Side effects from paraesophegual surgery

I had a Giant Paraseophegual Hernia for which I had surgery on Dec. 2.  My ability to swallow solids is improving and the "surgery" seems to be okay.  However, the last 4 or 5 days I have had intermintent diarreah (diarrhea) and felt weak, almost faint. I called my surgeon and I told him I didn't have a fever so he said he didn't think it was anything to worry about.  I do note that when I feel faint, if I drink OJ and eat something, I feel betterfor awhile .  My questions are can the surgery make someone hypoglysemic (sp?) or anything else like that?  Is this faint feeling and loose stool normal? And lastly, what should I be doing to make this weird feeling go away.

Thank you.

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
Only some of the gastric sugeries cause hypoglycemia. Surgery done for hiatal hernia does not cause hypoglycemia.
The diarrhea you suffer from could be antibiotic induced diarrhea/ c-diff infection.
Consult your doctor about taking probiotics or metronidazole to treat it.
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The information provided is for patients’ education only and is not a medical advice. Always consult your personal physician for complete evaluation of your health problem.

- Ratnakar Kini M.D.