Rectum Removal Surgery: Hospital Stay & Recovery Experiences?

Hi, I have not had mine removed yet, but they are planning on doing that sometime next year. My prayers are with you. Can you let me know how it all went and how you feel...take care, thinking of you xx

Hi friends,

I had my rectum removed January 18, 2018 due to rectal cancer. I had radiation and chemo before my surgery. I got 100% removal and clean margins, 3 positive lymph nodes out of 13. I opted for no post-op chemo as I wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. I was in the hospital for 2.5 days - I came in on a Thursday and left Saturday morning. I'm a nurse and I knew the discharge criteria, plus I was absolutely insistent on getting out. I was a bit of a pain in the ass, but hospitals are no place for sick people. Eventually, if you're in the hospital long enough, you'll get an infection.

I've had lots of pain from prolonged sitting - my job requires prolonged sitting, and hard chairs are difficult for me. I have a sacral cushion but I think I will get a waffle or Roho cushion. I had the most pain directly post-op in my abdomen, and with sitting, pretty intense at times, and then learning how to deal with the stoma, colostomy, bags, and eating differently has been a process. Right after surgery, I had a drain in the anal area that was quite uncomfortable. I'm a heavier woman, so I get a lot of back pain since my abdominal muscles were cut extensively and building my core, and walking, are what I am focusing on now. I was out of commission for a good 8 weeks, but I feel much better now. I'm very self-conscious of the colostomy and I think I will start to irrigate in the next few weeks.

Lastly, I could not have gone through this if not for my husband and my healthcare provider. They are my main support and my husband has been a star in caring for me. It's so important for your emotional recovery, too.

Please feel free to reach out by PM if I can help - I'm always happy to support someone else.

I had my rectum removed 2 years ago due to rectal cancer. I was in the hospital for 20 days and recovered at home for about 4 months.

Hello.

As I said before, I had a total hysterectomy in 2015 which damaged the nerves to my rectum. It doesn't work, so I have a colostomy bag. As a result, the mucus is excessive and I have no control, so it comes down all the time and makes a mess. The wonderful thing is that I have three surgeons staying on top of things and they have attempted a lot of things before this. I'm okay with it because it totally limits leaving the house. So it's not a rush, but a must.

Hi Sasquatch,

Think I had seen one of your previous posts about this and

Remembered why I joined this site, because I was afraid of reversal surgery. I had read so many horror stories online about bad results and decided to stay with the colostomy for the rest of my life. Then I developed a HUGE hernia on the opposite side of my abdomen that was only going to get bigger and bigger. There was no way to have the hernia repair without having the stoma takedown also, so I bit the bullet and had the surgery along with another procedure to repair and re-route the duodenum. Talk about scared??? Luckily it all went very well and I am so thankful for all of it. I know everyone's situation is different and only the person having surgery can decide for themselves what they want to do. Just saying successful reversals are more likely than unsuccessful ones.

Well, I went in for a colonoscopy. I was told a small cancerous polyp had been removed and I'd be fine. To my surprise, the cancer had spread from the rectum to the vaginal area. I will have to undergo major surgery, including vaginal plastic surgery, and use a colostomy bag for the rest of my life. All of this happened in a matter of 15 minutes. I'm 61 years old and this was done in '16. I went through chemo, radiation, surgery, and more chemo. I recovered pretty quickly, but then the depression hit. I'm on medication now, but I think the depression is here to stay. Word of advice: while recovering from surgery, don't overdo it. Otherwise, you'll end up with a hernia that the doctors won't touch. Good luck to you and God bless!

I have the same problem though in reverse with an operation first, then some chemo and radiation about 18 months later. It has been nearly four years now and, well, I manage but it's still hard. I have done quite a bit of travel overseas (US, Europe, and Japan) and am off to Samoa in about four weeks, but travel is not so straightforward. Depression, yes, definitely, but isolation is the biggest thing for me. It's so easy to make excuses when you know that bag will fill or make those little sounds at inappropriate moments. Good luck on we go.

Hi, I don't know if I can be very encouraging, but this is what is happening to me at the moment! I am 7 weeks post-surgery to convert ileostomy to colostomy, repair hernia and prolapse at the old ileostomy site, and remove my rectum (some colon) and anal canal, and basically make the colostomy the end of the line on the inside! I was warned the surgery would be major and painful with a long recovery. They were not wrong. It was 8 hours of surgery and the most painful I have experienced, and I have had some pretty radical spinal surgery in the past, but what I woke up with this time takes the prize! They had me on Fentanyl pump plus ketamine, and then Oxynorm top-up after they had used Pain Buster nerve blocks for my abdomen, and they tried to give me an epidural as well with the anesthetic, but I have too much metalwork in my spine and it couldn't be done.

I spent 2 days on HDU unit, then 2 weeks on the ward, and was desperate to get home, so I left before I needed to, but that was a good decision as I hated the hospital and they weren't really doing anything for me at that point, which the district nurse couldn't deal with. However, I have had a huge amount of pain and discomfort, plus I had a setback with a wound infection and am still feeling as if I have been run over by a train.

I am hoping I achieve a better quality of life when I am recovered from all of this, but it seems like it is going to be a long uphill process, so I wish you luck. I had my ileostomy in January and have had nothing but problems since, including horrible extreme mucus issues, which at least I won't have to deal with now. Also, I am glad that my risk of cancer isn't still lurking in the redundant colon as it was after the ileostomy.

