Hi, I'm new here. I have crohn's, I'm 39, and I've never had any major surgery before period. On Monday or Tuesday I'm suppose to get an ileostomy and possibly a resection of my small intestine.
I'm in the ER now from a partial blockage. The surgeon wants to wait to get my distention down by using a nasal gastric tube. If my intestines continue to be too dilated then the resection will have to wait for a 2nd surgery. I'll need a 2nd surgery anyway to reverse the ileostomy. So I'll have two surgeries whether the resection is done now or later.
I'm told the point if the ileostomy is to let my bowels rest so that the new connection has a better chance of being successful.
What confuses me is that my worst strictures are in the jejunum and duodenum. So how are those sections resting if I'm truly getting an ileostomy? Or is it technically a jejunostomy? I don't see how the sections which need removal are getting any rest if food still has to travel over thise sections before being dumped out later at the ileum.
I'm definitely going to ask the surgeon next time I see him but I'm eager to know the answer now. Thanks for your time reading this.