I had surgery about
three months ago and my surgeon advised that the best position to be in before surgery was to not be on steroids, immunosuppressants or biologics. The rationale was these medications will slow down the healing process and in doing so could present complications. It's important to note that if you are on steroids before surgery you will need to continue on steroids for a period of time after surgery until a taper is complete. The main issue here (apart from ongoing side effects of steroids during the post-operative period) is poor wound healing. Immunosuppressants and biologics also increase the risk of infection.
I elected to have surgery after mesalamine failed to work and I was not prepared to face the side effects and uncertainties of life on drugs. I needed to get some stability in life and stop spending everyday worrying about
my bowel.
When I first consulted with my surgeon, he was a bit surprised I was electing to have surgery before trying all the medication options. The more common approach is to exhaust all the medication options before seeking surgery. Surgery is seen as a last resort.
However, for me, I don't see UC as an apprenticeship whereby you need to graduate from all the medications to qualify for surgery. For me, the daily worry about
UC was overwhelming, my quality of life was zero, and I was not willing to risk the side effects of a lifetime of drugs when the underlying disease is not being cured. Surgery was a way to regain control - bearing in mind the risks of surgery and life with a stoma or pouch.
Importantly, everyone needs to choose their own path. The approach I choose has worked for me - I am now drug free, I am healthy again and starting to enjoy life without worrying about
BMs. For me, this has been an improvement in my quality of life and quite a few of the forum users here who had surgery often say they wish they had it sooner.
There is no harm consulting with a surgeon, even if you think surgery might not be an option for some time. Get the information about
risks and benefits so you can make a fully informed decision about
what you want to do. Gastroenterologist are trained to treat disease with drugs, so they can sometimes be reluctant to see surgery as a viable option. The GI I was seeing actually told me no surgeon would operate on me until I had exhausted every drug option ...... he was wrong but he tried his best to keep me as a return customer!
So, ultimately it is up to you if and when you have surgery. At the end of the day, only you can decide what will give you the best quality of life and long-term health benefits.
Post Edited (GC4249) : 9/20/2016 9:23:20 PM (GMT-6)