Long term effects from a low anterior resection

just 2 weeks after having a LAR
anyone want to share their diet does an don'ts?
Sandy :$

I had a low anterior resection for a sigmoidocele (herniation of sigmoid into the rectovaginal space) the doc not only took my sigmoid but also the upper part of my rectum (without my permission.) I had no disease.

Two weeks post-op my colon strictured closed and I was told not being able to go to the bathroom was "all in my head". My doc never followed up, I had the closure of the colon dilated opened at another hospital but it had been left closed in for so long it never worked again. (Also for unknown reasons my small intestines dropped onto my rectum and scarred there giving me small bowel obstructions for 7 months.) 11 top surgeons in the U.S. did not know how to save me or did not want to fix another doc's mess. I ended up with a procedure to lift the small intestine off my rectum and got a permanent ileostomy. I was lucky to find someone to do this or I would have just died. My advice, tell your doc if he doesn't deal with your complications that you want a referral to someone who will. If he does not refer you, that is medical malpractice. Then you have to seek out your own help, but get started on it. Best of Luck. Been there. Sincerely, Rosemary

I had a low anterior resection due to malignancy back in 1981. I experienced much the same symptoms as those above. My solution was to do a small bulb type enema each morning first thing. It relieved my problem and put an end to the frequent soft, mushy stools that prevented a life without a toilet nearby. It is very important not to get constipated as this only makes elimination more of a problem and can lead to an impacted bowel requiring other means to remove the stool. If you want to reach me you can email me at yarley at cox dot net.

I had a LAR 21 months ago. My temp ileostomy was reversed 16 months ago. I have had difficultly with bowel movements ever since.

There is constant variety/change for me: sometimes constipated, sometimes frequent/difficult BMs producing small low-diameter output; rarer, something near "normal"... usually after taking a laxative.

I find the osmotic laxatives, such as Miralax, work best for me, to stimulate more-normal BMs.

I had frequent intense anal/sphincter pain for my first 8 months. I eventually learned this was caused by diet. Nuts, seeds, corn/tortilla chips (or similar dried corn products), and certain foods that contain whole peppers (with seeds) cause increased difficulty of BM, as well as increased "friction", eventually leading to bleeding and intense anal pain. This seems to exacerbate the situation.

In addition to watching my diet carefully, another thing I found that was VERY helpful was to use pre-moistened cottonelle baby wipes (such as Huggies' Natural Care), instead of normal toilet tissue. They reduce friction, and facilitate cleaning with less effort.

I was told by my surgeon that improvement in bowel function can occur for up to 2-4 years after surgery. I have read many articles also saying that improvement can occur up to 2 years after, but perhaps never reaching "normal".

Hi there,

My dad had an ultra low anterior resection, with coloanal anastomosis, and temp. ileostomy surgery done May 29th of this year. He is currently at about 4 weeks post-op. He was sent home with a rectal tube for the first week after hospital discharge. Since that tube has been removed, he has been complaining of a lot of pain to inside the rectal/anal area. Also, there has been more mucousy-stool like discharge that just flows out of the rectum (despite the ileostomy). This stool like discharge just comes out even when he urinates, he cannot control it at all. The Tylenol #3s are not helping. The pain has been so bothersome that he cannot walk around or stand for too long. It's been tough seeing him go from being the man of the house to lying on the sofa all day long.
It would be nice if anyone who has any information to share could pass it along to me.

I am 13 years out from a rectal resection. I tried to regulate my bowels for years with diet... to no avail. I really wanted to work again, so I went to my general practitioner and asked for help. He recommended I take an Imodium EVERYDAY! And it changed my life. I know, no one wants to take a pill everyday, but you have to slow down the process in your large intestine. Sometimes (when I eat something higher in fat) I have to take another Imodium, but it works great! There is hope!!

