colon resection pain meds

[Sue357]

Hi.  I am almost 7 weeks post op from a colon resection in which they removed about 7 inches of my sigmoid colon.  There was a lot of scarring from multiple diverticulitis attacks in a short time ( 5 months).  Also, the area that was removed was starting to stricture.  My question is that the pain is better, but I am still finding that I need to take Vicodin ( about 1 and a half to 2 a day).  I go see my surgeon, this week, for follow up.  I am wondering how long others have remained on pain meds.  My husband and son remember the surgeon telling them that it was going to be about 3 to 6 months before I was "back to normal" ( meaning, as he put it:" forgetting I ever had surgery".  Any feed back is welcome.  Thanks.  Sue

[Morecambe]

Hi Sue - yes - a total colectomy means the removal of all the colon.  It is also called an "ileo-rectal anastomosis" whereby the end of the remote end of the ileum is joined to the top of the rectum.  If you type in ileorectal anastomosis into a medical website you will probably find a website where the procedure is explained diagramatically.

Apart from the wound soreness I described above, I felt no real pain afterwards and did not take any pain killers.  However, I wopuld not be surprised if the levels of pain experience after the surgery are variable from patient to patient.

Good luck
Morecambe

[Sue357]

Thanks.  That was helpful.  What is a total colectomy?  Does that mean that they take the entire colon?  Also, were you on pain meds during those 3-6 months?  I am still taking vicodin but small amounts.  

[Morecambe]

Hi - four years ago I underwent a total colectomy for torrential diverticular bleeding.  For about five days after the operation I was on edpiural pain relief.  This worked well.  Thereafter the only real source of the pain was from the wound (10-11 inches) itself when I sat up in bed or stumbled out of bed.  Also it was quite painful while coughing.  However, although the wound was sensitive for a few weeks afterwards there was no residual pain.  The operation was a big one and indeed it took 3-6 months before I felt able to run around again on the tennis court.

Good luck
Morecambe