Pain Relief from Excision Surgery / Bowel Resection?

[lupin7627]

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you are all as well as you can be.

I wonder if anyone on here that has had excision surgery with bowel resection for their endo could let me know if it was worth it. I am currently trying to decide if I should go ahead with this surgery (I have stage 4 endo and surgery is all that they have offered me)

I'm under the care of a BSGE centre and I have been told that they can just shave the bowel endo but this may not get all of it. If I do require resection they cannot tell me if a stoma bag will be required or if it will result in open surgery.

I'm finding it difficult to make a decision when they cant really tell me anything for certain, it feels like you've just got to agree and see what happens. I;m also concerned about the recovery time. I have spoke with the bowel surgeon who estimates 2-4 weeks whcih really seem very optimistic especially with the rest of the excision surgery require as its on my ovary, bladder, recto-vaginal fold and bowel.

I have been told that I can 'wait and see' but that just fills me with more worry that its just going to get worse and then even more surgery will be required at a later date.

If anyone has experienced a similar surgery I would love to hear from you. the thought of being so unable to do anything after my surgery also fills me with worry. I'm trying my best to be positive, but at times it is just so hard!

Best Wishes

Lou x

[Stellauk]

Hi Lou

I just had similar operation 2 weeks ago. I had the bowel shaved and doing absolutely fine. You can check my most recent post. The colon surgeon recommended minimal invasive surgery where possible. He did warn me the possible risks of more complex surgery. However, they must mention all risks out fear being sued!

If you believe in the surgeons then let them make the best clinical decisions for you. They are there to help you.

All the best

[lupin7627 in reply to Stellauk]

Hi Stella,

Thank you for your reply, I am pleased to hear you are doing well so soon after your surgery. I do trust in the surgeons and feel that I could not be in any better hospital for the treatment that has been suggested. I will read your posts as you suggest.

Thanks again!

Lou x

[Stellauk in reply to lupin7627]

The surgeon can't tell anything for certain because they don't know for certain until they open you up and halfway through the operation. That is why they go through all the possible scenarios beforehand. So there is informed consent. I also found the consultant can be a bit gloomy. He always goes on about what the possible risks are. Did you ask him whether the operation is definitely recommended? Would he do it to his own daughter for example?

[lupin7627]

I did get the impression that they have to paint a picture of the worse case scenario just in case. They have said I may or may not need a temporary stoma too, again with the gloom! The rate of operations that require one is quite low with my surgeon so fingers crossed for not needing one. The decision to operate has been left to me, he said he had patients in the past that decided to wait but then came back in need of a larger and more urgent operation.

[Sweetyassi]

Hi, I had bowel resection done due to endo inside my bowels in 2009. My bowels were damaged and now have celiac disease and an eating disorder. I'm still struggling with endo as its come back near my bowels, inside and on top of my bladder and both of my ovaries. I'm still in pain.

My operation was open and it took me well over a year to recover. I didn't have a stoma bag, thank goodness for that.

Sweety.