HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

surgery to remove anal stump

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted Yesterday 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
I've had an ileostomy for 10 years now but still have my anal stump. I am 39, in good health, and haven't had any problems with the stump. However, when I had my original surgery, I was told that I should eventually have the stump removed before I turn 40 in order to reduce the risk of cancer. So, I'm considering having the surgery now. So, two questions:

1. Is the surgery indeed a wise move?

2. If I do go ahead, what should I expect? (what's the recovery like, etc.)

Thanks,
Matt
Posted Yesterday 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
I had a subtotal colectomy with ileostomy in April and I have retained my anal stump as well. I am not sold on this whole "cancer risk" thing. My surgeon gave me two choices - the surgery I had, or a total proctocolectomy. The total proctocolectomy had significantly more risk of post-surgery sexual dysfunction, as well as a longer recovery time. I made my choice, and my surgeon agreed that it was the better course to go with the subtotal rather than the total. My wife's uncle, who is a colon-rectal surgeon, went nuts at me that I was doing the wrong thing and that I shouldn't leave the stump due to the cancer risk. Is the risk of anal/rectal cancer higher now that I have no colon and nothing's passing through there? Well, no. Probably lower. Then what was he getting so upset about? I'm still not sure.

So, do research, get multiple opinions, and don't jump into more surgery without lots of knowledge, especially if you're not having any problems right now. Of course, continue to get anal/rectal cancer screenings as you did with colonoscopies before your surgery.
Posted Today 1:57 AM (GMT 0)
I've had my ileostomy for 5 months. On November 5th I went in and had my remaining colon/rectum/anus removed.
I was having major Ulcerative Colitis symptoms in my remaining parts.

There IS a risk for cancer in your remaining stump. There are guidelines for getting rectal scopes for preventative measures. Even if I had chosen to keep my anus I would have needed anal scopes forever. No thank you.... lol.

One factor with Ulcerative Colitis increasing risk for Colon/Rectal/Anal Cancer is the length of time you've had the disease and severity of it. Since your stump has no caused you problems... I would imagine that your chances are lower than if it was causing issues and damage to your remaining bits.

Probably a personal decision... but keep up with your scopes if you do decide to keep the stump. :)

I am 4 weeks post Barbie Butt (APR surgery to have the rest taken out) and I promise you that its not a recovery to be taken lightly. It's long and exhausting.
May you some day need the rest taken out at some point? maybe, maybe not.
I am sure at a healthy young 39 you would be better equipped to handle the surgery now than at say - 50-60-70... but why do it if you don't need?

Sounds like a hard decision to me.
I didn't have to make the decision. I was having so much pain, mucus, and blood loss (amazing how much of a jerk UC can be in the body even when food isn't passing through the remaining parts!!) that I needed that crap out ASAP!

Good luck!! :)
Posted Today 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
If I may, I would like to put my two cents worth in here. I had a proctocolectomy (I think that is how it was written up)with end ileostomy in June of 2010. Before that, I suffered with ulcerative proctitis for twelve years. The ulcerations were confined to my rectum, never traveled into the colon, but when the rectum goes so does the colon. However, my surgeon left the anus. I wasn't aware of this until about a month post op when I started to feel pressure. I just thought it was a given that they always took out the anus...what the heck did I know? Long story short, I had developed a hematoma inside the anus. My surgeon drained it in the office and placed me on antibiotics. Had the anus been closed, this would really have been a problem.
OK...fast forward to present day. I felt fine for the past four years until this past August. I started with the pressure again. My surgeon retired last year and I wasn't thrilled with the young guy his office referred me to. I went to a local colorectal surgeon who told me 1)I have an anal fissure 2) the UC came back into the anus...ugh. I underwent biopsies on the 11th of Nov. I haven't heard back from the surgeon, but have an appointment with him on Wednesday for follow up. I ASSUME it isn't cancer because if it is, I would certainly have hoped he would have contacted me before this. If it is dysplasia, the anus goes...if not, he suggests I have yearly anuscopes. I am being treated with Canasa suppositories on alternate nights with Cort suppositories. I no longer have pressure, so, hopefully things are ok. This new surgeon told me I should have been getting yearly anuscopes, or at the least every two years. The surgeon who operated on me was head of colorectal surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philly and trained at the Cleveland Clinic. His explanation for not removing the anus initially was that 1) I was far too ill at the time of my operation and too high a risk for such a long procedure and 2) he felt there are more complications following the operation with removal of the anus.
I'll know more after this Wednesday and give you an update.
Posted 12/5/2014 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
My situation was sort of similar to Christine's. When I had surgery for proctocolectomy with end ileostomy, my surgeon feared that I was much too sick, weak, malnourished, etc...to handle the healing involved with removing all of the anus and sewing up my backside. So, I was left with a small anal stump and the understanding that it MIGHT need to be removed in the future.

Well...I finally went back to see my surgeon the other day. Ever since my surgery, I have had ongoing and increasing issues with mucus discharge from my backside. It happens every time I sit on the toilet, at night while I'm sleeping and very often when I'm just doing whatever...coming out with no warning at all. Sometimes there is some blood, discomfort, urgency, pressure, etc... It's nothing debilitating, but quite annoying, gross and uncomfortable to be dealing with. Surgeon said I should probably just get the surgery finished. Remove the remaining anal stump, some sphincter muscle, strip the mucus membrane and sew it all shut. She says it would only be a one night hospital stay, and maybe 2 weeks out of work. The biggest possible complications she mentioned is the wound opening back up and having to be packed, general trouble healing and pressure that remains after healing. I know getting this surgery is probably a good idea, but I really don't want to!
Posted 12/6/2014 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
UC What...good news. I do NOT have to have my anus removed. I went for my follow up visit on Wednesday. The biopsy results were negative for any malignancy or dysplasia!!! Yaaa. He cauterized the anal fissure. For the time being I am to continue with the Canasa and Cort suppositories on alternate nights and a cream for the fissure. I return to him on the 28th of January. I have no more pressure inside the anus, so guess the suppositories are doing the trick. He still has no explanation as to why I have some spotting from time to time from the vagina or that when I insert the suppositories, a bit of the residual comes out the vagina rolleyes I, too, have mucus, but it comes out my vagina! I just wear panty liners. The doctor thinks the UC is the result of my taking Ibuprofen for my back pain, so I now take Tramadol when it really bothers me. He suggested I have yearly anuscopes to be on the safe side, but no surgery!!! Yeah!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply