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crohn’s surgery

Read and learn more about crohn’s surgery. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.org

Q: What do i expect after a Crohn’s ressection surgery?
I am about to have a ressection done after years of dealing with Crohn’s. Needless to say I am pretty nervous. What are the things to expect after surgery?

A: I had a bowel ressection this summer actually. I can tell you, I was very very nervous at first, and when I woke up from the surgery, it was not pleasant! I had it in my head that after years of dealing with crohns I could deal with some soreness in my stomach, but the worse thing was not that (The morphine made that pretty easy to get through!) it was the NG tube. I also got pretty hungry after 10 days of not eating straight. I would not be worried about Stomach Pains. Not that bad, actually! yeah you’re sore.So what? As a crohns patient, you KNOW what its like to be in pain. Also, you might be pretty dependant on people, needing their help to get up and down. Try and push yourself though. Walk everyday you can, more each day. Your back might hurt from laying in bed, but the more you walk, the FASTER you recover!! I was able to get out of the hospital the day after my NG tube was removed. Also, IVs are very annoying, so be carefull with them…I, and the patient (9 years, appendix removal…) next to me both had problems.

Keep a positive attitude! I bet you knew this was coming at one point. You will feel really crappy in the hospital, but let me tell you, after a month or so, you will be a better you! no more stomach pains, no more apetite problems, no more prednisone if you had to take it, no more !!

I had a bowel ressection – 10 inches of intestine taken out, as well as my appendix, a fistula, and some weird cyst no one knew i had lol. And I recovered faster than the 9 year old patient, who had a lesser surgery. It was the combination of dealing with crohns for so many years and just keeping a positive attitude that got me threw it. Also, books, my laptop, and my family were good company.

Good luck, if you want to know anything else, feel free email me. It has made me a better person…all the bumps in our life make us better people!!

Q: Is it easier to gain Weight after having surgery for Crohn’s Disease?
I going to have Surgery soon (in about a month or two) and i was wondering how much better do you feel after Surgery?
Its hard for me to gain weight right now and im hoping surgery will help?

I have a very mild case but its near small intestine.

A: hi hhh, I am a female crohn’s pt. dxed at the age of 12. I have had several surgeries for the past 29 yrs. I’ve had it and have found that it was easier for me to gain the weight seeing as I couldn’t eat much before due to the severe pain I was in. Once I had the surgery at age 17, I was able to enjoy my mom’s home made meals again. After I got married, I needed surgery due to a stricture in my small intestines so I couldn’t eat much or I’d have a partial blockage. Thus, I lost weight until that problem was fixed. Then I regained it once I started to eat hubby’s cooking. (He is a great cook and knows what to make for me when I flare),

For more accurate information, go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site. There you will find stuff on medications, surgery, diet, locating a local support group near you plus they have a live chat & a hotline that is run by healthcare experts well versed in IBD. They have a forum where you can post questions to others like yourself & swap stories.

Surgery will definitely relieve you of pain and help if your well being hasn’t been helped by current treatments. The newer meds to take afterwards to help stay in remission are Humira, 6MP, Imuran, Remicade, and Entocort.

Feel free to email me if you have questions. good luck to you on your surgery. You will feel like a new person. :)

Q: Crohn’s surgery question?
I was told today that I would have to undergo surgery for my Crohn’s disease. They are looking at removing a small portion of my small and large intestine. I am a bit freaked out about it right now but fortunatly they wouldnt take out enough to make me wear a colostomy bag. Has anyone with Crohn’s undergone this surgery already? If so, how have symptoms been since?

A: Follow your doctor’s advise.

Q: describe crohn’s surgery?
can someone describe their crohn’s surgery from start to finish? i would like to know what to expect

A: crohn’s disease surgery is essentially removal of a part of the bowels, lke any other bowel surgeries, there will be an external anastamosis, they may put the two ends of the bowels together, pain, potential of infections, bleeding persists with any surgery. diarhea or malabsorption may become a chronic problem, talk to your surgeon for details, good luck

Q: how long would i have to stay in hospital after crohn’s surgery.(approx 12 cm removed)?
it will be my first surgery,believe infected area is in the large intestine
am not on remicade, have 3-4 flare ups a year which ease up with prednisone,but i’m thinking maybe if i have the surgery it wont keep coming back.i flare in the same spot everytime so if its gone maybe i’ll luck out???

A: Most likely around 3-7 days. They’ll need to do wound care and make sure you’re passing urine, gas and stools properly before you’re discharged. So, it really depends on fast your body can recover and do these critical things. Of course, your surgeon or his nurse can tell you more accurately. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before you sign the consent form.

Q: How often is surgery needed for a Crohn’s patient?
Thank you, A. Just diagnosed with Crohn’s.

A: I was diagnosed with Crohn’s about four years ago. At that time, my GI told me surgery was no longer done since it was virtually never successful. You can expect to be on a battery of different drugs until they figure out which ones work best for you. For me, a combination of Pentasa and Omeprazole has kept me in remission for several years, but it might be different for you. Anyway, hang in there. I know what you’re going through, and I empathize.

Q: Surgery for Crohn’s?
I’ve had Crohn’s disease for 10 years now, and have never had surgery. That might be changing in the next year or so, however, since my insides have developed a large amount of strictures and scarring over the years. I’ve been on Remicade for a long time, which has kept things bearable, but not that long ago, the strictures began acting up and causing considerable pain. I started on Prednisone, and it has the symptoms back under control. I have no illusions about the lasting effects of it, though, and fully expect to get cut open at some point. So, I’m wondering if anyone here has had surgery to remove random strictures in their intestines and what it was like, how the recovery period was, the couple months following, and any other pertinent info there is to be had.

A: Honestly the surgery SUCKS! BUT, It is so worth it! Find a surgeon you love & trust, express to them all your concerns etc. I had a wonderful surgeon who had a great sense of humor, a day after my surgery he came to see me & told me that the foot of my small intestine really needed to come out & he told me they checked every inch to make sure that it was only located in the section that came out. He also told me that he had my “guts spread out through the hallway & started laughing i knew he was obviously joking. I was in the hospital fora week & was back to work a week later (no heavy lifting!!) I noticed it took at least 6 weeks to feel back to my old self again. Good Luck!

Q: as a possible crohn’s patient do they take special considerations with surgery for me?
do they have to do anything special for me? i am having knee surgery.

A: You definitely need to be sure that your doctor, surgeon and anesthesiologist know about your condition. You may not need anything above the norm, or there may be further tests, different meds….who knows? Don’t assume the medical staff have read or even have been given all of you medical records. I have ulcerative colitis (Crohn’s partner) and have had several surgeries without needing anything special that I know of, but all my medical staff were gratefull that I mentioned it.

Q: Crohn’s Disease – Resection Surgery?
I’m 26 and have had Crohn’s for about 10 years. During my most recent colonoscopy my gastroenterologist discovered a lot of scarring which is causing a partial obstruction. He stated that scarring is irreversible and will need surgery to correct. I would have to have 15 inches removed and then they would reconnect the ends of the colon. I’m looking for the pros and cons. Has anyone had this? Did it lead to more frequent surgeries? How long were you in the hospital? How long would I have to stay out of work?

A: I had resection surgery about 10 years ago when I was 27. They took out about 6 six inches of my small intestines and my appendix for good measure while they were in there.

So far this has been my only surgey. Since this disease varies between people there is really no way to tell how many more surgeries you may or may not need after the first one.

I’d say the pros would be that you should be in remission for a while after the surgery. Of course there is no way to know how long that will be.

Cons other than going through the surgery and recovery time would be that the disease mostly likely will come back near the area of the resection.

I was in the hostpital for about 7 days. I was stayed out of work for about 4 weeks total.

