Topic Explanation
The forum discussion centers around a user, MoeMoe, who is sharing their experience nine days after a colostomy reversal surgery. MoeMoe provides an update on their condition, including experiencing diarrhea and discussing various post-surgery symptoms and concerns with their surgeon. The surgeon's responses to MoeMoe's questions cover topics such as bowel irregularities, dietary adjustments, healing timelines, and post-operative care instructions.
Advice and Insights
- Bowel Irregularities and Diet Adjustments:
- Bowel movements can be erratic for at least two weeks and possibly up to six weeks or longer.
- It is normal to experience diarrhea and other bowel irregularities post-surgery.
- Return to a normal diet is allowed, but fiber should be added slowly to avoid gas and bloating.
- Adjust diet based on bowel movements: add toast, rice, etc., for diarrhea; reduce fiber if stools are too firm and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
- Healing and Post-Operative Care:
- The inside of where the stoma used to be takes about six weeks to heal, with internal stitches dissolving after about three months.
- It is normal to experience rectal pain and side pain post-surgery.
- Avoid straining during bowel movements to protect the hernia repair.
- Sitting on the toilet for more than 2-3 minutes is okay, but not longer than 10-15 minutes. If not done, get up, walk around, and then return.
- Surgeon's Responses to Specific Questions:
- The belly button may not be visible but is still there and fine.
- No signs of fistulas were present at the time of surgery, and they are not expected to be an issue.
- Hernia was repaired by cutting the bubble, stitching it up, and stitching the muscle without using mesh or cadaver reinforcement.
- Swelling in the belly area where the hernia was will go down over time.
- General Advice and Encouragement:
- Being inquisitive and asking many questions is important for being one's own health advocate.
- It is normal to have setbacks and for things to take time to stabilize post-surgery.
- Be extremely careful about straining during bowel movements to avoid complications with hernia repair.
- Personal Experiences and Support:
- Other users shared their experiences of preparing questions for
See full discusison