Relief of Post-op Gas

learned2bskinny · June 4, 2009

I've heard a lot of sleevers complaining about the gas pains post op. I am an RN and worked post-op for many years. One of the best remedies I have come across was warm lemon juice. It works every time! A very small amount drank slowly would relieve the gas within minutes. Just wondering if this is "legal" clear liquid for immediately post-op with the sleeve?

Rosebud2 · June 4, 2009

That's good information for future reference. I'm not sure if that would be allowed after sleeving. I'll leave that to others.

WASaBubbleButt · June 4, 2009

I've heard a lot of sleevers complaining about the gas pains post op. I am an RN and worked post-op for many years. One of the best remedies I have come across was warm lemon juice. It works every time! A very small amount drank slowly would relieve the gas within minutes. Just wondering if this is "legal" clear liquid for immediately post-op with the sleeve?

The only thing I will tell you is that it might be a bit acidic. You have a raw wound on your stomach. Lemon juice... that might hurt.

If you do it Water it down a LOT! Drink slowly, if you feel fire, stop. ;o)

learned2bskinny · June 5, 2009

true about the acidity. I might give it a try, though slowly and watered down, if gas becomes a big problem for me. I'll let you know how it works out.

Ruthi · June 5, 2009

Is the gas inside the stomach, outside or both? If it is outside in the abdominal cavity, how would drinking something help?

WASaBubbleButt · June 5, 2009

Is the gas inside the stomach, outside or both? If it is outside in the abdominal cavity, how would drinking something help?

Both, the gas from surgery is absorbed into the GI system.

Ruthi · June 5, 2009

Thanks Wassa, I knew you would have an answer for me

June 10, 2009

The post op gas can be very uncomfortable for a couple of days. The best way to deal with it is to walk it off, starting day of surgery in the hospital. It is absorbed into the body so it is not relieved simply by belching and farting.< /p>

Elisabethsew · June 10, 2009

Actually, you DO get relief of the gas by farting... it moves the pressure OUT and relieves the pain.

Malaika · June 10, 2009

Actually, you DO get relief of the gas by farting... it moves the pressure OUT and relieves the pain.

I've found a heating pad on the belly helps a great deal too ... mine is packed and going with me!

June 10, 2009

different gas problem-the gas that is pumped in during surgery gets absorbed so is not relieved just by belching and farting. Of course, everyone has a different experience, but I am going on surgeon's explanations and solutions. More on the gas and one issue with it when it builds up and causes shoulder pain:

Yes, everything you've heard is true. Sometimes the shoulder pain following a laparoscopy is more painful than your incisions or your abdomen!

During the lap, C02 (Carbon Dioxide) gas is injected through a special needle inserted just below the navel.(1) This is done in order to insufflate the pelvic cavity and allow the surgeon a better view of the reproductive organs. After the lap, most people experience shoulder pain, ranging from mild to severe. But if the work was done in the pelvis, why the shoulder pain?

The diaphragm and the shoulder share some of the same nerves - predominantly the Phrenic Nerve. The Phrenic Nerve arises on each side of the neck, from the 3rd, 4th and 5th cervical spine roots and passes downwards between the lungs and the heart to reach the diaphragm. Impulses through the nerves from the brain bring about the regular contractions of the diaphragm during breathing. When the C02 gas irritates the diaphragmatic nerves, that pain is then referred upwards through the nerve connections, eventually landing in - and aggravating - the shoulder.

Why does the gas irritate the nerves, if it's just inflating the diaphragm? Because the gas does more than just inflate the abdominal cavity: it also effects the physiology of the surrounding peritoneal tissue. Previously, some surgeons believed that the shoulder pain was due to a reaction of the C02 combining with Water. However, recent work has determined that the actual cause of the nerve irritation is a result of the cellular death caused by the combination of a temperature change from the gas at 21c and the drying effect of the gas at .0002%.(2) Dr. Larry Demco, a renowned laparoscopic pioneer and Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada), refers to to this event in the following manner:

"...Just as the cold dry wind of a Canadian winter causes exposed skin to freeze in less than a minute, the same cold, dry gas of laparoscopy kills the peritoneal cells - resulting in the shoulder pain. Just as the Canadians flock to the warm, moist air of Florida to escape the pain of frostbite of a Canadian winter, heating and humidifying the gas during laparoscopy can prevent the cellular death of the peritoneum and result in less shoulder pain. Without shoulder pain, the patient's recovery is markedly affected. There is little need for pain medication and a shorter post-op recovery time." (3)

No matter what the medium of insufflation, the effects of the gas temperature remain the same. Experiments with gases other than C02 (such as helium, nitrous oxide and argon) all produced the same or similar effect. (4)

This phenomenon can be almost completely avoided through several means, but unfortunately, not many surgeons practice such techniques as removing the C02 before the end of the procedure, heating and humidifying the C02, injecting local anesthetics, or performing what is known as "gasless laparoscopy."

Gasless laparoscopy is a recent development in minimally invasive surgery, having been utilized by endoscopic experts for approximately a decade. Performed without the use of C02 insufflation, gasless laps instead utilize a special lift system ("LaparoLift" or "AbdoLift") to view the surgical field. The Lift is inserted into the abdominal cavity via a small cut in the lower umbilicus. It in turn raises the abdominal wall mechanically and allows a similar view into the cavity as that afforded by use of C02.(5) Use of the Lift not only affords the patient better recovery time and less pain, but also markedly decreases risks brought about by the use of the C02, including the potential physiologic, immunologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal implications of the C02 effects.

