After an Oesophagectomy can swallowing liquid particularly mouthwash stop the join from healing?

Question

My Dad had a total Oesophagectoctomy 12 days ago (30/8), he had been given small sponge swabs to put in water/diluted mouthwash to keep his mouth wet, however he has been sucking the liquid out of them and swallowing it. A swallow test done a week later had showed that the join had not healed and was leaking. To date the internal wound has still not healed and is still leaking.


Could the swallowing of this small amount of fluid cause the join not to heal properly?

Answer 1

Mouth wash is not meant for swallowing so I wouldn't use it to keep his mouth wet. Plain, clean water would be better. If mouth wash is a must - get a ph balanced one (Dentyl Ph in the uk is good as it has no alcohol in its ingredients)
Healing is from the inside out - so you need good nutrition to heal, if he isn't eating much or his nutrition is low then healing will take longer.
Make sure he hasn't got some sort of infection which is preventing healing as he may need anti-biotics.

Hope fully your medics will take the appropriate action should your father need it.

Answer 2

Follow the surgeon's and supporting hospital staff's instructions in such cases.