Second Surgery for Reversal: What to Expect?

I saw the surgeon a few days ago and I am booked in for reversal on 3rd August. But there is still some more colon they need to remove because of diverticulitis. So they have to open me right up again and cut back to the top of the rectum, then join.

My question: How did you go with your second surgery? Healing time, was it the same timeline as the first?

Must admit I'm not really looking forward to going through it all again. Oh, and do they cut in exactly the same place, over the existing scar?

Thank you.

So, will you have any colon left? What type of ostomy do you currently have?

I have a colostomy, so there's still some colon there for them to work with.

My reversal surgery was harder than my ostomy surgery. I was in the hospital longer and had more pain than with the original surgery. I am nearly 3 years after reversal and am glad I was lucky enough to have the reversal. I developed severe Ileus and was in ICU for 10 or 12 days.
Advice, walk as soon as you can and as often as you can, take baby wipes and diaper cream with you to the hospital, consider adult diapers for sleeping. My body did not sense the need to have a bowel movement for several weeks. My surgeon's PA told me to expect accidents; they will happen, it did to me. If they are doing it open, it is not common to develop adhesions. I had 3 more open procedures after reversal, each being harder to recover from. Take time off from work if possible, I went back to work quickly and it was miserable but manageable. I am a physician so no heavy lifting.

In my case, they always went through the same incision and each time my skin was harder to heal. Eventually, I had a plastic surgeon redo my incision and I look as good as I can.

Good luck, take it easy after surgery and WALK to get intestines working.

Footie97, thank you for your reply, much appreciated,

How did you tolerate 3 more open procedures after your reversal?! Do you feel it was worth the time, pain, and patience?

I had an emergency ileostomy 6 months ago, 12-day hospital stay. Quick recovery. I've been home for 1 week after another emergency surgery for extensive adhesions, another 12-day stay. On my 4th day home, I was back in the ER with a blood clot in my arm caused by the PICC line. Now I am on blood thinners and am a little freaked out. I've had a previous abdominal hernia and hysterectomy. I feel like a reversal would be asking for trouble and more pain than it is worth.

I didn't really have a choice with the 3 procedures after reversal as they were partial obstructions caused by adhesions. Worth it in the long run so far, yes. We will see as I still have issues. I nearly opted to have elective ostomy surgery at one point but held off and am relatively "normal" now. If I knew I would have so many issues after reversal, I might have stayed with the colostomy. I made a choice and didn't look back. Thank God for my wife to help me through it all. Don't know if I would have made it without her!

I hope you are fully recovered now because it can take up to a week, sometimes depending on your body system.