Meeting the surgeon soon,need to listen to your experiences of rectum resection

My Experiences - Overall, very good!
When they first diagnosed my cancer, despite numerous testing, it did not show lymph node involvement - so I went to surgery first. The pathology from the surgery showed I had 27 of 38 nodes infected (but my surgeon got clean margins). I only mention this because I was told by my surgeon that when a surgeon has to operate on tissue that has been radiated, it can be more difficult to work with - so my circumstances are slightly different. The flip side is that when you radiate tissue that has just been surgically altered, it can create problems with the surgery area - fortunately, I had no problems in that regard.

Anyway - my surgery took about 4 1/2 hours. My surgeon removed my entire rectum - my tumor (which as a little bigger than a golf ball) reattached my colon to my anus and put in a temporary loop ileostomy.

With regard to the surgery - no complications at all except as noted below. Initial surgery was done in November 2007. My ileo take down surgery was done a year later in November 2008 - after 10 rounds of FOLFOX, 2 rounds of Xeloda and 6 weeks of 5FU while going through radiation. The ileo take down took the longest to recover from - its been about 8 months and I think I'm finally finding some semblance of a "new normal". Whew! I had no infections from either surgery, my scars healed very nicely. No surprises except I did develop a hernia at some point (repaired February 2009), I've heard this is pretty common.

After my first surgery I was in the hospital for 9 days. Home for 24 hours - then back in the hospital for another 7 days because I couldn't stop vomiting. My doctors told me this was very unusual - most people don't have this complication. For some reason my ileo just didn't want to start working. Once my bowels woke up again, everything was fine.

Recovery was slow - this is a major surgery. I'd say a full 6 weeks before you start to feel somewhat human again. But every day is a little better than the previous one.

If your husband is getting an ileostomy or a colostomy I would say do all you can to make him feel like he isn't a freak. That part of keeping him alive is having the ostomy. It's not gross or disgusting - it is what it is - and it's not a big deal. If you haven't already lined up an Ostomy Nurse, try to locate one and set up an appointment for post surgery - a good ostomy nurse is worth their weight in gold. Be patient with him. If he's angry - let him be angry. If he's scared, just try to be supportive. I went through so many different feelings and emotions. I told myself I needed to feel those things and that they would pass at least to some degree, and they did.

Make sure he is managing his pain. My pain was pretty easy to manage with the pain pills and I wasn't on them for long - but you need to manage the pain so you can rest.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me - I'll answer anything I can.

My rectum resection took
My rectum resection took about 5 hours and I must say I was in quite a bit of pain afterwards. I think that is because during that resection, they found infection from the liver resection that I had had 6 weeks earlier. So they had to re-open that surgical site to clean that infection before they could resect the rectum. My tumor was high enough up, that it was only a 50% chance that I would have to have an ileostomy. But get this...during the procedure, the surgeon didn't find the tumor! The chemo had completely melted the tumor away. He opted to resect anyway, just in case there were any microscopic cells around. He also removed 11 lymph nodes, 6 of which were positive. My hospital stay was 7 days...they wouldn't let me go without passing gas and having a bowel movement. Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG!! Passing gas was the hardest thing in the world for me. I kept belching, but no gas! After about 2 days, I was able to walk around the hospital ward, but wasn't allowed to have solid foods for about 4 days. I didn't really care about that...just wanted the pain meds. Once I got home, I had to go back to the ER a couple of days later with a fever and vomitting. I had developed another infection. So I was admitted for 4 days with that one. Then had to go BACK again in about a week after that...with a kidney stone that wouldn't pass. It had to be surgically removed! So my February was pretty much spent in the hospital. But all in all, it was horrible. I had a great surgeon who took really good care of me. I will be praying for you and your husband. Be blessed!

-Sheri

Fight for my love said:

Thank you very much for your
Thank you very much for your post,Diane.I appreciate.

I had a colon resection on
I had a colon resection on May 15, 2009 (Rectal Stage III – No tumor). Approx. 6" was removed. I was in the hospital for 3 nights. I slept in a recliner when I got home since I was not comfortable in the bed. It was easy for me to get up and down by myself that way and I used a comforter and was cozy.
Things went better than I expected. I hope things go well for your husband. If you have more questions, please feel free to ask. That's why we are here - to support each other.
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I was prescribed a Low Residue Diet after my surgery.
A low residue diet eliminates coarse fiber and other indigestible material that may cause distress to the gastrointestinal tract and designed to reduce the volume and frequency of bowel movements. It is similar to a low fiber diet, but also restricts milk and milk products and prunes.---------------------------
This is some info I found which may help you and your family.

