Low Anterior Resection surgery

Goldie1
Goldie1 Member Posts: 264 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
I hope my question is not so naive...but my husband is scheduled for LAR surgery on 1/30/12. His last Folfox treatment (for now) will be on 12/1/11. Is such a long wait between the end of chemo and surgery the norm??

Comments

  • tommycat
    tommycat Member Posts: 790 Member
    #2
    Think this is the norm, as
    Think this is the norm, as to avoid any potential complications from the chemo. I read your About Me and your husband's scenario sounds similar to mine. During the LAR, I also had a temporary ileostomy put in for a year and that was reversed last Oct. I also had chemo again after between the two surgeries
    Good luck and smooth sailing with this procedure!
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #3
    Yes
    Usually a six week wait between the two. It gives the body time to bounce back before putting it through more stress. Good luck to your husband.

    Kim
  • Brenda Bricco
    Brenda Bricco Member Posts: 579 Member
    #4
    My Husband's team wouldn't
    My Husband's team wouldn't do any surgery or biopsy until his last chemo was atleast six weeks behind him. They said the Avastin thins the blood and would make surgery risky. Sounds like you will be having a wonderful Christmas while hubby is on a chemo pause. :)
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #5
    just relax
    dear goldie,
    my surgeon pushed for a 13 week break between my chemo/rad and the lar op.
    the reason to allow the effects of chemo/rad to keep on working, and to allow the normal tissue to heal as much as possible so the JOIN is sound. LAR is a challenging procedure in us guys due limited space in the pelvis and the sex nerves.

    my procedure was based on emerging trends, based on clinical trials that the delay does not effect outcome for tumour progression but does reduce post op complications like the join not mending. if it don't mend you will be bagged for life.

    i think the wait is good, i posted about this earlier i think just look it up. the trials are published.

    just relax and view the time until surgery as a window to heal from chemo and build strength, as he may have post op chemo. i did 6 months post op folfox6. now you need as much strength and health in your body as possible. the surgery is a massive invaision., essential often but still trauma. its like are being run over by a bus, but you jump n front. my surgeon said that.

    be healthy with diet and exercise. the path ahead is full of challenges.

    hugs,
    pete
  • swimmer22
    swimmer22 Member Posts: 60
    #6
    Yep-- okay
    My time between the end of chemo/radiation and LAR was 10 weeks. Likewise, I was told the treatments continue to work even after they physically stop. I had a complete response to the chemo/radiation, dissolving my tumor completely. Hope you experience the same results!
  • Goldie1
    Goldie1 Member Posts: 264 Member
    #7
    swimmer22 said:

    Yep-- okay
    My time between the end of chemo/radiation and LAR was 10 weeks. Likewise, I was told the treatments continue to work even after they physically stop. I had a complete response to the chemo/radiation, dissolving my tumor completely. Hope you experience the same results!

    Thanks so much everyone...
    last week when the surgeon told us the date for surgery, we were so relieved to find out that surgery was finally an option, that we completely forgot to ask about the time frame. Appreciate your responses and feel a lot better about it now!

    Ellen C.
  • Goldie1
    Goldie1 Member Posts: 264 Member
    #8
    tommycat said:

    Think this is the norm, as
    Think this is the norm, as to avoid any potential complications from the chemo. I read your About Me and your husband's scenario sounds similar to mine. During the LAR, I also had a temporary ileostomy put in for a year and that was reversed last Oct. I also had chemo again after between the two surgeries
    Good luck and smooth sailing with this procedure!

    My husband will need....
    a temporary ileostomy too. Can you share with me any advice to prepare for this? Thanks!

    Ellen c.

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