colon resection

[Sue357]

Hi.  I am almost 5 weeks post op from a laproscopic colon resection, due to multiple diverticulitis attacks ( 6 to be exact ) in the last 5 months. My surgeon was able to successfully remove 7 inches of sigmoid colon and re-attach so I was spared the colostomy. After the procedure, the surgeon told me that the part of the colon that he removed was very very small!  He said he had a difficult time and had to use a 25 guage (?) connector due to the narrowness of my large colon.  He also said that the diseased part was only 20 gauge and he could barely get his finger inside.  Two questions:  How long is it normal to have pain from this procedure?  My pain level is down but still in pain, especially later in day, after work.  ( I am a teacher ).  The second question is what would cause my colon to be so small in the first place?  Thanks so much.

[Sue357]

Hi.  Mine was elective, as well.  I had been hospitalized last Christmas Eve, for 5 days, for another attack.  They monitored me and determined it wasn't going to rupture.  That's when I made the decison to have the surgery.  They sent me home with a PICC line and I infused Levaquin and Flagyl daily .  1 X for Lev. and 3 X for the Flagyl.  Then, on Jan. 24 I went in for the surgery.  The PICC wasn't so bad as I was able to be mobile.  The home health nurse and company would send out these Balls, containing meds and I would stick one in a Fanny Pack and connect when it was time.  They empty on their own.  It was nice because I am a teacher and I would wear long sleeves and you couldn't tell.  Anyway, I was one of the lucky ones who did not develop a hernia.  My uncle has one so I know what you're talking about.  His is pretty big.  As for the scar tissue...I recently had a CT to check why I am still having  some residual pain.  Everything came up normal and the surgeon just feels that I am one of those people who can take up to 2 years to "forget you had the surgery".  However, CTs can't pick up adhesions/scar tissue so I am going to have a colonoscopy in a few months.  I wish you luck and hope you don't have to have the surgery but he did tell me that that is the only way to check for it unless colonoscopy can see it.  Take care.

[LousyGuts]

IBD is short for (inflammatory bowel disease) which is either the same or closely related to colitis.  there are so many bowel diseases that are so closely related to each other that even the GI specialists have a hard time diagnosing them all.  anyway i had 13 inches of my sigmoid colon removed so there isn't much left.  whether it helped or not who can say because we can't turn the clock back and undo the surgery to figure out how we would feel today if we wouldn't have had it done but it would be interesting to know if it really helped or not.  my surgeon called my resection an (elective surgery) which means the diverticulitis was not life threatening at the time but he still convinced me to have it done nonetheless stressing that it (might) rupture my colon at any time.  my bowels were never normal from the day i was born so maybe i'm lucky i'm even still alive no telling.  your right about the intestines or colon being an organ that hates to be messed with.  if they are messed with they will surely let you know about it that i can testify to.  anyhow my surgeon would like to remove all my bad scar tissue since it never goes away and always keeps getting worse but he wants to do it the hard way (not laparoscopically) so that he can find more easily anything that is wrong and attempt to repair it but i've been holding off on that idea for a long time now because i don't want to go thru another invasive surgery that could possibly go wrong and end up with another incisional hernia as well which always seems to happen after you are cut open down the middle.  the last one i had taken care of was the size of a baseball and was almost right in the middle of my belly button which was a gross thing to look at so i was sure grateful that he was able to fix it properly but even that hernia required another invasive cut right down the middle.  i know look like i have twin zippers running from my groin up past my belly button.  maybe they should invent a real zipper so people don't have to keep getting cut open anymore lol.

[Sue357]

Hi.  Just read your post.  Wow, you have had 5 surgeries...I have only had the one...scroll up and see my first post.  I still take a little pain meds, at nite, to help me sleep and with the pain.  I thought I was the only one.  My surgery was 7 months ago. I know what you mean about wondering whether it was worth it or not.  However, in my case, not only did I have multiple episodes of diverticulits, that were not responding to the antibiotics, I found out, after the surgery that all of the scar tissue in there was causing my sigmoid colon to stricture, so they removed 7 inches.  Some else on this site, who has had the same surgery and is a nurse, told me that at the point that I am, time wise, the nerves are just starting to regenerate so I think that explains the pain, itching and burning that I feel.  Apparently the colon is an organ that hates to be messed with.  Thanks for sharing.  By the way, I was also diagnosed, years ago, with IBS, but not sure what IBD is.  Take care.

