1 day post op and i have loads of gas! I know walking helps. Any other tricks?

Hot tea

I was told to lay on the bed and have someone hold my legs and hang off from my waist to my head. It's not comfortable at all but it works.

I recently read that the use of a spirometer somehow helps "push" the gas out. I haven't had surgery yet so this topic always baffles me. How does it get pushed out of your body when the gas is inside the abdominal cavity?

Just read that "the absorption of CO2 across the peritoneum is normally eliminated through the lungs because of its high aqueous solubility and diffusibility..." Now it makes sense! The CO2 gas is just absorbed by the lining of your abdominal cavity and excreted through the lungs when you breathe. It's not literally "pushed out". That's why the spirometer is so important or doing activity that gets your breathing and heart rate up. The spiro gets you to breathe in deep to fill your lungs to max capacity, hold, then exhale....slowly eliminating the gas from the body.

Edited January 18, 20197 yr by ???????

Walking. Lots of walking around the ward helped get rid of the gas for me. As soon as I was given the OK to get up I did. I only lay in bed when I planned on sleeping - otherwise I was either sitting up in a chair or walking around.