Q: In 1994 i had my illeum removed. my dr removed during surgery to stop crohn’s. i use b12 monthly. should i?
in 1994 i was ambulanced to hospital with abdominal problems. after being in the hospital for 2 weeks, my dr, who was the head surgeon of a ny hospital, performed my surgery. following surgery, he told me my illeum was removed so that i would NOT have crohn’s disease or be hit by my insurance company with a pre-existing medical history.

i improved miraculously quick, but i continue to be plagued with abdominal problems, none too serious, however, i take b12 shots monthly. should i be doing more at my age? i’m now 55?

A: hi lu, i am a crohn’s pt. for 28 yrs. I had my ileum removed yrs. ago and take B12 shots myself. As for your surgeon telling you that the crohn’s would be gone completely, he is WRONG. It can show up at the site of the surgical area at any time. It is known for that.

If you check out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site, it will tell you the same thing. Crohn’s can appear at any time anywhere from the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines, rectum, and anus. If you have a total colectomy and given a permanent ileostomy, the CD in your large gut is gone b/c it’s been removed HOWEVER, it can return where it was dissected.

The CCFA site has great updated information on surgery, symptoms, the newer treatments–Entocort, Humira, and Remicade…ask your GI if you are a candidate for any of these, finding a local support chapter near you, as well as a hotline and an open forum where you can post questions to others like yourself.

Knowledge is power. The more you educate yourself, the better it will be in coping with this. I am speaking from experience as I’ve had this since age 12.

Q: Kids & Crohn’s Disease re: Surgery (question)?
Our 11 yr old has Crohn’s – went through a 6 week intensive feeding tube program Feb-March – then went into remission but only lasted until a few weeks ago. The pains came back & we noticed some malabsorption (only gained 1 pound in 3 months) were told at recent exam by GI Dr. there are 2 options 1) Imuran (which has some nasty possible side effects) or 2) back on 4 week feeding tube program using Peptamin (Nestle special high nutritional formula) The feeding tube program in combination with an anti-inflammatory gives the intestines a chance to “heal” and take in heavy duty nutrients that were not absorbed prior

We haven’t explored surgery and not sure we want to at this point until growth & developement are complete.

Let’s face it, there are only so many feet of intestine that can be removed…

Does anybody know how many years go by after surgery (on average) that perhaps add’l surgeries are needed?

And also how long after surgery (on average) before another flareup?

A: A flare can be caused by anything. Food poisoning is a common cause for a flare. Also, things like French fries and sometimes salad will cause massive fissures in the intestines and colon. I would only advise surgery if he can not handle the pain, or if the doctors advise it. Crohn’s disease is a mystery to us right now!

This is also a gene carried by the father and is most common in males. So make sure your son knows that when he gets older.

but to answer your other questions. Once the person has surgery, they will probably laps back into another flare sooner or later, but the hope is that it is going to be a lot less drastic.

Edit – to the post bellow me – While some of what you say is right, you are also very very wrong. I am sure that changing the diet of the patient will work wonders, excessive bile is NOT the cause of crohn’s. Crohn’s is caused by the patients IMMUNE system attacking, generally good, bacteria in the intestines. They attack it so much that fissures (small cuts) actually form in them! But what is worse, is that because the intestines are so packed, they often grow together and form new canals. These can often get infected since stool can get stuck in them. Also, Crohn’s can be anywhere from the mouth to the anus, bile would not be causing problems in the esophagus or the mouth unless they threw up all the time.

I really hate to say it, but this disease is caused by unknown problems with the immune system, and tends to run in family’s. Medications should be really down to mainly anti-inflammatory to try and stop the massive attack Crohn’s patients intestines undergo.

If your son is having a really bad outbreak, i would suggest surgery, they will only remove the portents of the gut that is badly infected. If he does go into remission, make sure he eats right, and is never confronted with food poisoning… this can, and most likely will cause him to flame up again.

Also, people with Crohn’s are a lot more likely to get sick because their immune system is in non-stop attack mode on their GI tack.

Best of luck to him, and anyone els in the family who might have it…

Q: Does having your tubes tide help you during your period for Crohn’s patients?
I never had a problem with this until I had surgery on my Crohn’s back in 1999. Now every month it is extreme lowerback pain, and cramps. Someone please help with this.

A: If you are having pelvic pain with your periods after surgery and the surgery that you had was abdomino/pelvic, then I would imagine you were left with scar tissue and adhesions which become agitated and inflammed during your period. So your period and the congestion of the uterus agitates the adhesions causing more pain, or adhesions from the pelvic area are agitating the uterus when its congested and contracting to expel menstrual fluid. having your tubes tied will do nothing for this. Sometimes, after a year or two, the adhesions and scar tissue can stretch a little bit and the pain won’t be so severe. The other option is more surgery to remove the adhesions, or laporasocpic surgery to see how bad the adhesions are. The good thing about laporascopic surgery is that its small and non invasive, and the doctor will be able to see if there are adhesions and where, and how bad they are. he will also be able to rule out the possibility of ovarian cysts or other pelvic growths, and probably do a scope of the inside of the uterine wall to check for fibroids that could cause the pain at the same time.

Q: How is the Surgery for people with Crohn’s Disease ???
I think im going to need Surgery later this year and i’m alittle scared because i never had surgery before.

Does the surgery heal you 100% ??? How do you feel after the surgery ??? How long was the recovery time?? What Meds do u take after words?
well the Dr. said my small intestine is the infected part and it’s going to removed and to put back during my surgery.

My crohns is a mild case but hasnt got much better in a year. Soo surgery might be the answer.

A: this sounds kind of bizarre, buut i was in literally the exact same siituation as you two years ago. i was in some pain and meds were not really working. the doctor told me i would need a surgery and i got pretty scared. however, i realized that it is best to just forget about it iin the time leading up to the surgery. my plan worked, and two years later i am in complete remmision. after recovering for two weeks i completely forgot about it and i was and stil am completely healed. i now take asacol which is just holding down the fort. after the surgery i felt mediocre. in the time just after the surgery it does hurt to walk a little, but it is easy to fight through with a couple short walks around the hospital ward a day. afterwards, the only thing standing between you and home is farting. concentrate on that, then you get to go home and be a glorified couch potatoe for a while. make sure you have video game systems and movies galore for this time period. anyways, good luck and try not to worry.

Q: Can I really heal myself from Crohn’s Disease?
I do not want to have an 8th surgery for my Crohn’s disease and I don’t want the drugs. I am going to a place called The Chopra Center and try to heal myself. Is it possible? Does Meditation help? Here is my blog so far…
http://www.aWellnessExperience.com
All this information is great, Thank You!

A: First, Crohn’s disease is an event, like Tuberculosis, that is a result of our modern diet. Primitive cultures were resistant to these types of diseases and many others because their diets contained high amounts of nutrients that are missing from our foods today. Just go to the Mausoleum where dead food is held in state and look at the junk as you walk down the death row aisles. There is very little nutritive value there. Most people are not aware that Cavities are a result of modern man’s diet as well. Primitive people did not have cavities and amazingly enough they didn’t put fluoride in their water supplies and didn’t need fluoride toothpastes either. In fact, they had no need to clean their teeth of tartar either. They had good jaw formations that allowed their teeth to come in and not be crowded.

Many studies have been done indicating pasteurized milk as one of the culprits in Crohn’s disease. Previous research found that the mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) was present in about 92 percent of patients with Crohn’s disease, compared to 26 percent of patients in a control group.

MAP is present in about two percent of commercial pasteurized milk. So, not only does pasteurization kill the beneficial bacteria available in milk, but it leaves a potentially harmful organism alive and well. Making matters worse, the conventional recommendation to drink milk that has been pasteurized at even higher temperatures is far from helpful.

What nearly everyone fails to appreciate about pasteurized milk is that although the pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria are killed during pasteurization so they can’t multiply, they are NOT removed from the milk. The dead bacteria are STILL IN THE MILK.

If the bacteria are there, they can serve as a stimulus to your immune system and cause all sorts of autoimmune diseases, Crohn’s disease being only one example.

