THD Post Procedure Recovery

GOOD MORNING - DAY 2

Great nights sleep! One trip to pee and then right back to sleep. The Melatonin worked well - slept till 9:30.

This morning I woke to some minor burning and some pressure. Felt like perhaps it might be time for first BM. Took two 200mg Ibuprofen in anticipation of the possiblity. Went for a walk around the neighborhood.

When I got back I felt ready to give it a go - nothing more than gas (ahhh - bloating releif), and one small bloody spot of mucous.

DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS

Here are the discharge instructions I was given after the surgery...

- Diet:

Drink 8-10 glasses of non-carbonated, non-caffeine, non-alcoholic beverages per day.

Eat high fiber diet.

- Activity:

May resume normal activity.

No heavy lifting, straining, pushing, or excercise for two weeks.

Take warm sitz baths for 10-20 minutes 3-4 times per per day and after each bowel movement.

- Discharge Medications:

A prescription for post operative pain has been provided. Please take all medication as directed.

Take one teaspoon of Konsyl 6.0 fiber supplement in liquid per day or one teaspoon of Metamucil two times per day.

Should you become constipated, take one oz. or 30 ml od Milk of Magnesia. Repeat in 6 hours if no results.

Take three to four tablespoons of mineral oil three times per day.

*****DO NOT take any aspirin-containing products for at least two weeks. (Tylenol is approved)

-Special Instructions:

You may have blood in your bowel movements from a few days up to a few weeks. If it becomes steady and/or excessive, call the office.

Most stitches will dissolve. It is normal to see them in the toilet bowl.

Mucous discharge and swollen anal tissue are common after surgery. The usually DOES NOT indicate a problem.

Urinary retention is possible causing the need for a temporary catheter. If you are experiencing this problem please contact our office during normal hours or go straight to the nearest ER after hours.

- Follow-Up:

Please call the office to make a follow up appointment after your procedure.

Call the office if you have any further questions or comments.

____________________________

Although feeling fine, I've decided to stay home today, do the sitz bath thing, some house cleaning, some gardening, and some Netflix.

On todays menu...

- breakfast was applesauce with Trader Joe's cinnamon added and some "Dave's Blues Bread (toasted) - a multi-grain locally made bread.

- lunch will be a stir fry of fresh veggies, brown rice, and some lightly steamed kale from the garden.

and of course the mineral oil, stool softener, additional fiber, 8-10 glasses of water, etc.

 

DAY 3

Day 3 was the most uncomfortable day. No BM and bloated all day - even though passing gas frequently. I did start the day with a walk and then went out and ran a few errands.

When back home the bloating was miserable. I made many trips to the toilet in hopes of a first BM but nothing except gas. The minor joy was feeling my sphincter muscles work.

The combination of things injested - food, stool softeners, mineral oil, fiber, etc. has created something most fowl!! I've been sleeping GREAT, though several trips to the restroom due to all the liguid I'm drinking. The melatonin is working well, and I'm sure the rest is helping with the healing.

There were sevral hours today when neither sitting, nor standing for any length of time felt comfortable. Lying down didn't seem appealing at all.

DAY 4

Gassy night, but woke up and the bloating had passed.  Went for a walk this morning -  came back and ate breakfast (oatmeal and fruit). Along about noon I was on the phone for a bit and feeling the need to go. It felt no different than all the other trips which resulted in only the passing of gas, BUT...

FINALLY!! First bowel movement. Not particularly spectacular, soft and narrow. no sign of "the plug", no significant pain. I did take an Ibuprofen (200mg) last night before bed, which I would expect had worn off by noon today.

The area is tender and again I'm thankful for the inflateable donut. Time for a sitz bath.

 

 

DAY 5

Stayed home and suffered with more bloating, gas and many BMs of Diarrhea. Following directions for water, fiber, stool softener, sitz baths, etc. Went for a couple short walks. Didn't feel safe to get too far from throne.

Today was almost as bad as yesterday. Appreciating the donut, the comfort sitz baths bring, and Netflix.

 

I also should mention (again) what a joy it is to have a sphincter which at this stage seems to be working well.

Days 6, 7 & 8

The recovery continues well*. Feeling better all the time. Sticking with the recovery regimen as outlined in a prior post. It's a 3-day weekend and (other than walks) I'm avoiding going out.

*Major concern arose last night after a BM - prolapsed tissue! I don't know if this is new hemorrhoid formation or something to do with the stitched tissue sagging. My doctor's office is closed for the weekend, so I'll be scheduling a review tomorrow.

 

 

DAY 9

Fully "Back on my Feet". I probably could have been yesterday, but it was a 3-day weekend - so just relaxed for one more day.