I'm 3 months out of an ultra-low LAR too (the tumor was only 6-7cm in). Did not have a coloanal anastomosis, but I do still have a temporary ileostomy. The fact that it was so low has made for a difficult recovery....it's been hard to sit for any period of time, sleep for more than 2 hours at a time, etc....and the ileostomy has contributed to the problems sleeping (always sleep on my side...difficult to do with the "bag") I too was spending most of my time lying on the couch. Was experiencing a lot of discomfort until I finally started to pass some yellowish-to-clear mucus. When I feel uncomfortable I find that it's usually this build-up of fluid. I did manage to return to work a few weeks ago, but still can't sit in my office chair for more than a few hours at a time, and that's using a variety of pillows to sit on (I've been warned against using inflatable "donuts").



I resisted taking the prescribed painkiller (percocet 5mg) for weeks after surgery, instead trying tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. After a couple of conversations with my surgeon and his nurse, I finally broke down and started taking them, and it has made a BIG difference. After using them for a while, I've developed enough of a tolerance so that they don't make me feel all doped up, but they DO take away the pain/discomfort. They've helped me sleep for more than a few hours at a time which has, in turn, helped my recovery. Tylenol alone is NOT up to the task.



I believe that the "ultra low" aspect of the surgery complicates and lengthens the recovery time. Tell your dad to hang in there, don't be shy about bugging the surgeon and his staff, and take the DRUGS!!

omg well not to sound negative but i have been living w/ the after effects of a lower anterior resection w/colostomy and a post vaginectomy for 4 yrs .. i can not control my bowels i am blown up constantly and no doc i switched 4 x since will help me i think i need my gall bladder out but they don't believe me it has been 4 yrs and i am tired of grinning and baring it. i can't make plans or go out to eat w/ friends bc it either stills comes right through me w/ no control or i blow up and run up and down to the bathroom 25 times a day easy.. my surgeon said it would last 3 months so far it's been 4 yrs. i felt better when i had an 8 inch tumor in my rectum and wasnt bloated go figure.

anonymous wrote:

Guest wrote:

Hi there,my husband will be having a low anterior resection this month because he had 2 fairly large tumors and was wondering after reading all the things here if you would have a better life with a ileostomy or colosmy? he already has a problem with his anal muscle being weak and has accidents all the time. i hate having to think of him having to have one of these but wonder after all the postings that would you rather had done the bag thing? hes retired but i'm not and i really think he won't go on any trips because of his problem. also did a hospital bed help and potty chair close ? just wondering what to expect. thanks

My dad had an ultra low anterior resection, with coloanal anastomosis, and temp. ileostomy surgery done May 29th of this year. He is currently at about 4 weeks post-op. He was sent home with a rectal tube for the first week after hospital discharge. Since that tube has been removed, he has been complaining of a lot of pain to inside the rectal/anal area. Also, there has been more mucousy-stool like discharge that just flows out of the rectum (despite the ileostomy). This stool like discharge just comes out even when he urinates, he cannot control it at all. The Tylenol #3s are not helping. The pain has been so bothersome that he cannot walk around or stand for too long. It's been tough seeing him go from being the man of the house to lying on the sofa all day long.
It would be nice if anyone who has any information to share could pass it along to me.

I'm 3 months out of an ultra-low LAR too (the tumor was only 6-7cm in). Did not have a coloanal anastomosis, but I do still have a temporary ileostomy. The fact that it was so low has made for a difficult recovery....it's been hard to sit for any period of time, sleep for more than 2 hours at a time, etc....and the ileostomy has contributed to the problems sleeping (always sleep on my side...difficult to do with the "bag") I too was spending most of my time lying on the couch. Was experiencing a lot of discomfort until I finally started to pass some yellowish-to-clear mucus. When I feel uncomfortable I find that it's usually this build-up of fluid. I did manage to return to work a few weeks ago, but still can't sit in my office chair for more than a few hours at a time, and that's using a variety of pillows to sit on (I've been warned against using inflatable "donuts").

I resisted taking the prescribed painkiller (percocet 5mg) for weeks after surgery, instead trying tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. After a couple of conversations with my surgeon and his nurse, I finally broke down and started taking them, and it has made a BIG difference. After using them for a while, I've developed enough of a tolerance so that they don't make me feel all doped up, but they DO take away the pain/discomfort. They've helped me sleep for more than a few hours at a time which has, in turn, helped my recovery. Tylenol alone is NOT up to the task.