[LousyGuts]

i see a few differrent people responsing and sharing that i might as well address this to everyone.  i'm 57 now and have had diverticular disease all my life but it wasn't until 1995 that it turned into very painful diverticulitis so my surgeon asked me if i wanted it removed and i agreed not knowing if it would help or not help.  in any event i was in the hospital for 8 days after he removed most of my sigmoid colon (the hard way).  it was a typical resection but in all honesty i have never felt so much pain in my life as when i woke up after the surgery.  i took all the morphine they would give me for 8 days straight just to keep a straight face.  after returning home i went on oxycodone for about a month straight and then tried hitting golf balls at the driving range which was very painful even with the oxycodone.  i finally realized that a lot of excercise helped me more than anything else but i still continue to take oxycodone on and off even today 13 yrs later but during that time after the first surgery i had to have my gallbladder removed as well as 3 differrent type hernias repaired too so with all those surgerys in 13 yrs time it's no wonder i'm still needing oxycodone.  all 5 surgerys were very painful due to all the scar tissue involved and sometimes i ask myself i wonder how i would feel now if i had never had any surgerys done.  with each and every surgery the surgeons explained to me that they don't always cure the pain but in my case i really had no choice unless i wanted to walk around with diverticulitis and gallstones and 3 hernias sticking out for the rest of my life.  i guess my comments will scare some people but not others but after having 5 surgerys i'm not afraid to have another one anymore if that consoles anybody.  once you have had one you know what to expect more or less.  i get along fairly fine nowadays but still use oxycodone when i need it since i don't beleive in walking around in pain when it's not necessary.  anyone else using opioid pain killers should also take generic colace to soften up your stool.  i find it helps both the pain and the constipation associated with oxycodone use so i consider that a must also unless your not taking opioid pain killers.  most importantly stick with a decent diet and get daily excercise (golf is my method) and i don't use a cart i walk the course.  even if it's painful the excercise tends to help the pain.  i mostly use the oxycodone so i can relax and get some good sleep without pain waking me up all the time so i don't feel i am abusing it.  i hope this has helped some of you.  diverticular disease never goes away so you have to learn how to deal with it somehow.  i also have been diagnosed with IBD and IBS as well and i also have diabetes and extreme anxiety and stress to deal with on top of it all but i do manage nonetheless.  good luck to everyone still suffering.  email me if you wish.  it's easier than using the forum for me.  cheers!  

[DALEYOOO1]

GEEZ AFTER READING THE COMMENTS IN THE GASTROENTEROLOGY COMMUNITY I'M FEELING VERY FORTUNATE WITH THE EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD!  I'VE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PAIN, MY BOWELS ARE RATHER FREQUENT BUT NORMAL AND YES I TAKE A METAMUCIL TABLET EVERY DAY AND ONCE IN AWHILE A STOOL SOFTENER.  OTHER THAN THAT I'M BACK IN THE GYM FULL FORCE AND ONLY ON OCCASION DO I FEEL A PULL IN THAT AREA THAT THE DOC SAID I JUST NEED TO STRTCH A LITTLE MORE.  I'M HAVING A TIME FINDING "THIS" SPOT WHERE I'VE POSTED NOTES AND YOU'VE RESPONDED.  JUST NOT TOO GREAT AT NAVIGATING THROUGH HERE AND IT'S WHY YOU MAY NOT HEAR FROM ME TOO OFTEN!  TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!  DALE

[Sue357]

Hi.  Boy, you are lucky....lol.  I am over 6 months and still having some pain. Doc is gonna do a CT just to check but I know he is only doing for my peace of mind, which is fine.  Do you take fiber?  I just got back from a vacation and made the mistake of switching from Citrucell to Metamucill.  I ended up irritating ( I think) my colon as I found out that Metamucill has Psyllium Husks in it and Citrucell doesn't.  Anyway, I switched back and am trying to get back to "normal".  Has anyone else experienced probs with different types of fiber?  Take care and glad you are doing better.