DAY 10 - Follow-up With Surgeon

Met with Doctor for a follow-up. He's not concerned about the prolapsing tissue. Says it's to be expected. Recommended that I stop taking the mineral oil, but stay on the stool softener until the prescription runs out - about 8 more days.

He says the "sloughing" of tissue (prolapsing) that I'm experiencing will continue for about 6 weeks - not to worry, and that I'm healing well.

Another follow-up scheduled for 3 weeks from now. I'm having consistent "normal" bowel and urinary processes. Unless something note-worthy happens I won't be back before then.

DAY 11

If you asked me today if I would recommend this surgery - YES! I can go about my day and not have to stop and find a place to tuck my innards back inside myself - YEAH!

ONE MONTH

EXCELLENCE! All is well! No prolapsing. I'm totally happy with the results. I definitely recommend this surgery!

The doctor told me that I might experience some prolapsing of tissue for 6 to 8 weeks while my body"sloughed off" the tissue that was no longer being fed by the veins that had been cut. My experience is that after 4 weeks I'm there. Perhaps there is more internal tissue to slough off. But today I had a healthy bowel movement that felt "NORMAL" and ended "NORMAL". I've been going about all normal activities for several weeks without "hemmy" issues. MARVELOUS!

Unless something significant arises, this will be my last post here.

Hope this helps.

THD done 2-14-14.  Nice holiday.  It appears this procedure is more painful than one might think.  I can't take most pain meds because of allergy’s and Ibuprofen only goes so far.  They did not tell me about the bandage and I took it off while in the recovery room.  There is no point in going to the men's room with your rear taped closed.  It was a non-event, very little blood.  The real issue was I made evry effort to modify my diet prior to and post the procedure, but the pain from a BM is over the moon.  It is unclear to me if the rectum will ever be as subtle and return to its original size.  I can't imagine how long this will take to heal well enough so you can eat a real meal.  I am glad I did it because it is very aggravating living with this condition and I hope it is a cure and I can return to my normal healthy diet.  Good luck to all.

@ Guest (the last post)...my sentiments exactly. Just had my THD done last week and this is the biggest question on my mind right now.. if the rectum will ever be as subtle and return to its original size. I can't imagine how long this will take to heal well enough so you can eat a real meal as well.... I'm mainly on a very high fibre healthy diet now with lots of fluid to get a liquid consistency of BM for narrower rectum I have now!.
@ Guest ...or anyone else that has had the procedure done over a month... please confirm if your rectum has now returned to its normal size to tolerate a normal healthy diet and normal BM.

Thank you for your most helpful post. I am healing from the THD day 5 and your info is very encouraging. I have a bit of prolapse and am concerned. Sounds like that is ok for now. Hope my end result is a good as yours. Cheers!

I am on day 5 healing. I am wondering how your are doing several months later. How long did it take to get back to normal? I am doing very well for having had this done on Monday but wondering what to expect. Hope all turned out great! Cheers.

Hi , I healed eventually, albeit various stages of healing. From inflamed rectum, to uncomfortable , sometimes painful BM's, to slight bleeding during BM , etc.I still have some skin tag (small lump of skin) due to old anal fissures hanging around , but otherwise Im back to how I was pre- haemorrhoids down there. Which is a big relief as I had given up hope before the THD that this could never happen again.
I'm told one has to continue with a healthy diet and exercise routine though , to prevent the hemorrhoids from returning in future. This I am sticking to big time, as I never want to go through the THD experience ever again! Hope this helps.

Thanks....very encouraging. I am hoping to be in a much improved state at the end of this. Sounds like you are now. Yes...I am with you will certainly do healthy diet, exercise and whatever else to avoid going through all of this again. Thanks for your quick reply. :-)

I am on day 6 of healing from THD. Had prolapse repaired as well as internal grade 3 hemmorrhoids. I feel I am doing well but am noticing some prolapse is still present. Especially at the end of the day or after bowel movement. Can I expect this to decrease over time or should I be concerned? I am following the doc's directions completely. It is the weekend and can't call the doc. Thanks for sharing your helpful story on here.

I feel badly for you, but I've had a very good experience with THD. After 16 weeks, my stage three hemorrhoids are gone, the bleeding has stopped, and I am pain-free. It definitely took longer to heal than what they told me, but the procedure absolutely works. I wonder if all doctors are equally trained? I sought out a surgeon with a lot of experience with THD, and he won't do it unless the patient is likely to be cured. He said he uses a harmonic scalpel in cases where he doubts THD will work, but his patients report a much longer and much more painful recovery after the cutting.

It took me eight weeks for all the symptoms you mention to go away, but now I'm in good shape. Stick with fiber and Colace! Also, wait until you really have to go -- and then get up as soon as you're done! I read that what people think is prolapse is actually skin tags from shrunken hemorrhoids, but I haven't experienced that problem thankfully.