I believe that the "ultra low" aspect of the surgery complicates and lengthens the recovery time. Tell your dad to hang in there, don't be shy about bugging the surgeon and his staff, and take the DRUGS!!

Hi guest,
I'd be interested on how you are doing more recently. I am 2 months out from a LAR but without a temp ileostomy. Your experience described in the post is very similar to my own. The constant variation, pain from gritty foods and the variation in diameter of bm's are all exactly what I have been experiencing. I tried metamucil instead of another laxative but I think this was a bad idea due to the increase in bulk. It moved but i had to go 20 times in one day.

It seems there is no where one can find good information other than here. It seems after surgery, we are on our own to figure out how to live with this.

I'm hoping to find a new "normal" what ever it is.

My operation was six years ago and things have never become normal. However, I have learned to live with the inconveniences (and pain when passing movements) and am just grateful that I'm still alive and kicking. It would be great if we could be told after surgery what we might expect but I guess they don't really know and are just bent on saving our lives when we are in theatre. Hope you have improved this year and all is well.

Hi Everyone, Greetings from 37 yr old male living in Middle east.

I had LAR in July 2011 followed by 27 days of ileostomy and closure surgery in July. Right now I am undergoing chemotherapy and normal bowel movement seems to be a distant dream. There are good days and bad days often. I guess this is how we have to accept life.

There are times when stool just forces out (especially when you are doing something important LOL ) and there are times when you are constipated for days. Worst part is you end up going to the loo at least 10+ times hoping the number will decrease as time passes by, but it's not the case i guess. I feel comfortable after reading several replies whom are going through similar problem.

But hey! keep your chin up! there is always hope (faith love & Hope remember?)

cheers!

I am scheduled to have my reversal in two weeks and after reading about all your expereinces I am scared. My anastomosis is very low, but accoding to my surgeon he does not expect that I will be having any major problems. I am suffering of severe diversion colitis right now and the only solution to the problem is the reversal. By the way, this is the worse thing that I have to live through in my life, but keep on thinking I am lucky to be alive for my 4 kids. Wish you all the best!

I'm gradually getting a handle on living with this.

I wanted to make sure I posted when I had good news since I think there is a tendency to see only negative information on blogs.
When people are feeling good they are not blogging about their experiences.

My LAR surgery was October 25th its now Feb. 13.
I've been trying Imodium to slow down my gut a bit.  Others have tried this successfully without any apparent long term effects.
My doctor thinks this is fine if it's working.  Which it is.
I was able to take my first airplane trip last week with no trouble. Yea!

I'm taking a half a chewable imodium each evening before bed.  This seems to eliminate the problem of going a dozen times a day and results in a more "normal" BM for me.  I'm also taking a chewable fiber tablet with each meal.  On occasion I don't go at all then I back off on the Imodium till I "catch up".

Sometimes I use Milk of Magnesia to get things moving.  I did this after my trip since I took a bit more Imodium to make it through the airplane trips.   I'd rather be a bit constipated for the day rather than the alternative. 

Another tip:  I had occasions where I was getting sever pain with the repetitive bowel movements.  I was using baby wipes to clean up and this resulted in being a bit too clean.  I was essentially removing all the natural skin oils.  This ended up causing a dishpan hands effect on my anus.  This included fissuring and cracking of the skin which caused the pain.  Wow that hurt!

My doctor recommended Balneol lotion.  This has been around for years and it works great!  It's available at all the drug stores where I've looked.

Hope this helps someone.

Craig

Yes, I usually avoid internet as there is lot of negative news, and no one seems to post good nes .. anyways .. i've been trying 'meditation' (i know it sounds stupid) .. but mind can do a lot of things, hope it works (especially when there is a thrust and very difficult to control incontinence, i found that relaxing mind actually helps) .. Hope I succeed .. If i get it .. next Imma try climb mount everest in my boxer shorts like the Dutch dude (google please)