Bloating after operation

Good morning, Sainsbury. 

I notice you had not had a reply to your question. Lung cancer is not my usual forum. I noticed you are already part of the lung cancer forum which is great. Hopefully my reply will help bring your post to attention of others. If you are still having issues with bloating, it could be worth trying to arrange an appointment with the GP or ringing your lung cancer nurse for medical advice and review, just to check things are okay. 

All the best, 

Jamie 

Thank you x

Hi Sainsbury, 

Yes, my husband had this after his upper left lobectomy (9cm Pancoast tumour). We discovered eventually that it is apparently a side effect of thoracic surgery. My husband's consultant described it like this - with a section removed the architecture of your lungs changes and shifts about a bit so that the pressure on the diaphragm changes and leads to more or less pressure on your stomach, which can then lead to trapped air etc. But it does settle down eventually.

Hubby went through months of worry, liver scans, pancreatic MRIs, and endoscopies. eventually he was diagnosed with a very small hiatus hernia (also a side effect we are told), which, left untreated, caused an oesophageal ulcer. Once diagnosed and treated with simple omeprozole he recovered and is much better, and finally, after 2 years, getting back on with life.

I'm not sure why they don't warn of abdominal changes and bloating and recognise when it needs treating. We only knew this is a side effect when a consultant finally said yes she had known of other cases. 

Did you also have chemo or radiotherapy? Hubby had both before the surgery, and both can upset the stomach and cause bloating.

There have been other posts on here from people suffering the same bloating after surgery. After cancer/chemo/radio/surgery there is an impression that once the cancer is gone, you will be well and skipping off into the sunset. For most people we have spoken to who have had cancer of any kind, the reality is different, and for some, it can take a good while to get back to feeling near normal.

I'm not suggesting you might have a hernia, as hubby was quite an extreme case, it might just take a while for your body to settle down, recover and adjust to the changes. Have you mentioned it to your lung nurses or consultant?

Thank you so much for your reply it was most helpfull ,hope your husband is well xx