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Has bowel prep gone by wayside for colon surgeries?

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Posted 4/10/2013 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
My surgeon's secretary told me that although I will learn any details the day before during my last pre-op consult, that oral bowel prep is rarely bothered with anymore. (just no food or drink after i believe midnight before lr smething like that). Did many of you have to do bowel prep?
Posted 4/10/2013 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
I was wondering the same thing. I am having my permanent ileostomy done on June 17th. I have been reading a mix of people having to do it and not having to do it. I did read one post that said you had to do it because if any stool leaked into your system it could be deathly.
Posted 4/10/2013 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
Cleveland had me do a bowel prep and take some major antibiotics before my surgery (Aug 2012). However you are definitely not the first person I've heard of with no prep regime.
Posted 4/10/2013 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
I've never had to do a bowel prep. Just no food/drink after midnight.
Posted 4/10/2013 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Sara,

If you don't mind me asking, where did you have your surgery done? Did you have to go into the hospital the night before surgery?
Posted 4/10/2013 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
I had a bowel prep but it's definitely the kind of thing that can go either way. My surgeon told me I would have to prep, then the resident said no prep, then the final answer was prep. Not a pleasant experience but I agree it may make the surgery a smidgen safer (assuming you are well enough to tolerate the prep).
Posted 4/10/2013 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
No bowel prep for mine either. Surgery done in February 2011 at the RUH, Bath, UK. I had been in the hospital for about two weeks already before the surgery, IV Hydrocortisone wasn't getting me in to remission, Remicade was a no go after chest x-rays, so surgery it was.
Posted 4/10/2013 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
I did not have to do a bowel prep before my surgery, and that was the BEST news to hear from my surgeon!! She said that if you are flaring your are prepped all the time, and I was so unhealthy it could've been bad news anyway. I got the impression that she rarely or never has someone prep before surgery. I didn't have to do anything special, just no food after midnight and no water after 5 AM (since my surgery was early afternoon the next day).
Posted 4/10/2013 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
I had no bowel prep. Just nothing to eat or drink after 10 pm the night before my surgery.
Posted 4/10/2013 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Kim- I had my surgery done at the Cleveland Clinic. I did not have to be admitted to the hospital the night before. I never questioned why there is no prep. I was just happy to hear I never had to do a bowel prep ever again.
Posted 4/10/2013 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
I can think of two reasons why bostwis1 and I might have had different experiences. Potentially a different surgeon and I wasn't really having diarrhea the week before I had my surgery. My flare was finally under control with lots of pred and Remicade. It only took two months for the pred to kick in!
Posted 4/10/2013 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
No bowel prep for either of my first two surgeries.

None required for my third either. As a matter of fact, I can have clear fluids up until 3 hours before my surgery - it's even encouraged.
Posted 4/10/2013 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
I had clear liquids for two days and then two enemas, but no prep. Enemas were not fun, but it was awfully nice knowing they were the last ones ever.
Posted 4/10/2013 11:49 PM (GMT 0)
I had three ghastly enemas and two carbohydrate drinks - not sure what the latter were for, really. No oral prep.
Posted 4/10/2013 11:49 PM (GMT 0)
I am trying to remember and I really think I have blocked a lot of things from that time period out!  I know I did not eat for 48 hours prior to surgery and was in the hospital for that time period.  I believe they wanted me to do a bowel prep but I refused because I was extremely nauseated and knew I would never keep it down.  They had me taking antibiotics on an empty stomach and gave me two fresh water suspension enemas which were not pleasant.  Still, anything beat a bowel prep at that point in time.  I did ask them if my life would be in jeopardy if I opted out of the bowel prep and I was told I would be okay.  Here I am to tell the story, so I guess nothing bad happened! 
Posted 4/11/2013 12:59 AM (GMT 0)
I did a bowel prep. The whole time I kept thinking this is the last time I will ever to do this. Not just the prep, but have a BM out of my butt:)
Posted 4/11/2013 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
The other thread next door at UC might explain why prep is starting to become rarer (who knows):

www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=2698890&p=1

I will sure not miss preps- well, the scope recoveries especially. With me doing them annually and getting dozens of biopsies, ditching those is huge, as each required around two weeks to recover from, mini-flare wise.

Post Edited (Probiotic) : 4/10/2013 7:51:39 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/11/2013 11:47 AM (GMT 0)
There's a fair amount of research on the subject. The prep causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Patients recover better without it.

 

Posted 4/11/2013 1:00 PM (GMT 0)
Since I was already cleaning myself out naturally by going 20+ times a day, prep seemed superfluous and I wasn't required to take it.
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