problems following bowel resection

[droopydraws123]

Had a bowel resection sept 2011...the ileocal valve was removed and now have chronic loose stools/malabsortion and bacterial overgrowth.. Starting to have pain from the adhensions which have formed,especially in the right side ..Do the symptoms get any better? or is this as good as it gets!!!!.
If anyone has any helpful advice I would be grateful as it can be isolating and friends and family try to be understanding but at times you would like to chat with someone who is experiencing the same horrid symptoms.
Thank you

[Christopher R Watters, MD]

Losing your ileocecal valve sounds rather bizarre if the operation was for a lysis of adhesions if there was no Crohn's disease present. Generally, adhesions would not affect that area of the colon since the ascending colonis a retroperitoneal structure. The recommendations given previously would still hold though.

[droopydraws123]

I had previous surgeries and had troublesome adhensions..I was due to have the adhensions separated, however, i was left with the bowel resection.and very loose stools ever since.
Thank you for your reply

[Christopher R Watters, MD]

First question, why was it done?

Resection of this area can result in chronic loose stools. This is thought to be from bile salts making it to the colon rather than being re-absorbed appropriately. The fact that a portion of the terminal ileum is also resected is important as this piece of small intestine is crucial for the absorption of bile salts. Bile salt binders such as cholestyramine are usually very effective for treating this. By taking hese edications, the residual bile salts stick to the resin rather than irritating the colon.