Can Surgery be a treatment option?
Greetings gentle people. I have been referred to your site from the IBS site of which I am a member. My gastroenterologist told me that surgery is not an option for what I have to go through. My thinking is that the debilitating cramps would go away if the colon was removed or even shortened. I have a redundant colon in my case so flareups are X2 it feels on some days. My gastroenterologist said that my colon is more like 10 to 12 feet instead of the 6 feet most people have. Making matters worse is having very little appetite so I have a small frame in which all of that has to fit. I have been taking antispasmodics and a mild sedative daily as well as watching what I eat. I'm just treating the symptoms and not the cause of them.
So do you have IBD? I have Crohn's disease and was told many times that surgery wasn't an option until we tried as many medications as possible first and I understand that. Especially the younger you are, they prefer to avoid surgery for as long as possible. I have issues with my small intestines and once surgery is performed it will leave scar tissue which ultimately can result in having to have more surgery in the future. But you are dealing with large intestine so that is a little out of my wheel house. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion or even try the hospital and see what they think. That is how I ended up having my 2nd resection. I got tired of my GI not taking my pain seriously so I just went to the ER and a week later I was laying on the surgery table lol. Anyway I hope you find the answers you need and good luck. I am curious how things end up playing out for you. Cheers
I agree with Many doctors use surgery as a last option and want to try every other possible way to manage the disease first. In my case, I have had multiple resections over the years and while it helped after surgery, it eventually returned in the spot where the removed the disease intestine previously. I had most of my large and some small removed over the decades which eventually led to ostomy surgery in 2020. You may have relief from surgery but maybe not permanent.
Let us know how you get on.
Vern - IBD Team MemberI've heard great things with Rinvoq, hope it goes well for you! Thanks. I have tried others with no luck but I was in really bad shape when I started the others. They can't reverse damage already done.
Here is a picture of what was removed in my last surgery
Hi
. This may largely be information you are familiar with, but I want to share with you this article on redundant colon which looks at surgery as well as other treatment options: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/redundant-colon. Also, never hesitate to seek a second opinion, even if just to hear a different perspective on options. Hoping you can get some relief. Best, Richard (Team Member)