I'm on very strong painkillers but struggling to be mobile. Sitting is still difficult, but I can manage now with sufficient padding. I can't imagine when I will be able to sit properly upright though or drive, etc. I am starting to walk a little, but can't go far without pain and am permanently exhausted.

Hi, I see you had your rectum removed two years ago. I've not had the chance to find anyone to talk to about their longer-term recovery, and the medical people just keep saying, "Oh, it's early days. It all takes time. It's a long recovery!" I'd like to know how you are now, as I've just had the operation 7 weeks ago and I am feeling dreadful, exhausted, and in pain. I am very sore and getting depressed. I am not impressed with my new colostomy, which is blocking and pancaking and in a very uncomfortable and protruding position right on my waistline. My stomach is still distended, and I can't imagine getting my shape back.

I had an ileostomy in January, which was a disaster. The skin never healed. I had high output problems and leaks and a huge hernia and prolapse, and then dreadful mucous problems. I've now had that converted to the colostomy, and the rectum and anus removed so that the colostomy is the end of the line and no redundant colon is left inside. Hopefully, there is nowhere for cancer to go again now.

Colostomy is the end of the line, and no redundant colon is left inside. Thank God, so hopefully nowhere for cancer to go again.

Hi Mada... I am Chirag from India, having a permanent ileostomy. Please share your Facebook account name so that I can send you a friend request. I am also searching for a soulmate.

Hi.

I'm going to have my robotic surgery to remove the tumor from my rectum (low and close to the sphincter). It's scheduled in 2 weeks. I had 27 days of chemo and radiation. The radiation experience was extremely painful. I had radiation burns on my rear end and genitals.

Is there any advice on how to prepare for this surgery? Your post said that you had a problem with the healing of the perineal wound. I was wondering if it was painful all the time or if it was tolerable.

Thanks for your reply.

Hi

I'm going to have my robotic abdominal perineal surgery in 2 weeks to remove a tumor on my rectum. I also had 27 days of chemo and radiation. The tumor shrunk but the colorectal surgeon said I need a "barbie butt" surgery. They are going to remove my anus, rectum, sphincter, etc. Install a permanent stoma for the bag. Hopefully, they can take it all out and have a clean surgical margin. I hope and pray that everything will go smoothly. Hopefully, I won't stay in the hospital for more than 3 days, otherwise, I might get a nosocomial infection from the hospital.

I'm just concerned about how you cope with the pain of the rear end. How soon were you able to drive, even at a short distance.

Thanks for the reply.

I was wondering how your surgery turned out. I'm going to have mine in 2 weeks, to remove the rectum, anus, etc. They are going to do a robotic abdominal perineal surgery. I was wondering if I could get some advice on what to expect based on what you experienced.

Thanks and God bless.

Surgery was done on 11/26/18. As of last Wednesday 1/2/2019, I was back to work.

Jabra0419, I had mine done robotically as well. The first few days are a little painful, but it wasn't horrible. Four weeks from surgery and I was able to start getting back to doing normal everyday activities without restriction. Just follow your surgeon's instructions, everything will be fine. Your bladder may have trouble emptying completely for a little while, I spent an extra couple of days in the hospital because of that. You most likely will have a lifting restriction for four weeks or so.

Thanks Sasquatch for your comforting reply.

Hi Sasquatch, thanks for the valuable info. They said robot-assisted surgery is less invasive than the traditional open surgery. The surgeon also said about the bladder not fully emptying for a while (urinary retention).

How about your rectal wound (drain), did it heal in 8 weeks? Let me know if you have any issues. Thanks.

I'm close to 8 weeks out now, my rectal drainage stopped a couple of weeks ago. I just wore a woman's menstrual pad until it stopped. I honestly feel pretty close to normal at this point.

You healed pretty well.

I'm wondering how you are adapting to your stoma pouch. What type of pouch are you using (one or two piece)?

What about your diet after surgery?

Thanks for the reply.

I've had the ileostomy for two years now, those challenges are long behind me. I use a Hollister 2-piece appliance. As far as diet goes, easy does it for a little while. Anything new, or anything you suspect might cause an issue, try a little at first to see how it does.

Hi Jabari, I had my surgery in 2014. It was robotically done, so the recovery was pretty quick. I was up and walking the next day in the hospital for five days. My rectum was stitched closed, and for me, that was the real source of discomfort, especially as they dried out. Itchy and tender. They were in for about three weeks. A gel-filled pillow that my hubby got at Costco was a godsend. I still use it on long car trips and international flights. As far as dietary restrictions, I pretty much eat anything but do shy away from nuts and corn, and I eat high fiber in moderation. The products I use are two-piece Convatec with Velcro closure. My doctor writes a letter of necessity to my insurance company so that I receive 40 pouches a month instead of the 20 they recommend. You will find invaluable info and support on this site. We have all walked in your shoes. A colostomy is our new normal, but it allows us to get on with living. Attitude is everything; a positive one will make all the difference. Good luck and God bless. If I can be of any help answering questions, I will be happy to. Sincerely, Gail aka Rosiesmom.

What does a gay man do that used to be a "bottom" in sexual relations? I have a permanent colostomy and I've been in a long-term relationship for 16 years. We're solid, but I feel so sad for my husband. There is no answer for this question. Sorry for asking.