Left shoulder pain after VSG post-op

[Elode 8,093]

Ok, my surgeon said some people complain of left shoulder pain after surgery, he told me why but I can't remember the exact reason for it. He says gas x-strips won't help for that. I'm just curious to see how many people experienced that pain? Now I'm more worried about that than the incisions. I do have a heating pad packed just in case but if you had it what helped it go away?

[built2livenotexist 119]

Walking has helped me get rid of the gas pain over the last 30 hours. My doctor said that gas will become trapped inside the body during the surgery and that there is always a little left over. The same thing you are describing happened to me when I got my tubes tied. So, walking is working and so has not being dormant in the hospital bed; switching positions with the use or the grip rail and turning from side to side. HTH

[Babbs 14,680]

I was one of the lucky ones who never got gas pain. None. Was totally expecting it after everything I read, but thankfully it never happened. You may get lucky

[BeagleLover 1,020]

I was one of the lucky ones who never got gas pain. None. Was totally expecting it after everything I read, but thankfully it never happened. You may get lucky

I don't think luck has anything to do with it. When I read over the final report of my surgery, it indicated that the doctor removed the gas before finishing the surgery.

[Jen Godinez 3]

I just had my surgery Monday and suffered from this as well walk as much as you can. The gas X strips really did seem to help me too. They do try to remove as much of the gas as they can but can not always get it all out. It can be very painful. In other surgeries I've had laying flat and walking worked best. My current issue is getting in enough fluids so I don't have Migraines otherwise I'm doing better. I wish you the best. Keep moving!!

[georgiare 63]

I have been suffering from this for the past week since my surgery, and I don't feel like it's getting much better. I've tried heat pads, gasx strips, I walk several times daily, and it passes a little but as soon as I hiccup it's back in full force. I wouldn't say it's something to rethink surgery over, but if it happens just keep Tylenol around if you are off the narcotics quickly like the most of us

[Elode 8,093]

Wow ok! I guess I have no choice but to wait and see if I'm lucky or not so much.@@Jen Godinez@@built2livenotexist I hope you guys are doing well! You will have to keep us updated. I will be joining you in 10 days

[KristenVSG2014 1,872]

I haven't had my sleeve surgery yet but I did experience this with my gallbladder surgery. The gas settled in my right shoulder for days and it was much worse than the surgery itself. It felt like someone stuck a knife in my shoulder and left it there. Expanding my chest while breathing was excruciating so I found myself breathing very shallow. Walking is the only remedy. I'm hoping I don't experience this again but I guess if I experienced it once I'm probably going to again. Small price to pay if it is the only issue I have.

[auntiemel 275]

Walking and having my family members karate chop my shoulders and back helped disperse the bubbles ????

[JCP 619]

It's weird! I had it in my left shoulder, too! It was uncomfortable but certainly not excruciating. It slowly dissipated and was gone in a week.

[kathy078 17]

I got the left shoulder pain about 4 days after surgery (9/24). I had absolutely no pain from the surgery itself and did not need any pain meds. This pain could be excruciating at times, started to subside during the day but then the nights were the worst. Used to wake me up around 4:00AM and I couldn't go back to sleep the pain was so bad. Now one month today, the pain is still there but only for a short time at night and its more of a dull pain now.

[Jen Godinez 3]

Wow ok! I guess I have no choice but to wait and see if I'm lucky or not so much.@@Jen Godinez@@built2livenotexist I hope you guys are doing well! You will have to keep us updated. I will be joining you in 10 days

It's tough at first but just remember it's going to get better. Good luck wish you nothing but the best keep us updated

[sweetcheeks709 38]

To throw my two cents in- my surgeon said that when/if they do a hernia repair, the stitch is right up against the diaphragm and that could be why the shoulder area hurts?

Edited October 24, 2014 by sweetcheeks709

[BaseballMamma 17]

My shoulders hurt, but not from gas. I am 5 days out and honestly.. I have more pain in my arms & neck than I do in my stomach area. I am sure it is from pulling & lifting myself up to take it easy on my core. Best wishes on your surgery!

[Miss Mac 6,261]

My experience was the same as for BeagleLover. Retained CO2 is one of the concerns I shared in my final surgeon's meeting. He said that he extracts as much as possible. When I woke up after surgery, there was no gas pain at all.