Question:
What is it with the gas pain after Lap surgery?
I keep reading about everyone having so much gas pain after Lap surgery,why is that and what seems to be working best for everyone to control it? — Debbie K. (posted on June 6, 2002)
June 6, 2002
hi. i am 22 yrs. old and 6 days post-op from LAP RNY. This isn't really
technical answer, but i think they fill you with gas to see your insides
better. so then when you are in recovery, it hurts like hell, b/c your
stomach and chest feel such gas pressure. i am just getting over the gas
now. walking around helps alot, as does milk of magnesia. it is like a
burp that won't come up times 50, not to scare you. But walking it off
feels so much better. and it does go away after a few days. hope this
helps you. goodluck!
— Lezlie Y.
June 6, 2002
During the Lap surgery, the Dr. pumps you up with gas so that your skin
swells up and they have more room to see your insides and also to work on
your insides. After surgery some of the gas rises in your body and is very
painful (at least for me it was.) Sitting up, walking and heating pads
helped alot. It takes a little while for it to be absorbed and the
pressure relieved.
— Leah H.
June 6, 2002
My gas pain from the LAP surgery settled in my chest and back and I was in
so much pain I locked out my morphine pump because morphine doesn't help
the pain!! I thought I was having a heart attack!! At about 11 pm, I
called for the nurse and they did a chest X-ray, and EKG and blood gases.
I was hyperventilating from the morphine, so I had to do a breathing
treatment, too. I wish I had known how bad it could have been!! Of course,
others I know had no pain at all...GO FIGURE!!! The best thing for me was
getting out of bed and walking and having my husband rub my back and front
of my shoulders....hope this helps!
— Linda D.
June 6, 2002
I had LAP on 4-10-02 and the gas pain did hurt (so did everything else-not
like I'm dying pain but you knew you'd been operated on) but I was
expecting that so I was prepared. When I didn't "go potty" for a
couple days afterward I took a Correctol (after checking with my surgeon)
and that REALLY helped get rid of alot of the gas. It took me about a week
to get all the discomfort out.
— Michelle W.
Click Here to Return