ileocecal valve, cecum removed

johnnybegood said:

hello
i am sorry to here about all the removals,my situation is not that severe.i only had tumor removed from rectum and a few cm from my colon but i to have bladder issues. my surgen kinda blew me off when i asked him about it although after surgery he did tell me he had to beat my bladder up during surgery. if you think about it we do have alot to move around to get to our rectum.i need to drink alot more water myself and see if that doesnt seem to clear this up.i go for my port tomarrow then start 12 rounds of chemo wish i could have been more help. God bless and have a good day.....johnnybegood

Yep
Had shooting pains...not to severe but enough to be uncomfortable enough to gripe about it. When you go anywhere around the rectum there are all the nerves that control everything from incontinence to ejaculation...They lay it back and have to scrape to get everything out they can (or they did on me anyway) and they interrupt the nerve endings "sometimes" that controls all of that...Most all of the nerves are up against the pelvic area so the slightest miscalculation could sever a nerve ending causing the pain. Mine went away after a while and is not there at all anymore, plus the plumbing still works but be careful after surgery such as ours because sex sometimes isn't as pleasant as it is suppose to be....It actually felt as though someone was pulling a walnut through my urethra.......sooooo with that said....Good Luck...

Tumor in cecum
My tumor was also in my cecum (stage 1). The surgeon removed 9" of large intestine, 5" of small intestine, and everything in between. In the three years since my surgery, I have noticed that food moves through faster (partially due to a high fiber diet) and there is more urgency to go. When you gotta go, you gotta go now! I also have more gas at times. Sometimes I feel like my colon is completely filled with gas and is about to explode, which is not pleasant for me or anyone around me. Just can't hold it in. LOL It's embarrassing and I try to watch what I eat to prevent it from happening. I also have more frequent bowel movements. All of these are tolerable, just different (the "new normal.") Sorry to be graphic, but you asked about the long run. Things will be different because your plumbing has been rerouted.

I also had stabbing pains at the resection site as well as the incision site (2" above belly button to 4" below). My family doctor said what Cheryl did. These are nerves regenerating and this results in stabbing pain. She also told me that I should worry if the pain is constant, not stabbing. The stabbing pain will be considerably less in a few months. I still get a stabbing pain every now and then.
Joy

something to add
Now keep in mind, this isn't personal experience, it is with a friend. She doesn't have colon cancer, but had 25 inches of her colon removed due to her Crohn's. She was having AWFUL issues with her bowels and I actually took her to her last colonoscopy appointment and happened to be in the room with her afterwards when her doc was speaking to her. He said they removed the ileocecum and that the reason for her diarrhea is that the valve is responsible for fat absorption/management. Without it, her intestines were unable to process fat the way it should, hence the constant diarrhea issues. He wrote a prescription for some kind of powder that she had to mix with something (I think she settled on applesauce cause she couldn't stand it in a drink) and the problem went away! You might want to ask his doc about that, although a gastro would be more knowledgeable on the subject than would an onc. I'm gonna ask my friend what the powder was called.

ETA: it's cholestyramine for oral suspension USP Light powder 4gram. It's supposed to be good for cholesterol as well.
mary

Kathleen808 said:

thanks
Thanks Mary, that's godd info. That helps to know what some of the "stuff" that wa removed did for the body. Interesting about the fat absorbtion. When **** wakes up I'll let him know.
Aloha,
Kathleen

what "stuff" does
I agree, I never even knew I HAD an omentum until it was removed! Then I researched it. What's really funny is the brochure I got about the IPHC where it's discussing various parts of the abdomen that might have to be removed, since they aren't necessary for life, and they mention things like the intestines, the spleen and the STOMACH! Well, I suppose necessary is in the eye of the beholder!
mary

Kathleen -
The ileocecal valve is usually taken out when an ileostomy is
made, it's a normal procedure.

The valve is part of the Colon. If they left the valve connected
to the colon, and used that section to make the stoma, it would
be called a Colostomy.

Since they have used part of the Ileum to make the stoma, it is
called an Ileostomy.

The ileocecal valve has two functions:
1. It prevents waste/bacteria from backing up from the colon, into the ileum.
2. Allows the body to have (another) way of controlling the speed of the
digested output from the ileum into the cecum/colon.

Without the valve, our body has lost another way to regulate the speed
of the digested food passing through our intestines; it leaves our body faster.

The faster speed means less of the nutrients, etc., are absorbed from
the digested food. Liquid is also expelled out of the ileostomy faster,
so ileostomates are always on the brink of dehydration. We can't
wait until we feel thirsty to drink water, we have to have an almost
constant intake. 4oz per hour can be sufficient. Too much at any one
time will just pass through; our ileum can only absorb a specific
amount of water at one time, so drinking more often, rather than just
"more", is the proper way for us to stay hydrated.

Dehydration can be very subtle. A lessening of urine output can
be a sign of an extreme condition... The feeling that there isn't
sufficient emptying of the bladder, or having to go again soon,
can also be a sign of dehydration. Kidney stones, blood in the urine,
and the pains of passing stones, are all the usual result of allowing
yourself to become dehydrated. DRINK WATER - 4oz PER HOUR.

As far as pain? Our "buzzard" hit it right. Surgery is damaging.

After any abdominal surgery you can also expect adhesions and
hernias; both will cause extreme pain when they occur.. They do not
always rear their head immediately. I am over four years from the
date of surgery, and it's only been the last three/four months that
I have experienced intestinal blockages due to the adhesions and
hernias. It might put me back into the hospital for surgery soon...

