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Obstructed bowel caused by adhesions

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Crohn's Disease
How soon should surgery be used to correct a partial bowel obstruction?
Immediately - 0.0% - 0 votes
1 month - 0.0% - 0 votes
2 months - 0.0% - 0 votes
3months - 0.0% - 0 votes
6 months - 0.0% - 0 votes
Only when completely blocked - 100.0% - 1 votes
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Posted 5/5/2014 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
My 31 yr old son has been in constant pain from a partial bowel obstruction due to adhesions caused by surgery he had 2011 for a complete obstructed bowel caused by adhesions from a partial Whipple procedure
( Frey procedure ) he had 2010 due to Chronic Pancreatitis he had since 2007.
Doctors won't do anything until it is completely blocked and keep sending him home telling him to just drink clear liquids. This has been going on for 6 months and is getting worse. They won't give him pain meds because they cause constipation.
He has gone from a happy,strong young man to a frail, weak depressed man with no hope to ever be without pain. We are helpless and he is giving up.
Does anyone have any information on where we can find him some relief ? He has done everything he has been told to do since 2007.
Enough is enough !
Posted 5/5/2014 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
dmdenio,

Welcome to HealingWell. From the limited information here I would encourage your son to seek out the opinion of another Dr. - perhaps and abdominal surgeon.


Abdominal adhesions that do not cause symptoms generally do not require treatment. Surgery is the only way to treat abdominal adhesions that cause pain, or intestinal obstruction. More surgery, however, carries the risk of additional abdominal adhesions. He should continue to advocate for himself  speaking with other health care providers about the best way to treat his abdominal adhesions.

Complete intestinal obstructions usually require immediate surgery to clear the blockage. Most partial intestinal obstructions can be managed without surgery.

Not giving him anything for pain seems most unusual.

Please remember I am not a physician so my comments are strictly my own and should not take the place of a medical professional.

Thinking of you and hope your son finds a Dr. that will have a new slant on what is going on.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 5/5/2014 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
I feel for your son, as it seems like he's in a bit of a nightmare situation here. He probably does need surgery to resolve his current obstructions, but more abdominal surgery will create new adhesions. I think he needs a new team of more expert doctors, even if he has to travel to see them. There are surgical techniques which can reduce the formation of adhesions, but I know very little about it: this is something your son would need to discuss with a knowledgeable surgeon.

I really hope something can be done.
Posted 5/5/2014 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
Did they try IV steroids in the hospital? Steroids are good for short term and work the best when given through an iv in the hospital. That's what helped me when I had a partial bowle obstruction, I also received morphine for the pain. It passed in about 3 days. U should really talk to another doc , I don't get why they would want to wait to do anything till its really bad. I hope or son can find some relief soon, best wishes and prayers going your way
Posted 5/6/2014 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
I recommend a second or even third opinion.

He should be able to tell his GI that he can't live like this, that it's affected his quality of life. If the doctors you're referring to that "keep sending him home" are at the ER, that's pretty much the kind of experience I have with ERs. If it's not life-threatening, the ER will do a few things and send you home. But their advice should be for him to see his GI/surgeon because surgery is not decided upon only because it's life threatening but because it's quality of life. I mean, who gets a knee replacement because they'll die if they don't?

If it's his GI telling him this in an office setting, it's time to find someone else. It can be daunting, but I know I've done it on more than one occasion with more than one type of specialist.
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