Postoperative care methods for esophageal tumor

Recently I feel my throat is very sore and it is difficult for me to swallow food. I can only eat liquid food. Finally, I went to the hospital for a check-up and was told it was an esophageal tumor and that surgery was needed. The doctor pointed out that esophageal tumor is actually a type of esophageal tumor. When this disease occurs, there will be varying degrees of obstruction of the esophageal cavity, vomiting, and weight loss. Of course, there are many things to pay attention to after the operation. Let’s take a brief look at it below!

1. Keep the gastrointestinal decompression tube open: A small amount of blood drained out 24 to 48 hours after surgery should be considered normal. If a large amount of blood is drained out, report it to the doctor immediately for treatment. The gastrointestinal decompression tube should be retained for 3 to 5 days to reduce the tension on the anastomosis and facilitate healing. Pay attention to the accurate connection of the gastric tube, secure fixation to prevent it from falling out, and smooth drainage.

2. Observe the amount and nature of chest drainage: If abnormal bleeding, turbid fluid, food residues or chyle is found in the chest drainage fluid, it indicates active bleeding in the chest cavity, esophageal anastomotic fistula or chylothorax. Appropriate measures should be taken to clarify the diagnosis and treat it. If there is no abnormality, the drainage tube will be removed 1 to 3 days after the operation.

3. Control your diet: The esophagus lacks a serosal layer, so the anastomosis heals slowly. You should strictly avoid eating and drinking after surgery. During the fasting period, intravenous fluids were given daily. On the 5th day after the operation, if there is no special change in the condition, you can take milk orally. If there is no adverse reaction, you can increase the amount day by day. On the 10th to 12th day after surgery, the patient should be switched to a residue-free semi-liquid diet, but care should be taken to avoid eating too fast or in excess.

4. Observe the symptoms of anastomotic fistula: The clinical manifestations of esophageal anastomotic fistula are high fever, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, severe and unbearable chest pain; low breath sounds on the affected side, dull percussion sounds, increased white blood cell count and even shock. Treatment principles: ① Drain the pleural cavity to promote lung expansion; ② Select effective antibiotics to fight infection; ③ Supplement adequate nutrition and calories.

5. Auxiliary treatment: You can take red ginseng, ginsenoside Rh2 and other Chinese medicines to replenish vitality according to your own situation. Taking them after surgery can increase white blood cells, accelerate body recovery, relieve patient pain, prevent recurrence and metastasis, and improve the quality of life.

Of course, in addition to these things that need to be paid attention to, patients should pay attention to resting more and avoid strenuous activities; do not bend or rotate the head too much to reduce neck movement; family members should do a good job of psychological work for the patients, provide more encouragement, companionship and comfort, and overcome difficulties together.

It is better to detect and treat esophageal tumors earlier. The above content is to make everyone more aware of this disease, so it introduces its postoperative care in detail. Next, the doctor reminds everyone that there are many ways to treat esophageal tumors, including surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. The key is to confirm the extent of your disease, and then take the most suitable method according to the doctor's advice.