During any radical abdominal surgery, they remove a lot of "stuff"
that fills in and around the intestines (like that "stuff" in a canned ham?).
The intestines loose that nice cushion, and can slide to places they
don't belong. They can easily impact the bladder, or the prostrate,
or whatever... Lifting heavy objects can add to it, but so can
sneezing, coughing, or absolutely nothing.

So there it is..... life as it will be.

Cancer changes us, and no one really understands that until they
experience it. The changes go beyond the cancer, and into our souls....

May you both see better days!

John



edit:
OH WOW....
This initial thread was two years ago?
Oh well...

John23 said:

Kathleen -
The ileocecal valve is usually taken out when an ileostomy is
made, it's a normal procedure.

The valve is part of the Colon. If they left the valve connected
to the colon, and used that section to make the stoma, it would
be called a Colostomy.

Since they have used part of the Ileum to make the stoma, it is
called an Ileostomy.

The ileocecal valve has two functions:
1. It prevents waste/bacteria from backing up from the colon, into the ileum.
2. Allows the body to have (another) way of controlling the speed of the
digested output from the ileum into the cecum/colon.

Without the valve, our body has lost another way to regulate the speed
of the digested food passing through our intestines; it leaves our body faster.

The faster speed means less of the nutrients, etc., are absorbed from
the digested food. Liquid is also expelled out of the ileostomy faster,
so ileostomates are always on the brink of dehydration. We can't
wait until we feel thirsty to drink water, we have to have an almost
constant intake. 4oz per hour can be sufficient. Too much at any one
time will just pass through; our ileum can only absorb a specific
amount of water at one time, so drinking more often, rather than just
"more", is the proper way for us to stay hydrated.

Dehydration can be very subtle. A lessening of urine output can
be a sign of an extreme condition... The feeling that there isn't
sufficient emptying of the bladder, or having to go again soon,
can also be a sign of dehydration. Kidney stones, blood in the urine,
and the pains of passing stones, are all the usual result of allowing
yourself to become dehydrated. DRINK WATER - 4oz PER HOUR.

As far as pain? Our "buzzard" hit it right. Surgery is damaging.

After any abdominal surgery you can also expect adhesions and
hernias; both will cause extreme pain when they occur.. They do not
always rear their head immediately. I am over four years from the
date of surgery, and it's only been the last three/four months that
I have experienced intestinal blockages due to the adhesions and
hernias. It might put me back into the hospital for surgery soon...

During any radical abdominal surgery, they remove a lot of "stuff"
that fills in and around the intestines (like that "stuff" in a canned ham?).
The intestines loose that nice cushion, and can slide to places they
don't belong. They can easily impact the bladder, or the prostrate,
or whatever... Lifting heavy objects can add to it, but so can
sneezing, coughing, or absolutely nothing.

So there it is..... life as it will be.

Cancer changes us, and no one really understands that until they
experience it. The changes go beyond the cancer, and into our souls....

May you both see better days!

John



edit:
OH WOW....
This initial thread was two years ago?
Oh well...

I am a 59 year old male with a flat, mixed serrated adenomatous polyp smack on my appendix stump/. i had an emergency appendectomy in 1972, which leaked and required a second procedure a few days later. The polyp is classified a a "difficult" case due to the location in the cecum and the proximity to the appendix stump so i am going to have surgery to remove the sedum, and possibly the ileosecal valve and portions of the ileum if cancer is found or scar tissue prevents stapling of the cecum alone. I am getting a second opinion on this, as I would like to keep the removal to the cecum itself if possible. And of course, the patient doesn't get to vote at the time the decision is made. My GI says that he has only seen 4 cases of polyps on the appendix stump, and none of the others were adenomas. Anyway, I would appreciate whatever insights you can offer. I was supposed to go in for surgery tomorrow morning, but have delayed for a few weeks to get a second opinion. Many thanks.

Joy1216 said:

Tumor in cecum
My tumor was also in my cecum (stage 1). The surgeon removed 9" of large intestine, 5" of small intestine, and everything in between. In the three years since my surgery, I have noticed that food moves through faster (partially due to a high fiber diet) and there is more urgency to go. When you gotta go, you gotta go now! I also have more gas at times. Sometimes I feel like my colon is completely filled with gas and is about to explode, which is not pleasant for me or anyone around me. Just can't hold it in. LOL It's embarrassing and I try to watch what I eat to prevent it from happening. I also have more frequent bowel movements. All of these are tolerable, just different (the "new normal.") Sorry to be graphic, but you asked about the long run. Things will be different because your plumbing has been rerouted.

I also had stabbing pains at the resection site as well as the incision site (2" above belly button to 4" below). My family doctor said what Cheryl did. These are nerves regenerating and this results in stabbing pain. She also told me that I should worry if the pain is constant, not stabbing. The stabbing pain will be considerably less in a few months. I still get a stabbing pain every now and then.
Joy

I had stage 2 appendix cancer that was first diagnosed as cecum.  Ascending colon, appendix, valve, and 42 cm of terminal ilieum removed.   Removal of cecal valve increases the odds of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).  The small intestine does not like bacteria in it so it causes gas and diarrhea to get rid of it.   High fiber will worsen the condition since bacteria eat fiber so you get more gas and more explosive diarrhea.   SIBO can also lead to GERD.  I suffer all this and find it best to eat low carb with natural sauerkraut, freeze-dried blueberries (and/or Blueberry Extract Supplement; causes body to absorb more colon water), Kefir (low sugar version).  Proton Pump Inhibitors (e.g. Nexium)  are associated with causing SIBO.  Digetive Enzymes help much too.