetamol is safe to take if needed
Important: Do not stop your PPI medication without consulting your surgeon. It is essential for healing after fundoplication and will be continued for at least 1 month post-operatively.
🩹 Wound Care
Your incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches or skin glue:
- Keep dressings clean and dry for the first 48 hours
- After 48 hours: gentle showering is OK — pat dry, do not rub
- Do NOT soak in a bath, pool, or hot tub for 2 weeks
- Some bruising and swelling around incisions is completely normal
- A small hard lump at an incision site may be felt — this is normal and settles over several weeks
- Do not apply creams, ointments, or antiseptics unless instructed
Your incisions: You will have 4 small incisions (0.5–1.5 cm each) on your abdomen. The umbilical (belly button) incision is typically the largest.
🍽️ Diet
Diet is particularly important after fundoplication — your stomach has been modified and needs time to heal:
- Start with clear fluids on the day of surgery
- Weeks 1–2: pureed diet — blended, smooth foods with no lumps (e.g., soups, smoothies, pureed vegetables and protein)
- Weeks 3–4: soft diet — foods easily cut with a fork (e.g., mashed potatoes, soft pasta, scrambled eggs, soft-cooked meat)
- Week 5 onwards: gradually reintroduce solid foods as tolerated
- Take small bites and chew food thoroughly — this is important for the first several weeks
- Avoid carbonated drinks for at least 4 weeks
- Do not lie down for at least 30 minutes after eating or drinking
- Stay well hydrated — sip fluids throughout the day rather than drinking large amounts at once
- Constipation is common after surgery and pain medication — increase fibre intake gradually
Long-term: Some patients experience difficulty swallowing or a sensation of food getting stuck. This usually improves over 4–6 weeks as swelling settles. If it persists beyond 6 weeks, contact us.
🚶 Activity
Gradual return to activity is important:
- Walking: encouraged from the day of the procedure — aim for short walks several times daily
- Driving: avoid for at least 1 week, or until you can brake suddenly without pain
- Return to work: 1–2 weeks for desk work, 3–4 weeks for physically demanding work
- Lifting: nothing heavier than 5–10 kg for 6 weeks
- Exercise: light walking OK immediately; resume other exercise after 6 weeks
Listen to your body: Mild discomfort with activity is normal. Sharp or worsening pain is a sign to stop and rest.
⚠️ Red Flags
Contact us or seek urgent medical care if you experience any of the following:
- Temperature above 38°C that does not settle with paracetamol
- Worsening abdominal pain not controlled with prescribed medication
- Redness, warmth, or increasing swelling around any wound
- Pus or foul-smelling discharge from any wound
- Persistent nausea and vomiting (unable to keep fluids down)
- Inability to swallow even liquids
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing
- Heavy bleeding from any incision site
If you experience any of these symptoms, contact us immediately:
📞 03 9421 1166