Question about IC resection...worried

My 17 year old son is scheduled for a resection around the IC valve but I am worried because I am not sure it will solve his problems. Here is the recap.....diagnosed in 2010 with Crohn's and was put on Entocort, then Prednisone, then enteral feedings, then 6mp, then REmicade. Because he has been unable to gain any weight in the past three years (and has actually lost quite a bit from when he was initially diagnosed) and he weighs only 93 pounds they did another colonoscopy October 2012 that showed a stricture at the ICV, and no inflammation at biopsied sites. They did another colonoscopy last week to dilate the stricture but it was unsuccessful....at this time they found mild inflammation in some areas of the colon. They are recommending surgery (since last October)to remove the stricture. We took him to Boston for a second opinion and they also said surgery would help with his symptoms. Hi symptoms are inability to eat a large amount of food at one sitting (he feels full, or has to go to the bathroom), and he has many foods that "bother" him (dairy, fruits, starchy foods). HIs symptoms are not those of an obstruction. He has no pain, no nausea, no vomiting. He feels good on most days. We feel we need to do SOMETHING because he will be going to college in a year and it will be difficult to manage finding foods he can tolerate (he eats mainly at home now), and he looks so terribly thin that breaks me up sometimes.

Sorry for the long post, but my question is....has anyone had a resection without having had pain, nausea, overt obstruction as the main symptoms? I am not afraid of the surgery. I'm so afraid that after the surgery he will still have the same problems and even more, ie. if the surgery will address his symptoms.

If anyone has any opinion or experience I sure would appreciate it. Many thanks in advance.

Thank you Dingleerie. I'm sorry to hear that your son is having issues after his resection. How old is he? Why did he have to have an emergency surgery? Have you researched fecal transplants for the c-Diff? It's so hard to see these guys dealing with this when they should be out enjoying life and thinking about other tngs. I hope your son's meds can keep him well. Is there nothing they can do about the scar tissue?

My son is ready to do the surgery. I hope it is the right thing and that it will help him.
Thank you for sharing and for your kind thoughts. I wish you both the best.

Meanwhile, whilst considering what to do your son should be eating multiple small meals thru out the day. Easy to digest meals. Six meals a day of very small amounts vs the usual 3 heavier meals per day.

No raw fruits, no fruit skins, usually canned fruits are digestible. The same w/veggies, no raw, but rather well-cooked, soft veggies. No "gassy" veggies. Easily digested foods. Well cooked. Chewed THOROUGHLY. Eat SLOWLY. Eat only until comfortable, never to uncomfortably full. The weight loss scares us into trying to eat too much to get that weight back on. NOT the right thing to do.

A high grade partial obstruction (stricture) is most likely the culprit in foods taking so long to move thru leaving him feeling full after small amounts of food.

Just my guesses based on my own experiences thru the years. I've been living w/a high grade partial obstruction at my old resection site for 10 years now w/very little disease activity on occasion and for the most of that time w/no disease activity just the scar tissue at the old resection site.

I am NOT a good candidate for any type of surgery now due to severe COPD and prolonged anesthesia. I am on 02 24 hours a day.

AwMom,

My son is on a low residue diet he does eat small meals about 6 times a day and tries to drink two to three Boost. I would say that it was a couple of months before he started to introduce regular food. For him low residue seems to work the best he does not tolerate fiber very well, pizza can't have or any type of greasy food just ends up in pain. He does not drink any soda of tea or coffee, just milk and water and sometimes juice.

He had emergency surgery as he had a stricture which left him completely obstructed it was at this time he was diagnosed with crohn's. If the C-Diff does not clear this time I am going to ask his Doc about the Fecal transplant he wants to give it a shot.

My son like yours is 17 years old while he can't do lots of things that kids his age are out doing (which he probably shouldn't be doing at his age anyway) he is an just a wonderful kid who rarely complains considering what he goes through he has to be one of the happiest people that I know.