Instead, RAW milk from healthy grass-fed cows is actually one of the more profound healing agents you can turn to when confronted with inflammatory bowel disease, like Crohn’s. Rather than cause it, raw milk can send your IBD into remission. This is because if cows are raised properly and only fed grass, not immunized, given access to plenty of fresh air and sunshine, and not given antibiotics or harmful vaccines that impair their immune system, then they simply do not get sick or become colonized with these pathogenic bacteria in the first place. Thus there is no need to pasteurize their milk.

What many also fail to appreciate is that pasteurization is NON discriminate in its ability to kill bacteria. Pasteurization kills the GOOD bacteria in the milk that actually makes you healthy and can reverse diseases like Crohn’s.

An additional cause are parasites. These are not easily detected and in a lot of cases cannot be found until after death an a thorough autopsy is performed!

It is not easy to be healthy in America. In 1905, the CDC reported less than 5% of ALL Americans were chronically ill. In 2005, the CDC reported that over 53% of ALL Americans are now chronically ill. Does that sound like Americans are being fed good, quality food and that our medicines are really helping us to be healthy? NOT.

Inflammation is the body’s natural immune response to infections. It is how the body causes more blood to flow to the infected area, so it can deliver the necessary nutrients that can heal the injury. If the nutrients are not in the body, the injury won’t heal properly and the inflammation will become a chronic problem, like in Crohn’s.

An imbalance of the two essential fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6 will make the body inflamed. Most Americans have huge stores of omega 6 and little omega 3 fatty acids. It’s not enough to just take a bunch of omega 3 fatty acids, but one should put foods in their bodies that are close to the 1:1 ratio of these essential fatty acids to fix this issue and avoid foods high in omega 6’s. Commercial beef found in the Mausoleums that house the dead foods (super markets) are very high in omega 6’s because the feed Angus Beef grain in feed lots and allow the animals to walk around in their own feces. Grass fed beef is healthy and contains a good omega 3 to omega 6 balance. Wild fish, NOT FARM RAISED, also are a good source of this balanced scenario, as long as they are not cooked at high temperatures.

Vegetable Oils, like Soybean, Canola, Cottonseed, and Corn are terrible for you and contain lots of omega 6 fatty acids and when heated, these unstable oils form TRANS FATS with just a very little heat.

Many parasites go undetected and Crohn’s is a result of this. A typical sign of parasites is the feeling of tiredness. Many doctors misdiagnose this as some other ailments with fancy names, like Epstein Barr, etc.

I suggest you do the following to make a good attempt at fixing the crohn’s:

Go to: www.organicpastures.com Buy your dairy products from them, especially RAW MILK, Colostrum, raw butter, and raw cream. Like the primitive people, this will provide nutrients that make you strong, not weak and contribute to disease. Eat fermented vegetables and make your own keifer milk and Kombotchu. These provide organisms that heal the body, not damage it like drugs with all their so called “side effects.”

Also, go to: www.healthline.cc (not .com) and purchase:

keifer grains — to make your own keifer milk from raw milk
Parastat — This kills the parasites in the intestine
Paracidin — This kills the liver flukes in the liver.

Take maximum dosages of both of those. They are natural herbs and no chemicals. I would also purchase the “super food trio” in capsule form, not powders.

All these things above will contribute to your solution. I think you will be very surprised at the results and how well good nutrition can work for you.

Q: Can you have crohns and NEVER need surgery?
Can you have crohns and NEVER need surgery?
i found i have crohn’s no matter what am i going to have surgery or are there people that never need it?

A: I have Crohn’s too, and my symptoms are controlled well enough on medication that I will likely not need surgery. It all depends on how bad your symptoms are, what type of symptoms you have and how well they can be controlled with diet and medication.

The main reason that someone with Crohn’s needs surgery is for a stricture that narrows the intestine to a point where stool cannot pass, an inflammation that becomes infected and needs to be removed or such bad symptoms that surgery sounds like a relief.

Work with your doctor to control your symptoms with medication. Find your trigger foods and avoid them when you are having symptoms and you should be able to avoid or postpone surgery for a long time.

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