Lap to Open -oww

Hello all--I had my surgery on the 27th but they couldn't do laporascopicly.  Dr. Pop said he could barely do an open procedure.  He said my liver was extremely large.  I am in a good deal off pain.  I feel like if I walk to long I will lose my insides.  My incision starts from righ below the breastbone down to a few inches below my belly button.  Anyone who has had this done please tell me how long it takes to start feeling better.  Its been a week now.  Thanks !!

It should start feeling better any day now.  I needed my pain meds for about 1  1/2 weeks after my open RNY after that things went a bit better.    But if it doesn't start easing up contact your surgeon's office.  It is better to ask if this is normal then to ignore something that could be going wrong. I was scheduled for open and my incision starts just below my breasts and ends just barely above my belly button. And boy isn't that feeling of your innards moving around on you weird!   I felt like they were just sloshing around in there and ready to fall out any second....but that too passes. Good Luck

I don't know the answer to your question but I'm happy to hear that you are at least home safely from surgery:)  Good luck on a speedy recovery!  Hopefully you will feel better soon.

I had my surgery open. I had no trouble with my liver though. I chose to have it Open because my surgeon said that the odds that I lose more weight are better that way. So think of it like that then! I could have went with the LAP but I wanted to increase my odds the best I could. Plus I figured at least he got to look around in there and make sure everything was okay. He did find a couple of cysts on my ovaries that I did not know were there so I was thankful of that.  It will get better with time. Just keep wearing your binder.

I had open rny 6/13/06 and had similar feelings.   My incision sounds like a match to yours.   I guess because I had open heart in 2000 I was a bit more prepared for the sloshy weird like your guts could fall out feeling.  It does get better.. I still occassionaly have muscle spasms where they sliced through.  I would say by week three I was much more comfortable.. but remember.. wear the binder it helps keep everything fully supported. Good luck!  The soreness does eventually let up.  I didnt use any pain meds once I left the hospital on day 3... so if your pain is extreme definately give your doc a call. Kim  

I had the open surgery three weeks ago today Walk and moving I found got me over the soreness real fast. Drink your protein and water/Good Luck

Hello. Sorry to hear you are in such pain.  Dr. Pop was also my surgeon..but thankfully I was able to have Lap.  I have heard it is a lot more painful to have it done Open.  I don't know what to tell you other than walk, walk, walk, and sip, sip, sip.  And if you are in a lot of pain I would not hesitate to call Dr. Pop at Barix. Best of Luck, Kim

Dr. P was my surgeon as well AND he had to switch from Lap to open on me.  I had surgery on 5/30/07, not that long ago.  Only within the last 2 weeks have I felt strong enough to resume doing some of the normal things I do... I started walking a few times a week and I've resumed housework... I'd say it took a good 3 or 4 weeks to feel ok.   Food still sucks, but physically, I'm feeling great.  You'll get there. My liver wasn't big.... My problem (go figure) is that my tummy was too muscular (apparently under all that fat!)...  I've never had kids of my own and I am a pretty active girl, so when he got in there laproscopically, I was too tight...  so on top of the big zipper from breasts to bellybutton, I've got 5 lap cuts all over my belly as well.  No bikini's for me in the future! Wasn't the hospital great?