Rectal Surgery
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From: Andy Petro on 12 Jan 2006 19:34 I had my complete rectum removed due to cancer over 2 years ago.I use a colostomy and it is irreversible. Cancer appears to be cured,. My main problem is that the area on my rectum where the surgery was performed still hurts when i sit down . It appears to feel raw and itchy all the time. Has anyone had this problem. My surgeon says that it can take years to heal or maybe never!!
From: The Rocket Scientist on 13 Jan 2006 14:45 My rectum is also slow in healing. After 3 years it still oozes a bit and needs a dressing. I am also in some pain every day. The good news is, the oozing has diminished considerably and so has the pain. In my case, patience is paying off. My surgeon initially considered sendng me to a plastic surgeon for a skin graft. He performed a debridement to prepare the area, and that is when the healing accelerated. Bill Sullivan
From: jwalking on 14 Jan 2006 09:51 This is a really hard place to heal...I worked with a colon rectal surgeon, many years ago, and one of the things that he did to promote healing was to keep the area shaved. It has to heal from the inside out and many times just one hair can turn in and keep the area open and irritated. Sometimes too, it can almost close on the surface and leave a pocket deeper inside that will continue to drain. Regular follow-up is necessary until it heals. Good luck,
From: ralph p. on 16 Jan 2006 12:01 hi, it's been 9 months since my rectum was removed. the wound, though very narrow, is still about 2 inches deep and very productive. it's dismaying. my surgeon debrides the wound about once a month and uses chemical cautery (silver nitrate), and recommends stuffing it with 1/4 inch gauze strip daily. no estimate on when the wound will be completely healed. one problem that may have slowed the healing process is that i had an inflammation in the pelvis caused by repeated surgeries attempting to remove a rectal polyp. in my case, i really haven't had any pain. but it has been discouraging having to wear maxi-pads and gauze all the time. i asked about this on the group before, and one person said that it isn't unusual to take 12 months for the wound to heal. 2 years sounds excessive ... best of luck. --ralph p.
From: Merlin on 16 Jan 2006 14:22
"ralph p." <papakhi(a)indiana.edu> wrote: >one person said that it isn't unusual to take 12 months for the wound >to heal. 2 years >sounds excessive ... best of luck. --ralph p. I've had a similar problem for.. over 3 years now. It's minimal hassle. I can change gauze/ pads morning and evening and get on with things. It was several times/ day in the past. Trouble is, the surgery to fix it (in MY case), is likely to be about 20% effective. So a 4 in 5 chance, that it'll be the same or worse, after months off work? No thanks. For now I just put up with it. |