References (1) "Laparoscopy: What Can You Expect?" by Dr. Mark Perloe / http://www.ivf.com/laprscpy.html (2) & (3) International Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy, February, 2001 Volume 7 Issue 1 (4) "How Can Laparoscopy Be Less Painful?" American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists Conference, November 2000. Interview footage, Drs. Hugo Verhoeven & Larry Demco / http://www.obgyn.net/avtranscripts/aagl2000_demco_verhoeven.htm (5) "Gasless Laparoscopy," a publication of the Institute for Endoscopic Gynaecology, University Witten, Herdecke, Germany / http://www.gasless-laparoscopy.com

Actually, you DO get relief of the gas by farting... it moves the pressure OUT and relieves the pain.

WASaBubbleButt · June 10, 2009

different gas problem-the gas that is pumped in during surgery gets absorbed so is not relieved just by belching and farting. Of course, everyone has a different experience, but I am going on surgeon's explanations and solutions. More on the gas and one issue with it when it builds up and causes shoulder pain:
Yes, everything you've heard is true. Sometimes the shoulder pain following a laparoscopy is more painful than your incisions or your abdomen!

During the lap, C02 (Carbon Dioxide) gas is injected through a special needle inserted just below the navel.(1) This is done in order to insufflate the pelvic cavity and allow the surgeon a better view of the reproductive organs. After the lap, most people experience shoulder pain, ranging from mild to severe. But if the work was done in the pelvis, why the shoulder pain?

The diaphragm and the shoulder share some of the same nerves - predominantly the Phrenic Nerve. The Phrenic Nerve arises on each side of the neck, from the 3rd, 4th and 5th cervical spine roots and passes downwards between the lungs and the heart to reach the diaphragm. Impulses through the nerves from the brain bring about the regular contractions of the diaphragm during breathing. When the C02 gas irritates the diaphragmatic nerves, that pain is then referred upwards through the nerve connections, eventually landing in - and aggravating - the shoulder.

Why does the gas irritate the nerves, if it's just inflating the diaphragm? Because the gas does more than just inflate the abdominal cavity: it also effects the physiology of the surrounding peritoneal tissue. Previously, some surgeons believed that the shoulder pain was due to a reaction of the C02 combining with Water. However, recent work has determined that the actual cause of the nerve irritation is a result of the cellular death caused by the combination of a temperature change from the gas at 21c and the drying effect of the gas at .0002%.(2) Dr. Larry Demco, a renowned laparoscopic pioneer and Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada), refers to to this event in the following manner:

"...Just as the cold dry wind of a Canadian winter causes exposed skin to freeze in less than a minute, the same cold, dry gas of laparoscopy kills the peritoneal cells - resulting in the shoulder pain. Just as the Canadians flock to the warm, moist air of Florida to escape the pain of frostbite of a Canadian winter, heating and humidifying the gas during laparoscopy can prevent the cellular death of the peritoneum and result in less shoulder pain. Without shoulder pain, the patient's recovery is markedly affected. There is little need for pain medication and a shorter post-op recovery time." (3)

No matter what the medium of insufflation, the effects of the gas temperature remain the same. Experiments with gases other than C02 (such as helium, nitrous oxide and argon) all produced the same or similar effect. (4)

This phenomenon can be almost completely avoided through several means, but unfortunately, not many surgeons practice such techniques as removing the C02 before the end of the procedure, heating and humidifying the C02, injecting local anesthetics, or performing what is known as "gasless laparoscopy."

Gasless laparoscopy is a recent development in minimally invasive surgery, having been utilized by endoscopic experts for approximately a decade. Performed without the use of C02 insufflation, gasless laps instead utilize a special lift system ("LaparoLift" or "AbdoLift") to view the surgical field. The Lift is inserted into the abdominal cavity via a small cut in the lower umbilicus. It in turn raises the abdominal wall mechanically and allows a similar view into the cavity as that afforded by use of C02.(5) Use of the Lift not only affords the patient better recovery time and less pain, but also markedly decreases risks brought about by the use of the C02, including the potential physiologic, immunologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal implications of the C02 effects.

References (1) "Laparoscopy: What Can You Expect?" by Dr. Mark Perloe / http://www.ivf.com/laprscpy.html (2) & (3) International Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy, February, 2001 Volume 7 Issue 1 (4) "How Can Laparoscopy Be Less Painful?" American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists Conference, November 2000. Interview footage, Drs. Hugo Verhoeven & Larry Demco / http://www.obgyn.net/avtranscripts/aagl2000_demco_verhoeven.htm (5) "Gasless Laparoscopy," a publication of the Institute for Endoscopic Gynaecology, University Witten, Herdecke, Germany / http://www.gasless-laparoscopy.com

Elisabeth is correct, the pain from the existing gas is relieved by burping and farting. You are talking about one issue, she is talking about another. One needs healing time, the other needs to be expelled from the body.

When they do this surgery there are pockets of gas trapped in various parts of the gut and it is eventually absorbed into the GI system and burping/farting does indeed help relieve the pressure which is what she was referring to.

Rosebud2 · June 10, 2009

People told me to bring Gas-X. I'm not so sure that it was a good idea. I think it was better when the gas worked itself out.

learned2bskinny · June 11, 2009

Well, I guess only trying the different ways to relieve the gas will tell. I will try the warm lemon juice, Rosebud2-you try the gas-x, of course we will all be walking it off, and then we'll compare notes! As with all surgeries, everyone recovers differently!

MacMadame · June 11, 2009

My surgeon sucks as much of the CO2 out of your belly cavity as possible and I think that helps. I didn't have a big gas problem or much pain from that.