Rectal Pain after Ileostomy Operation - Seeking Advice

Hello.

I had the ileostomy operation 3 weeks ago and have had my waste diverted to my small intestine via a stomach bag, which will be reversed in a few months' time.

I keep on feeling the need to go to the toilet and have passed some fluid a few times, but nothing major.

I keep on having sharp pains at the rectum, especially when I sit for long periods. The rectum feels dry and tight.

Is this normal, and has anyone experienced something similar? If so, is there anything I can do to alleviate the pain?

Thank you for any feedback.

Cheers.

Don't be discouraged at this point. Give a little more time for your bowels to readjust after surgery. I'd recommend sitting on a "donut" cushion. It has a hole in the middle and looks exactly like a donut. But avoid sitting on hard surfaces for a while. There's a lot of tenderness inside right now, so be gentle to your bottom. Again, avoid sitting on a hard church pew or hard cushion for now. It may look weird, but you won't have that pain. Good luck! I'm sure things will improve.

Hello Jesse. Good advice from sinoklee. These sorts of pains are normal and are part of the healing process. They take a while to start to ease but eventually they blend into the background and sometimes disappear completely (depending upon what condition preceded the operation.)

I had a prolapse which was aggravated by faeces prior to the op. But afterwards it was aggravated by a build up of mucus. Once that was sorted the pain eased considerably.

Be patient with the healing process and things will get back to a new 'normality' eventually.

Best wishes

Bill

Hi all, I would disagree with sitting on a donut pillow as they tend to spread the cheeks and possibly cause problems. I found sitting on a solid foam pillow, not the ones with foam chunks, worked best for me. Good luck with your recovery.

Totally agree with Ron about avoiding the donut!  Lots of folks found much comfort with the plastic, air filled, cushions.  They're about 18 inches square and have about 16 air-filled squares.

Good luck,

Mike

Wow, after reading this thread I've learned something new. Basically about the air cushion and foam pillow.

Thanks guys! I recall using the "donut" and do think I found some relief but an air-filled cushion sounds more comfortable.