Whether I have to have resection operation?

Hi Pearl!

I'm actually in kinda the same situation as you, only I'm headed off to have surgery in about 5 hours.  I had a resection about 6 yrs ago, and was in remission for that long, in April I started getting really sick again, and had a horrific flare up that put me in the hopital for a couple weeks.  I was put on prednisone 100mg a day, which kept everything under control, but when I started to taper down it all went down hill. We tried Humira, but I didnt notice any difference, my GI said it might be because of the scar tissue. So Im having 4-5 inches of active crohns being removed, plus some scar issue that is narrowing, my GI said would never go away unless removed (which kinda doesnt make sense to me, if you remove it...you'll get scar tissue again, no?) But, what do I know.  I fought with my GI for a good while because I did not want surgery again, but at this point I just want to get it done and over with so I can stop dealing with this stuff for a while at least.  I feel like I'm making the right decsion, besides the fact that I cannot be on Prednisone the rest of my life to keep me stable.  Hopefully this does the trick.  Really, its up to you...I'm just at my wits end, and just so tired of medication not working.  Do some research, and get some more advice from people here, hopefully that will help you. Goodluck with everything!!

Thanks MAG102886, I hope you all the best in your sergery!!!

Thanks randynoguts, I read your story, you are so brave! It is very hard to make decision for me. My terminal ileum is narrowing with scar tissue that won't be improved by medication and I cann't continue prednisone even I feel better after taking steriods for more than 1 month. If I continue medication and wait, then I will live with narrowing, finally need operation. If I go operation at the moment, then it can give me normal diet for some time and get rid of steroids, but surgery cann't cure the disease and with high percentage to get seconary operation in the future, also surgery can cause some risks and complications. I don't know what I should do.

I can't help you decide, but I can tell you my story. I had a similar situation. My terminal ileum was so diseased, and no meds were working for me, so after lots of worrying we decided that we had no other options and went for the surgery. They took the last 8 inches of small bowel, a little of the large, and the appendix. My doctor told me that if they did surgery they would take the appendix regardless of what else they were resecting. He said that there is a very real possibility that if I had appendicitis that I would probably pass it off as Crohn's pain and ignore it, which is a very bad thing. The resection was the right choice for me, I was pain free for a few years, and have not had any more problems in that area, I have new strictures in different places, but that has nothing to do with the surgery. I do have absorption issues, mainly protein.

Hi Pearl,

I am in the same boat. I have ahd 2 resections involving large and small. I now have a stricture at the terminal ileum also. I have been living with it for years. I eat mostly white foods, with almost no fruit and very few cooked to death veggies. Up until now, for the most part, if I was careful what I ate, I was okay. There were of course "normal" flares, but I have lived with it. The flares, when they come are merciless and usually involve hospitalization.

Okay. My stricture has narrowed to the point where it is skinnier than a very thin pen. I am at the surgery point and have a consult ocming up in Oct. I cannot tell you what to do, but seeing as you asked: My advice is to wait if you can. Surgery brings forth scar tissue, scar tissue causes sctrictures. My stricture is from scar tissue and deep inflammation. If you can live with this, I would suggest maybe you wait. Unltimately the choice is yours. You know how you feel & I do not.