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Small bowel resection help

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 8/16/2016 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
New to this site so not sure where to start. I was recently hospitalised a few months ago with what turns out to be Crohns disease in the terminal ileum and a perforated bowel causing an infection. Luckily my perforation had sealed itself and with antibiotics has completely healed and Im infection free. In my recent appointment with my consultant he advised to have a small bowel resection of 5 inches, is this a lot? He stated that my Crohn's disease was only in this section of bowel and either side of the section are completely healthy, therefore I could have a good few years hopefully symptom free after surgery. My main concern is that he stated with bowel surgery you are at risk of needing a temporary stoma which has terrified me! Is this a regular thing or just something they have to tell you? Im so scared I spend all my time worrying, I really don't think I could cope with it. Also I hate hospitals so any tips to get me out quicker would be appreciated? The surgery would also be laparoscopic, does anyone know what the recovery is like and when i can go back to the gym? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks :)
Posted 8/16/2016 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum! I am relatively new here and have found it to be VERY helpful. My son (20) has Crohns and was dx approximately one year ago. He had a stricture that was laproscopically removed in March. He had 4 inches removed (TI and appendix). He did not have a stoma nor was it even talked about as an option? We were told that if there were complications he would have "regular" surgery which is harder recovery. He was in the hospital for four days and back to college six days after it. He was very sore but VERY determined. His surgeon did not let him return to the gym / gym classes etc until six weeks post op. He also had daily anti coagulant injections for one month. He found that doing a lot of hall walking in the hospital helped him cope and gave him a goal (first day 10 laps, second day 30 etc). Best of luck to you and hope all goes well!
Posted 8/17/2016 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for getting back to me, it's nice to have somewhere to go as I was feeling very alone when I was diagnosed. Your sons case sounds very similar to mine and was very reassuring. They haven't mentioned a stoma this time but when I originally had a perforation and infection if I needed emergency surgery it was a risk, now my mind is just doing over time! Do you mind me asking how he is symptom wise now? He sounds like he's done really well. I do feel for him with the anticoagulants I have to say I don't enjoy the dalteparin injections!
Posted 8/17/2016 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
I would ask again at your next appointment the percentage chance you would have a temp ostomy. It was probably initially mentioned because when they do a resection for a perforation there is a higher risk of complication so to ensure the resection heals they will do a temp ostomy.

If your perforation is healed the chance probably went down. But I think there is always a small chance depending on the location and what the surgeon sees once in there

I have not had a small bowel resection but did have a temp ostomy for my colon resection. I adapted quite well to it. My colon was perforated and my surgeon told me flat out it was 50% chance I would need it and that he was a conservative surgeon so he was more likely to give me one than not.

After my first surgery I was taking a couple mile walk by 2 weeks and cleared for the gym at 6 weeks.

Post Edited (cupcakespinkgal) : 8/17/2016 2:52:31 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/17/2016 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
My son is doing quite well overall. He has thankfully gained weight (was 121 pounds at 6"1). He is on remicade, Imurun and probiotics. He is no longer anemic (for some reason his anemia came back after his surgery). His blood work looks great. He does have some abdominal pain and distension (very minor compared to what he went through this past year) but enough that he wanted an MRE done. The MRE was done last week and basically showed a "small amount of inflammation still in the terminal" which may be contributing to the occasional pain. His GI is not concerned. He will have a post operative colonoscopy in one month and see his GI in person. So all in all MUCH MUCH Better! I hope you are able to recover well and be on the mend soon!
Posted 8/17/2016 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
5 inches is a very small amount, and without the perforation, usually the resection of the terminal ileum is done laprascopically and you don't need a temporary stoma. But I do think you might ask if you can control the inflammation with medication before resorting to surgery. Usually they do surgery if the diseased area is primarily scar tissue, not just inflammation. I had 17 cm removed and I'm still in remission two years later, but every time you have surgery it sets you up to get scar tissue, etc. so ask for your alternatives.
Posted 8/18/2016 9:52 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on budesonide for the inflammation but it is a narrowing due to scar tissue they are removing, however the crohns is located in only that area and the rest is healthy. Thanks for the response :)
Posted 8/20/2016 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
The chances of a stoma are near zero since it's in the ileum not the large intestine. Also since they take out the strictured area and resect why would they ever need to do a stoma? The same thing happened to me I had two resections done at the same time and 24 inches of intestine taken out and an additional 4 inches of large intestine taken out where the small intestines meets the large intestines. My intestines perforated along a nine inch swath. I got poisoned nearly to death as I was in a coma due to biohazardous bacteria. That's how it all started for me. Since my resection I've been in remission knowing full well none of it wouldn't have happened if I didn't get nearly poisoned to death. Others died at the time and the Puritan Corporation incorporated as Home Foods Incorporated.
Posted 8/23/2016 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
Had 40 CM removed about 16" TI. went rather well just a week in the hospital. They wait for a system restart. Nothing major. recovery was not bad. heavy lifting at 4 to 6 weeks. no regrets.
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