Heating pad?

Does a heating pad really help move the gas after surgery?  That was the worst part of getting my lap band (besides port pain)! 

I'm 7 days post-op VSG and was having awful radiating shoulder pain from the CO2 irritating the nerves around my diaphragm and finally got a heating pad three days ago after calling my surgeon's office....I don't know if it helped move the gas, but it definitely helped stave off some of the intensity of the pain caused by the gas!