upcoming Spincterotomy

[tommy_t]

this surgery is scheduled for 3/19 any info would be appreciated. i have fissures, internal hemmoroids (hemorrhoids), and a recent barium scan shows diverticulosis. i had fissure surgery about 30 years ago also gallbladder was removed a year ago. i have had BM problems for years but since the GB surgery it's even worse. when i told my surgeon about diarrhea almost immediately after eating all he could say was "i heard that" didn't even have enough sense to refer me to my primary care MD. i am concerned the spincterotomy will cause more problems. any comments welcome. thanks

[Baseball_Mom]

Hi - Are you having a Sphincterotomy or a Sphincteroplasty?  I'm having the same problems you describe.  I go in the hospital tomorrow for a Sphincteroplasty and Perineoplasty.  I have to have this surgery because two years ago I had emergency surgery for a perianal cyst and we have now discovered that the general surgeon cut my front muscles.  My back rectum muscles have compensated for as long as they can.  I too had my gallbladder out which made my bowels worse.  My surgery is at 12:30p tomorrow (3/18).  I am suppose to be in the hospital for a minimum of 3 days and be out of work 4 to 6 weeks.  I just had a rectal seal replacement and hemmrhoidectomy on February 1st, so you can imagine how anxious I am to have this done tomorrow. Hope this information helps and best of luck to you.  Are you having a colon/rectal specialist perform your surgery?  I would highly recommend that you do if you are not.  Take care!

[tommy_t]

thanks for the reply sounds like you've had quite a time. my primary md referred me to a specailist he uses for these problems. he treated me medically with suppositories, pain cream, and even nitro paste. seemed to be ok for awhile but pain came back. turns out the specialist is a general surgeon but only operates 1 day a week, i think only in that area. he wanted me to have a colonoscopy to check for cancer before he would do the spinterotomy (he described it as simply knicking the spinter muscle, it's same day 20-30 min, general anestia) but settled for the barium scan. even though it's a simple operation i'm a bit concerned with all the BM problems i've had for years, i keep thinking i'm going to not be able to control my bowels and end up with a bag, it's scary. my prayers are with you. thanks again.

[Baseball_Mom]

Hi - If the surgeon "knows what he is doing" you will do just fine.  I'm concerned that he wants to "knick" the muscle.  You see that is my problem.  When I had the perianal cyst removed the General Surgeon cut into my muscle and that is why I'm having my muscle repaired tomorrow.  Obviously you don't have to worry about a Perineoplasty because only woman have this done.  If you feel comfortable with the surgeon than I think you should have it done.  However, not meaning to scare you, if he "knicks" too much of your muscle you could quite possibly have fecal incontenence, which unfortunately is what is wrong with me.  The good news is this can be fixed with a Sphincteroplasty.  I've been told in this day and time that a colostomy bag is a last resort.  Sometimes they have to temporarily put one in reroute things, but as a general rule they are not necessary.  Best of luck to you.  Hope your doctor gets you fixed up.  Take care!

[tommy_t]

thanks much hope all goes well for you also, lets compare notes when were both on the mend. thanks again.

[Baseball_Mom]

Hi - I just got home from the hospital this afternoon.  The doctor seems to think he fixed things this time.  Other than being really sore (but pain killers help) I feel pretty good.  Hope your procedure did well.  Let me know how you are doing.

[individual]

Baseball mom, I'm glad things went well for you. Tommy, I hope yours went well also. I am hopefully going to have surgery soon. I know no one hopes to have surgery just for the sake of it. It has taken me 4 years to find a doctor (even gastrointerologists) who had a clue about my problem. My symptoms are mostly incontinency of gas, but since I also have a rectocele I occasionally have stool leakage. My Naturopathe suggested that having large babbies can cause complications. I went to my gynecologist who agreed, and refered me to a colorectal surgeon. I visited some websites and found a lot of information about chidbirth complications. Large babies, the use of forceps, and epesiotomies were listed as possible causes to these complications, and I had all three. I have had several tests done, and am going in on 4-1 to have a very extensive test done. This test will determine exactly how much damage there is and if it is repairable. I have some hope now, but I'm afraid that it might not be repairable, and that scares me.

