IRA- total colectomy

[k32]

I have had a mid-rectal perforation with subsequent ileostomy 4 months ago.  Waiting for abcess to heal.  Colorectal surgeon states I must have slow-bowel transit and I will need removal of my entire large intestine.  Please let me know if that seems appropriate and what if any complications I could encounter and at what odds could they happen.
Surgeon states she would not be able to reverse ileostomy with probable slow-transit bowel due to possible constipation and then leakage and complication.  So that is why large intestine needs removal.
Nervous and need to understand my options/ future

[Morecambe]

-the operation takes about 4 hours
- the surgeon's incision is about 10 inches long from the bottom of the sternum to the pubic area
- after the operation you will feel groggy for ~12 hours
- pain is well controlled via epidural procedures
- you are given many drugs including antibiotics in case of any escape of intestinal liquids into the abdomen
- you will have several I.V. lines in your arm/hand to administer drugs and then nutrients
- on the first day after the operation you will probably be encouraged by a heartless physiotherapist to get out of bed and walk around.  This is to avoid blood clots and I suppose the physios are only doing their job!!
- if all goes well you should be able to leave hospital after ~ one week.  However, I suffered from an ileus (which is a slow restart of the intestines following their manipulation by the surgeon during the operation) and this extended my hospital stay to 12 days
- you should discuss with the surgeon if you are likely to require a pouch or similar stoma type attachment and the implications/time before it can be removed (if at all).  I was told that there was only a 2% chance it would be required and I was lucky.
- it will take you 6-8 weeks to recover in full
- after the operation you will find you may need to visit the toilet to pass motions (which will be much more "sludgy/muddy" 6-8 times during the day and 2-3 times during the night.  But these figures will reduce to (in my case) 4-5x during the day and once during the night.

This is a big operation but, in my case, it was essential and I feel back to normal now.

Good luck
Morecambe

[k32]

I would like to hear about your hospital experience, recovery and the aftermath alos.  Thanks I find these comments helpful.

[Morecambe]

If you type in my nickname Morecambe into the search box, you will find several postings that I have lodged on the Medhelp site over recent years including a decsription of my own experiences after undergoing a total colectomy four years ago for torrential diverticular bleeding.  There is quite a lot to read from my various postings and I would be glad to answer any of your questions if you are still confused.

As a starting point, try and log on to the correspondence I had with patient mifegr on the "ask a doctor" part of the G.I. forum back on ~ 11 August 2007.

I can describe to you:-

- the lead up to my IRA
- my experience in hospital
- recovery
- aftermath

This is a major operation but I can recommend it based on my own experiences of achieving "total recovery" versus living with a dangerous latent problem.

Good luck
Morecambe