Acid Reflux Surgery Aftercare: Your Complete Guide to an Optimal Recovery

Are you scheduled for acid reflux surgery? Whether it’s a hiatal hernia or LINX surgery to correct your acid reflux, it helps to plan your aftercare. 

Although we give you written instructions for postsurgical care at home, knowing what to expect beforehand helps you plan what to buy so you’ll have the foods you can eat on hand while you’re healing. 

At Turnquest Surgical Solutions, our board-certified bariatric surgeons, Dexter Turnquest, MD, and Victoria C. Chang, MD, perform hiatal hernia and LINX surgery to help resolve severe cases of acid reflux that haven’t resolved with conservative treatment. 

Your diet after acid reflux surgery 

Following our written instructions for what you may eat after surgery is critical to successful healing. You’ll be on a clear liquid diet, drinking broth, water, or clear juice for the first couple of days. Don’t drink carbonated drinks and don’t drink through a straw.

Then you proceed to consuming yogurt, pudding, and protein shakes for a couple of weeks. If you take pills, we may ask you to crush them or take liquid medication in the weeks following your acid reflux surgery. 

The second phase, during the next two weeks, includes a soft food diet such as scrambled eggs, cooked cereal, and mashed potatoes. We provide you with instructions on which foods to avoid, such as bread, rice, or meat, as they can form large clumps in your stomach and cause excess gas. 

After that, you begin introducing solid foods, ensuring they’re moist or well-cooked. Following this eating plan helps ensure that you don’t damage the surgical area or suffer from bouts of diarrhea, nausea, or gas.  

Eating techniques 

Avoid eating large meals, so you don’t overstretch your stomach. Eat small meals throughout the day, chew your food assiduously, and forgo eating before bed. Eating before bed can lead to acid reflux, because you lose the force of gravity, which helps keep food in your stomach. 

Hydrate, but not when you’re eating 

Drink water throughout the day after acid reflux surgery, but when you’re eating in the weeks after surgery, limit your beverage intake. We want to make sure you don’t stretch your stomach while it’s still healing. 

Caring for your body after acid reflux surgery

Follow our written instructions for caring for your body. Keep the incision area clean and dry. We let you know when it’s safe to shower. 

Take a walk every day to aid circulation and reduce gas pains. But take a break from the gym and avoid activities that put strain on your abdomen, such as lifting heavy grocery bags. 

For expert acid reflux care and other bariatric concerns, call us at Turnquest Surgical Solutions or book an appointment online today. We have two Houston, Texas, locations.