My husband had his oesophagectomy 12 years ago and I’m sure things have changed a lot since then so I’m probably not the best one to give you any information or advice. It might be useful to speak to his medical team (the nurses are usually very helpful and knowledgeable) or you could also have a chat with the OPA (Oesophageal Patients Association), they were so good when I needed support.
The operation is complex and each surgeon has a different approach and technique, in the pre op meeting one of the registrars went through the whole procedure with us - my husband didn’t want to know all the details but for some reason I needed to so he left for a few minutes.
The fitter your husband can be before surgery the better, I know that’s a strange thing to say given how debilitating OC can be but it’s all relative, even a few short walks might help build up his strength a bit.
If you want more details I’m happy to share them but maybe one to one as a ‘friend’ - I’m never sure how much people want to know on a more public forum.
I’m really pleased your husband is able to have surgery, that’s so positive.
He was in hospital for two weeks and then made a steady recovery at home. Please bear in mind everyone comes through the surgery very differently, it is a huge op and recuperation can be lengthy depending on the patient. It’s a bit like saying ‘how long is a piece of string?’ and I don’t want to mislead you. I hope you hear something soon. J x
