Have your heard of Colon resection without having colostomy bag

[Kathy1020]

In 1999, I had emergency surgery for a perforated colon. (Diverticulitis)  Of course this happened late at night and they had to call a surgeon in to do the surgery in the middle of the night.

Since my sister had colon sugery a fews before, I knew that I would have a colostomy bag afterwards, until it healed, then would have to have another surgery to fix everything.  (Hers was not perforated.)

When the surgeon came in to explain the proceedure to us, he said that I may be a canidate for a new proceedure where I would not have to have a colostomy bag.  It said it involved removing my appendix, and I am sure some other details, but I was not actually in a good frame of mind at the time to understand everything.  All I remember asking was since this was new, had he performed this before and was it successful.  He assured us that yes he had and everything went fine.
After the surgery, I did not have the bag and he said all went great.

My question is this, has anyone else heard of this new proceedure, (or it was new in 1999), and if so, can you tell me where I might some info on it on- line?

I have my doubts about this surgeon ever doing this before.  The reason I say this is because two months after the surgery, I was having some terrible pain and he said it was normal.  Finally I went to another doctor who took some xrays and discovered a surgical sponge had been left inside me.  He admitted me right away, and like an idiot, I allowed this same surgeon to remove it. (I thought it would be simple, just go in and take it out)  But I later found out that it had attached to other organs and it was hard to remove.  In fact, during that surgery, the surgeon put a small hole in my small intestine, a fistual, that wasn't discovered until a few days later.  Luckily I had a drainage tube in my side that was draining out all the infection from the sponge when I noticed that everything I drank was filling up the drainage tube.  If not for that, I would probably be dead now.  Anyway, I lived on TPN, ( IVs),  for 3 months afterwards so the fistula could heal. (Plus I left that surgeon and that hospital and went to Vanderbuilt in Nashvlle)

Since that time I have developed arthritis, fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy .  I have oftern wondered if all the trauma I went through has caused all this.

I have often looked on-line for anything about this type of surgery he performed on me and can find nothing at all on it.  I seem to think that it was much more complicated than he told us it would be, and because of that, maybe he got in over his head and that is the reason the sponge was left inside me.  

If anyone has ever heard of this, please let me know.  It has bothered me for years.  I have lived in pain now ever since this happened and want to know if he had done the first surgery the normal way, could all of my medical problems now been prevented.

Thank you
Kathy

[ng1031]

Hi there tking718,
I have been diagnosed with a very long and very twisted colon. I too only go once every 2 weeks and have aweful cramping and bloating etc. I just got a 3rd opinion and saw a colon surgeon/specialist today. I have to have a series of xrays done of my colon to see if the colon is actually functioning normally on top of it being tortuous. If its not then I might be eligible to have my colon removed. The surgeon told me that they would remove most of the colon and attach what is left to the rectum. And that I would not have to have a bag.

You say that you are 95% better and that you go about 4-5 times a day. Did you suffer from diarrhea or uncontrollable bowl movements? How long was the surgery and the recovery??? You say you gained weight since the surgery.. I would think that if you eat and it goes right through you that it would make you actually lose weight. Has that changed?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[tking718]

Hi Kathy,

I haven't heard of that surgery but I had an emergency sigmoid colectomy done a little over 2 months ago.  My colon was twisted so they had to remove about 10 inches or so, then re-attach the rest of the colon to my rectum.  I thought I would have to have a colostomy bag, but thanks be to God I didn't. My surgery went well for the most part, although I had somewhat of a set back in the hospital due to the Barium enema I had 2 days before surgery.  It turned into "concrete" blocking my bowels which caused them come up through my mouth. Thank God for the N-G Tube, it hurt worse than the surgery itself and I hated every second it was in, but it saved my life.

Today I feel about 95% better. I am on a high fiber diet and (I'm so excited) my bowels move 4-5 times a day, compared to once every two weeks. I finally feel healthy and my Dr. just released me so I'm back to work part-time and I can finally start working out so I can loose the weight I've gained since surgery.

[Sue357]

Hi.  I have never heard of that surgery before. However, almost 6 months ago I had an elective colon resection ( 7 inches removed) due to multiple episodes of diverticulitis which left my sigmoid colon scarred and starting to stricture.  I had been admitted after the last episode and sent home with a PICC line to continue Flagyl and Levaquin, IV, to prepare for the surgery, which I had a month later.  Anyway, I did not have to have a colostomy bag.  The surgeon said that a lot of times, if there is no emergency perforation and they can do a nice clean cut, they can sometimes re-attach the colon at the same time.  That is what they did for me.  I still have my appendix.  I hope that helps.  I would ask your surgeon about that.  And too bad about the sponge because that is just plain sloppy work.  My best friend is a nurse and that just surprised me that they would do shift change during an operation.....

[Kathy1020]

I will go back and try to find my medical records.  I do have copies somewhere, it has been so long ago, but it seems I looked once before and it only said perforated colon resection due to diverticulitis.  It was just the way he performed the surgery that has bothered me for so long.  Everyone I have spoken with has said that they always connect you to a colostomy bag  after the first surgery, then go back and reconnect everything later, after you heal and the infection is cleared up.  I was just wanting more info on what he did. I remember he said he had to remove my appendix to do the surgery this way.  While not having to deal with a colostomy bag would have been a good thing and not having a second surgery would have been a good thing,  I went through much worse because of the sponge he left behind.  I guess that I wonder if he had done it the traditional way, would everything had worked out better for me.  I know it is now in my past, done and over with, but it is just something I have always wondered about and can't seem to find out anything about the proceedure that he used.

I do realize that the nurses are responsible for the sponge count, but during this investigation, it was discovered that the sponges, (which are actually not sponges at all, they are large pads about the size of a piece of notebook paper) were the ones the surgeon removed himself at the end of the surgery, as he was finishing the proceedure.  The nurses were supposed to do the count at the beginning and the end of the surgery, so I hold all them responsible. (Plus they had a shift change in the middle of my surgery, which I am sure caused much more confusion)

I have tried Lyrica, but had terrible side effects, so I could not take it.  I have tried everything on the market, but I have such bad side effects to the meds, that I can't them.

When I found this website, I thought that maybe someone might have had this type of surgery before and could give me some more info about it.  I know it won't help my situation, but it will just ease my mind.  

Thank you both for even responding. I am very impressed that people actually do care enough to write back to these questions.

[ggreg]

Dear Kathy,
I have heard of that operation.  I saw an ad on television a few years ago, and also a magazine ad, and I took an interest because colon cancer is in our family.  Some cancer hospital, I think, was advocating it, but I just cannot recall who was promoting this.  But it was a way to have wastes kept inside the body instead of a bag, or something like that.

As for your problems post op, sponges being left inside is very unfortunate, as an operation nurse is supposed to keep track of the count of those things, but it does happen.  Also, the perforation could have happened during the operation or when they were sewing you up.  In both instances, the count and sewing, the surgeon often has left the operating room, and assistants close up.

Your general neuropathy may have come from all the infection and so forth, but also could be on account of a variety of other things.  There are good medications on the market today, to help people cope with the discomfort.  I take Lyrica, so please ask the doc who diagnoses you with fibro to give you something for it, it will help you a lot.

Sorry I couldn't help you with finding out more about that operation.  Maybe if you look at websites that include info on colon cancer and colostomy bags, it will come up in there, and perhaps put the word hospital in it, too.
GG

[CalGal]

Kathy, do you have the name of the type of surgery that was performed? There are so many types that it's hard to know what it was without a better description. If you don't know what it was, get a copy of your records and read through them. It should give you an idea of what was done.