-------------------Colon Resection Surgery-------------------------

Details of the procedure ------------------------------
What do I need to do before surgery?
Please contact your insurance company to verify the coverage and determine whether a referral is required. You will be asked to pre-register with the appropriate hospital and provide demographic and insurance information. This must be completed at least five to ten days before the surgery date. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for the procedure.
Before surgery, your colon will need to be emptied. Your physician will give you directions on how to do this. You may be put on a liquid diet and instructed to drink a solution that will induce diarrhea. You may also be instructed to give yourself an enema.

What happens on the day of surgery?
You will report to a pre-operative nursing unit, where you will change into a hospital gown. A nurse will review your chart and confirm that all paperwork is in order. You will be taken to a pre-operative nursing unit where an anesthesiologist will start an IV. Before any medications are administered, your surgeon will verify your name and the type of procedure you are having. You will then be taken to the operating room. After the appropriate form of anesthesia is administered, surgery will be performed.
What type of anesthesia will be used?
You will have a pre-operative interview with an anesthesiologist who will ask you questions regarding your medical history. Colon resections are performed under general anesthesia, which will keep you asleep during your surgery.
What happens during the surgery, and how is it performed?
If your surgery is performed laproscopically, your surgeon will make three to four small incisions, and insert tube-like instruments through them. The abdomen will be filled with gas to help the surgeon view the abdominal cavity. A camera will be inserted through one of the tubes that will display images on a monitor in the operating room. In this manner, your surgeon will be able to work inside your abdomen without making a larger incision.
Your surgeon will perform the colon resection with the laparoscopic method unless other factors require open surgery. If the procedure will be performed with the open method, your surgeon will make one larger incision to enable him or her to view and repair the colon.
Once inside, the surgeon will clamp off the diseased section of colon and then cut it free. The diseased colon will be removed, and the healthy colon stitched back together. In some cases, a colostomy (link to colostomy procedure) may be performed.
What happens after the surgery?
Once the surgery is completed, you will be taken to a post-operative or recovery unit, where a nurse will monitor your progress. It is important that your bandages be kept clean and dry. Mild discomfort may occur at the incision site, so your surgeon may prescribe pain medication. You will be scheduled for a follow-up appointment within two weeks after your surgery.
How long will I be in the hospital?
Most patients are in the hospital from five to seven days with an open colon resection and three to five days with a laparoscopic colon resection. You may need a ride home when discharged from the hospital.
What are the risks associated with a colon resection?
As with any surgery, there are risks such as bleeding, infection, or an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Other risks include injury to the ureter, bowel, or spleen, and anastomotic dehiscence, which is the separation or leaking of the sutured colon. Your physician will inform you of the risks prior to surgery.
What should I watch out for?
Be sure to call your doctor if any of the following symptoms appear:
• Fever
• Worsening pain
• Redness or swelling around the incision
• The incision is warm to the touch
• Drainage from the incision
Will there be scar(s)?
If the procedure is performed laparoscopically the incisions should heal well, leaving small discrete scars. If the open method is used, a larger scar will be present.
When can I expect to return to work and/or resume normal activities?
This can vary from patient to patient. There are no restrictions after laparoscopic colon resection. You will be encouraged to return to normal activities such as showering, driving, walking up stairs, light lifting, and work as soon as you feel comfortable. Some patients can return to work in a few weeks while others prefer to wait longer. You should not perform heavy lifting or straining for six to eight weeks after open surgery. If you are taking narcotic medications for pain, you should not drive.
http://www.debakeydepartmentofsurgery.org/home/content.cfm?content_id=274&proc_name=colon+resection

While you are in the hospital for recovery, stay ahead of the pain curve and if you have discomfort, don't be afraid to ask the nurse for the pain killers. Even when you start feeling better, and you will, stay on the pain meds. They make the stay more bearable.
Also, get up for a walk as soon as you can. They won't let you out until your system kicks back in and the signal for this is passing gas. Walk as much as you can while in the hospital.
Holding a smaller pillow over the incision area. The pillow is comforting. Don't be afraid to ask for an escort while you walk, you wouldn't want to trip or fall.
You will also be very, very thirsty in the beginning and they'll just give you crushed ice, but if you can tolerate it, you can have more.
It takes about 3 months to be back to yourself. So, don't push going back to work or your normal routine too quickly, it will be tempting. Try to stay busy with books, light housework, TV, Internet while you are home. Get outside and walk as much as possible.
Also, if they use staples on your incisions, when they take them out, it's no big deal, most of them I didn't even feel. A couple were only a tickle while being removed. None was painful.