What should I do?
Go ahead with resection of colon - 50.0% - 2 votes
Find another opinion from a 2nd Surgeon - 25.0% - 1 votes
Continue with antibiotics to see if Abscess heals - 25.0% - 1 votes
Try to convince Surgeon to just drain Abscess - 0.0% - 0 votes
Go for broke and leave hopspital after raiding pharmacy for opiates - 0.0% - 0 votes
Live free or die hard - 0.0% - 0 votes
cadcmcr
New Member
Joined : Nov 2012
Posts : 1
Posted 11/2/2012 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
I'm currently lying in hospital bed and I was just told by the surgeon that after examining x-rays, blood tests, and CT scans, he recommends removing about a foot of my upper colon which is apparently badly scarred due to years of inflammation. I don't understand this. I was diagnosed 6 years ago when I was 20 and have been up and down but I always seem to get the inflammation under control eventually with prednisone. I'm currently on Humira and up until about a week ago it was working fine. Apparently whats causing most of the grief in my bowels right now is an abscess in the part of the colon that the surgeon says is badly scarred.
I just don't understand. I felt fine 6 weeks ago, better than I've ever felt. I thought the Humira was working. Now just because of an abscess the surgeon needs to take out over a foot of colon??? Why can't he just drain the abscess? Apparently it would be hard to get at? With all the modern medical technology and the hospital can't find a surgeon who can drain an abscess?? If you can find it on a CT scan can they not drain it with the help of CT imaging or something?
I'm just so confused. None of my doctors were even talking about surgery and now all of a sudden I get one abscess and they act like if I don't have it removed I'll die or I'll never achieve remission or something?
Is this true? should I trust the surgeon when he says a foot of my colon needs to go? Won't the Crohn's just re-emerge in that new area of colon?
Anyone who knows anything about colonic abscesses in Crohn's and why they can't simply be drained etc. Or if anyone can explain why damaged colon from Crohn's can't simply heal over time? I would appreciate it because these are the things the surgeon is telling me and I am freaked out.
Thanks for your help
Ides
Forum Moderator
Joined : Nov 2003
Posts : 7204
Posted 11/2/2012 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Has your GI been notified that you are in the hospital? Has he reviewed the CT scan and labs? I personally would want my GI to give his opinion and make a recommendation. If he thinks you need to see a surgeon, ask whom he recommends. I also would ask his opinion of this surgeon.
You have so many questions that are really ones the surgeon should answer. Not knowing where the abscess is located and it's depth, I doubt anyone can answer about draining it.
Are you being pushed to go ahead with the surgery right now? That also factors into the problem. If this is urgent, then you need to get answers ASAP.
I have not had to have intestinal surgery so I can't help with that aspect. If I were you, I'd be on the phone to my GI doc because I trust his opinion and recommendations. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do. BTW, welcome to Healing Well.
CrohnieToo
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 9448
Posted 11/3/2012 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
Its next to impossible to get an honest second opinion from an "independent" colorectal surgeon whilst you are hospitalized under the care of a colorectal surgeon.
Will your current GI discuss your options w/you, maybe even go over your films, point out the abscess, etc.?
How long have you been on the Humira? Can you be safely treated and released so that you can get another opinion? Keep in mind it can sometimes take 2-3 months to get an initial office call w/these specialists.
Posted 11/8/2012 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
I had a bowel resection in Feb 2011, I had about
26cm of bowel removed due to the fact that I had a abscess the size of a golf ball caused by diverticular disease, but I also have crohns. I was told it is too dangerous to try to drain the abscess because of where it is, there is also the concern that it will burst. My abscess caused me a lot of pain and leaked toxins into my body which made me feel very unwell.
For me the resection was the best move I ever made and I have never once regretted it
Posted 11/8/2012 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
Its been years but my dad had 3-5 feet removed. He managed pretty good, Multiple bone cancers did him in. Sepsis.
check out this may be informative :http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1952823-overview