Nissen Fundoplication Complications

Following your surgery, a variety of Nissen fundoplication complications sometimes occur. Many of them are similar to the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and they are just as troublesome. Common complications include difficulty swallowing, bloating and discomfort and post operative irritable bowel syndrome.

Difficulty swallowing

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, sometimes occurs immediately following surgery. The most common cause is the swelling of the esophagus as a direct result of the surgery itself. This is also sometimes caused by the post-operative wrap being too tight or resting too high on the stomach. Similarly, when the wrap is too tight, it sometimes causes old blood to build up around the esophagus and results in difficulty swallowing.

Bloating and discomfort

It is very common to have difficulty belching following a Nissen fundoplication, and this results in the accumulation of gas in the stomach and small intestines. A constricting wrap that is too tight is often the cause of bloating and the associated discomfort. Generally, these complications disappear four weeks after your operation. If bloating continues to cause discomfort past this time frame, dietary intakes are usually the cause.

Post-operative irritable bowel syndrome

Following surgery, it is also common to have post-operative irritable bowel syndrome. During your Nissen fundoplication procedure, your gastrointestinal organs are inflated with gas. As a result, you often experience constipation immediately after surgery. Rapid onset diarrhea and excessive flatulence often follows. Excessive consumption of foods high in fiber also causes post-operative constipation and cramping.

In some cases, it is not possible to relieve or reverse the common complications that occur after surgery. Even if these complications cause as much discomfort as GERD, Nissen fundoplication surgery is irreversible.