[individual]

I forgot to ask this question: did your rectocele cause you pain? I have pain at night sometimes that wakes me up from a dead sleep. I have to take 6 ibuprophen and I can go back to sleep after about an hour. Also, once your doctor decided to operate how long did you have to wait for your surgery, and how in the world do you ever sit at the computer?!

[Baseball_Mom]

I had to have my rectal seal replacement done because of having a Fistula that never healed properly.  Instead of healing completely over it healed in a concaved shape.  Therefore when I would have bowel movements they would be funneled to the vaginal area.  I didn't have any pain associated with this, it was just very annoying.  I had surgery for this and hemmrhoidectomy on the 1st of February.  Went back to work on the 6th of March and back into surgery on the 18th for my sphinceteroplasty/perineoplasy.  In answer to your question, I saw the Colon/Rectal specialist on the 15th of January and like I said had surgery Feb 1.  So I didn't have to wait too long.  My second surgery, I saw the doctor on the 5th of March and operated on the 18th.  And how do I sit at a computer???  I don't, I lay across my bed with a laptop and correspond that way.  Best of luck to you. Let me know if you need any other questions answered.  Take care!

[individual]

Did a colorectal surgeon perform your first surgery? I'm not quite familiar with the second surgery you had. Was it the result of something gone wrong with the first one? My doctor thinks that my sphincter muscles may have separated, and that's why gas leaks out. My problem is bad enough, but I think it would be much worse to have a fistula. I work very closely with kids of all ages, and the gas problem is humiliating. Kids don't usually understand things like this. They think it's all just gross. I have had to tell a few of them, but I don't want to tell the whole world. I can't wait until I have a solution.

[tommy_t]

surgery went well, i guess, not too thrilled with surgeon, he never took the time to update my wife or me afterwards and then i was out of there. recovery has been great, swelling went down w/o sitsbaths! hardly needed pain meds at all just metamulcil, mineral oil each 2x a day. both the surgery and recovery not as long as similiar surgery (30 yrs ago) probably better technology now, it's obviously not my youth.
i have a new problem, i think it's a abdominal hernia, i'm going to get a referral to the surgeon who did my GB about a year ago. it's close to one of the lap incisions he did, not the navel. probably not related to GB lap surgery he did but i have more confidence in him and his followup was much better than this guy.
mom glad to hear your latest went well too, hope your post-pain goes away fast, bet your spending lots of time in sitsbath. individual, welcome board, i think what i've gone through lately is a piece of cake compared mom's problems.

[Baseball_Mom]

Welcome Aboard Individual!  Tommy - Glad to hear that your surgery went well and that you are recovering nicely without pain meds or sitz baths.  I am still taking my fair share of both.  Probably because I had two procedures done.  I think the perineoplasty is what is giving me problems right now.  I feel like I'm splitting in half when I walk or sit, and when I lay down I have severe pains that shoot down my legs.  I've not had any other problems with BMs so I believe he's fixed that problem.  I go back to the doctor on Friday afternoon and I'll let you guys know what he says.  I don't really feel too bad and at least I can go out in public now and not worry about accidents.  That's a GREAT feeling.  If you guys have any other questions, please feel free to ask.  Take care and best of luck to you both.

[sherB]

I am to go in soon for rectal seal and 3 months later he wants to do a sphincteroplasty then after all that he might take care of the fissures and hemmroids. I was to go in this Monday for the colonoscopy but I got soooo sick with the fleet phospho soda and 4 dulcolax tabs. I was diarrhea and vomiting from 12 noon Sunday til noon on Monday. Is this normal? I couldn't even walk by the time it was time to go to the hospital for the test. I was so dehydrated I lost 8 pounds in that one day and my back and legs hurt and cramped so bad I thought I was going to go to the emergency room. Its taken 4 days just to get my strength back and rehydrate. Now I have to do it all again to get the colonoscopy done. Then they will reschedule the surgeries. Is there another way to examine the colon and intestines without having to go through that hell? Please help. I need the surgeries cause of the dr that butchered me with my first baby. This new dr said I ripped from front all the way through the anus and he never put me back together anatomically correct. So now for the last 15 years I have all kinds of problems.