Low BMI and surgery

[MyStar86]

Hi,

has anyone been refused surgery due to a low BMI? I know my bmi is only around 14 which is very low but I am at this weight due to my bowel issues and the constant pain I am in. My surgeon knows my weight and just warned me of the added risks but is happy to go ahead. I have had many surgeries before at this weight and been fine I even had one just 4 months ago but this is at a new hospital and I had my pre assessment yesterday and the nurse was so negative I cried the whole way through it as I need the surgery and she said it’s down to the anaesthetist so I will find out next week.

It’s ridiculous because I need the surgery to enable me to build up and get better so I am really scared I can’t wait any longer waiting this long has killed me if they make me wait to put on weight I don’t know how I will cope.

Has anyone had this happen before? I know it’s just the nurse saying this but she is the one who will speak to the anaesthetist so I’m really scared.

thank you

[Name-1]

My BMI is16. I have meteorismus,kramp in GI after other 5 surgical in abdomen. I have Non Hodzkin Lymphoma (MZL). I don't know what is your surgical?

[MyStar86 in reply to Name-1]

Hi, sorry I didn’t totally understand your reply did you mean you have had 5 surgeries with a bmi of 16? My surgery is to have an ileostomy but my surgeon is happy to go ahead it was just the nurse at my pre assessment that made a big thing about it and said it’s down to the anaesthetist whether they will go ahead but I’ve had 4 surgeries at this weight including a total hysterectomy so I have gone through major surgery and been ok. I think it was just the nurse as I’ve met with my surgeon many times so he is well aware of my weight and health issues but happy to go ahead because I need it to get better as I am in agony and cannot cope so I just have to hope that the anaesthetist thinks the same as my surgeon!!

[Name-1 in reply to MyStar86]

I had 5 surgeries before my BMI was 16. After therapy for NHL (two years) I have GI problems and low BMI.

[MyStar86 in reply to Name-1]

I hope they can help you with your GI issues and health however my question relates more to having surgery at a very low bmi but thank you for coming back to me.

[OldTed60]

Hi. I’m so sorry the nurse was so negative with you. I read your post and wondered if colorectal nurses are just a rather sadistic breed because I’m just off phone to one of mine and she was so negative as always that I end up feeling miserable. I too am being considered for ileostomy but have been warned for other reasons that I may be too medically complex to make the risks worth doing this. But if they don’t the consequences might be worse if I need emergency bowel surgery.

My BMI is normal for my age and height having previously been obese due to pain medications and steroids. However I’m losing weight consistently because of severe dysmotilty so now being considered for either gastric pacemaker or ileostomy.

What we really don’t need in this situation is a negative nurse. Mine always snaps at me that I’m not trying hard enough with the drugs and systems they send me and it’s so upsetting and unnecessary. But at the end of the day it’s only the surgeon and the nurses on the ward before and after who matter - not one specialist nurse who lacks compassion 🤗

[MyStar86]

thank you that means a lot I am just hoping it was the nurse as my surgeon was happy to go ahead and knows all about my situation vs this nurse who just seemed to judge me and belittle me it was very upsetting. I will wait to hear what happens next week but I feel I should make a complaint as it is was so awful she was negative about everything. I think sometimes these people get a bit too big for their boots and lack the compassion given the magnitude of the situation and she doesn’t know I’ve been suicidal with the pain and symptoms so the risks of surgery are far less than leaving me to suffer but she had not idea aviht this and just made the situation worse. She has meant that I am going to be worrying anxious all week which in turn won’t help my guts plus the stress makes me feel sick and less likely to eat more so she has done a very bad job. I just pray the anaesthetist sees that I only had surgery 4 months ago at this weight and was fine so he will be happy to go ahead. Hope is all I can do now and thank you for your kindness xx

[OldTed60 in reply to MyStar86]

I’m so sorry. I don’t suffer often with the pain you describe in my lower GI. But I am homebound and on a fortified liquid diet due to my dysmotility. I’m also immunosuppressed and have had 2 post op wound sepsis following GI surgery. And both times this could have been avoided if my drs had heeded my concerns and planned around my underlying conditions and treatments accordingly.

Yet so far this horrid nurse has forced me to try quite an invasive colonic irrigation system and a prokenetic medication I had already failed to tolerate once. I almost perforated my bowel using the system untrained and not having been examined rectally first - so was impacted further up. With the medication I’d told the surgeon and nurses that I couldn’t tolerate it and have well documented list of serious drug reactions. I retried it and ended up in A&E with face and lips swelling. So their “conservative approach” to avoid bowel surgery has so far proved risky for me.

With any disease affecting our bowels the last thing we need is insensitivity. Of all specialisms this one surely needs extra kindness rather than callousness. It makes me so sad. Maybe we have the same nurse or perhaps yours is a clone of mine?! X