90% of my colon removed

[Turtlelady]

What type of surgery can I expect? How long is the average hospital stay? How long before returning to work?

[kimbacat]

are you having a resection? or a colectomy with a J-pouch formation?  the type of surgery will dictate how long you will be in the hospital and how long to recover.  normally, tho, you can expect to be in the hospital anywhere from 5-10 days.  uncomplicated recovery would put you back to work in 4-6 weeks (longer if you do physical labor).  I'd recommend that you have a colorectal surgeon rather than a general surgeon.

[RTFLY]

Hi...I agree with kimba in that you should have a colorectal surgeon perform your surgery. General surgeons are more than qualified to perform these types of surgeries but colorectal surgeons perform them all the time.
I had my entire colon removed last year. I am having a J-pouch procedure in 6 weeks. I was in the hospital for 3 days with my first surgery. I recovered quickly. The general stay is about 4-5 days if there are no complications. And as kimba stated, the recovery time is about 4-6 weeks. The pain is well managed but you will be uncomfortable at times. Coughing and sneezing become a little tricky after surgery. I hope all goes well. good luck and keep us posted. Take care..
                                              JCI

[NMMel]

A related discussion, Support and encouragement was started.