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Intestines Still Asleep After Ileostomy Surgery

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Posted 7/9/2015 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all, I hope this forum is still active! If so, thanks for reading.

My mother-in-law had ileostomy surgery last Tuesday. It's been nine days since the surgery and she's still in the hospital. She's been unable to keep down any food; the doctor says this is because her intestines are not yet "awake" and functional. And yet there is the characteristic dark green liquid flowing from her intestines into that plastic bottle at her side. So doesn't that count as intestinal activity? What other indications are we looking for here?

Thanks in advance for your response!
Posted 7/9/2015 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like she has an Ileus, I've had them twice after surgery. The green liquid is stomach bile, it can't get down into the intestines, so it has to come back the other way, and no, it most definitely does not indicate intestinal activity, quite the opposite.
Posted 7/10/2015 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
This is a normal complication, the green is bile, also normal. She needs to get out of bed and walk as much as possible. Walking will help to induce perastalisis which will lead to her gut waking up.

Sue
Posted 7/10/2015 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
I had the same problem a few days after surgery. I was told I could eat by one of the resident surgeons who just wanted to clear out her case load for the 4th of July holiday (back in 2010). Well, I ate alright and chucked it all up and then some..so down went the ng tube for the next three days or so. Brought up tons of bile...made me feel a lot better though. Sue is right....your mother in law should be walking...not overdoing it..but a little each day at her own pace. My surgeon had me out walking the corridor the day after surgery..with all my bags and tubes hanging down..lol. It takes time, but she will improve. May I ask how old she is? I was almost 64 at time of surgery...sick as a dog...now going to be 69 next month and feel sooo much better!
Posted 7/10/2015 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi.

I had colostomy surgery (I know, somewhat different) in January and had a 12 day hospital stay due to my intestines not "waking up". I developed an ileus and ended up w/ an NG tube (goes up your nose and down your throat to drain bile) which was not very pleasant, but boy did I feel better afterward. I was not allowed ANYTHING by mouth until my intestines were working.

While sue bear's suggestion of walking is very important, and essential after surgery, sometimes it's just not enough to get things going again. Also, any narcotic pain meds will add to the intestines not working well.

I would keep on the doctor, questioning what needs to be done, what is happening. If they say 9 days is normal for intestines to wake up, I think I would question that. Seems like a long time. I know it varies between people, but the bile certainly indicates things are not moving in the right direction. So keep bugging the doc (calmly, not accusing him of anything, but being firm about your concerns and questions).

Best wishes for your mother-in-laws recovery, and stop back and post again to let us know how things are progressing.
Posted 7/10/2015 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
This is quite common after any abdominal surgery although 9 days is a long time. She definitely needs to be walking as much as possible to stimulate things to get moving. Hopefully things turn around for her very soon.
Posted 7/11/2015 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
I'm on day 12 with the same thing. This happened after my last surgery, too. Mine is getting better, though not as quickly as I'd like. If she can't walk, I found that even just changing positions in bed--arching my back then scrunching up, bending over from the waist--also helped get things moving.

I had the NG tube last time and it was awful. I begged them not to give it to me this time--luckily I wasn't vomiting, so they let me wait it out. I hope we will both be going home soon!
Posted 7/11/2015 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
I had ileus too. Producing bile isn't the same as passing stool. Is she passing gas? I had x rays to confirm the ileus, I also had an NG to get rid of the bile, which helped more than any painkiller. Chewing gum helps as it stimulates the digestive system without burdening it with food and shortens the duration of ileus. Opiate medications may make it worse if she's on any. I was told ileus usually resolves on its own, it's just a matter of managing the pain and nausea until it does. Mine took about ten days.

I know people are saying walking helps, but check with the doctors first. I've had surgeries where I had to be on bed rest afterwards, and then needed physiotherapists to help when I started walking.

Post Edited (AnnaIvy) : 7/11/2015 1:27:33 PM (GMT-6)

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