questions before surgery

Denise1966
Denise1966 Member Posts: 90
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone,
I have a few questions that I hope you can help me answer. I finished chemo/rad on 5/9/08 then met with my surgeon to discuss surgery...well here come my questions:
1. How long after radiation did you have surgery?
2. How high up was your tumor?
3. Did you have an ileostomy? For how long?
4. Did you have laparascopic surgery?
5. How much of margin does the surgeon need?

Thanks for all your time and help. I feel like I'm full of questions and want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

Denise

Comments

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #2
    Hello! First of all, let me qualify that I had rectal cancer, not colon cancer...

    1. 3 months later...my surgeon wanted the area to heal so he could get 2 good ends to suture back together.
    2. First rectal fold. It was palpable from a rectal exam.
    3. Nope. After 7 hours of surgery, I was 'using' my new plumbing that night. This was 3 years ago, tho, and my rather cowboy surgeon now does less of this, and more of a 6 week temp ostomy to let the area heal better.
    4. No, 12" up and down. I understand that now he does do it thru a laprascope.
    5. I don't know...he removed all of the rectum, and the sigmoid colon, and gave me a new pouch (internal all the way) fashioned from my descending colon. So, my transverse colon is now a diagonal colon...lol

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Denise1966
    Denise1966 Member Posts: 90
    #3
    KathiM said:

    Hello! First of all, let me qualify that I had rectal cancer, not colon cancer...

    1. 3 months later...my surgeon wanted the area to heal so he could get 2 good ends to suture back together.
    2. First rectal fold. It was palpable from a rectal exam.
    3. Nope. After 7 hours of surgery, I was 'using' my new plumbing that night. This was 3 years ago, tho, and my rather cowboy surgeon now does less of this, and more of a 6 week temp ostomy to let the area heal better.
    4. No, 12" up and down. I understand that now he does do it thru a laprascope.
    5. I don't know...he removed all of the rectum, and the sigmoid colon, and gave me a new pouch (internal all the way) fashioned from my descending colon. So, my transverse colon is now a diagonal colon...lol

    Hugs, Kathi

    I also have rectal cancer that is 10 cm up. My surgeon however wants to do surgery 4 weeks after radiation (my radiologist agrees), which from what I'm seeing is early am I right?
  • 4law
    4law Member Posts: 110
    #4
    1. I think I waited about 4-6 weeks -- I guess it depends on how well you're healing from the chemo/radiation.
    2. Not too high -- it was low -- not sure exactly.
    3. Yes. At first I was supposed to have it throughout my post-op chemo (32 weeks after a healing period following surgery) but I suffered low potasium because I was losing nutrition and became very, very sick and weak so it was reversed after about 10 weeks.
    4. No
    5. Don't know
    Of course you're doing the right thing. I followed your routine and my surgery was in Jan. 2005. As far as I'm concerned, cancer is gone -- I'm cured -- and I just have to deal with life without a rectum (I go often). It sure beats the alternatives. I feel you're on the right track. There's plenty of good advice on this Board. Good Luck.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    Denise1966 said:

    I also have rectal cancer that is 10 cm up. My surgeon however wants to do surgery 4 weeks after radiation (my radiologist agrees), which from what I'm seeing is early am I right?

    The best thing to do is ask him why the timetable. If you speak to a rad/oncologist, he would say the 'protection umbrella' is 4-6 weeks after radiation is over....my surgeon, who was the head of oncological surgery at UCI at the time (may still be, I don't know...) chose to wait a bit longer...if you trust these guys, that is what matters..I did, mine...

    Hugs, kathi
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    KathiM said:

    The best thing to do is ask him why the timetable. If you speak to a rad/oncologist, he would say the 'protection umbrella' is 4-6 weeks after radiation is over....my surgeon, who was the head of oncological surgery at UCI at the time (may still be, I don't know...) chose to wait a bit longer...if you trust these guys, that is what matters..I did, mine...

    Hugs, kathi

    I agree with 4law....of course you are doing the right thing...and you tolerated chemo/rads...you are in the home stretch!!!!!

    Will they do a full rectum removal? A J Pouch proceedure (that is what I had...my 'new' rectum)?

    I told my surgeon, in pre-op, that I thought he was handsome...he replied "Your timing is perfect!"

    Hugs again, Kathi
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    #7
    I didn't have rectal cancer, mine was about 4 or 5 inches above. They did remove 20 inches of my colon, but so far so good. I also had radiation last, so my input is not very important to you, but I do wish you the best. I know there are many people on the boards with rectal cancer who could give you their input. All my good wishes.

    Pam
  • KierstenRx
    KierstenRx Member Posts: 249
    #8
    Hi Denise,
    Here is my experience. Had surgery 2/2007 for stage III rectal cancer.

    1) I had surgery almost 8 weeks after finishing radiation. Surgeon wanted to do it 6-8 weeks to give me plenty of time to heal.

    2) My tumor was about 4 inches up. It was extremely low lying and the surgeon prepared from the get go that hooking me back up might not be an option. He said having a successful cancer surgery was his top priority and I absolutely agreed.

    3) I am one of the lucky small percent of people that ended up with a permanent colostomy. Does it bother me???? NO WAY......I have been NED since last September. Does it affect my life??? Nope, do everything and then some that I did before.

    4) Had the bigtime resection surgery with a hysterctomy thrown in.

    5) I'm not sure exactly how much margin my surgeon took, but he took plenty to make sure he got totally clear margins. Didn't want any of those evil cancer cells hiding out.

    Please feel free to ask any questions. We have all been there. It is good to prepare for what to expect.

    Kiersten
  • Moesimo
    Moesimo Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #9
    1. How long after radiation did you have surgery?

    About 6 weeks after I was done with radiation.

    2. How high up was your tumor?

    My tumor was very low, it was only about 2 inches up, it was palpable by rectal exam and my surgeon could feel the entire tumor and it was 2.5 by 3.5 cm.

    3. Did you have an ileostomy? For how long?

    I had an ileostomy for about 8 weeks, BUT after the reversal I spent way too much time in the bathroom. I tried everything but nothing helped. I had urgency, frequency, DIARRHEA, occasional incontinence and constant butt burn. Life was awful. My tumor was too low.I had all of my rectal tissue removed--I had my colon stapled to my anus. Because of the bathroom issues I decided to have a colostomy done 18 mos. after my reversal. I havent looked back, I went on a cruise when I was 7 weeks postop and even went snorkeling.

    4. Did you have laparascopic surgery?

    no, all 3 surgeries were done with open abd. incisions

    5. How much of margin does the surgeon need?

    I had 10 inches on the distal side but only about 2 inches on the anus side. I was a stage 3 and have been cancer free since my surgery 5 years ago.

    feel free to email me with any questions. Good luck

    Maureen

    Denise

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