Any experience advice on twisted bowel please

[Bumpkin74]

Hi, a week ago I was diagnosed with twisted bowel, most pain I've ever known,they did an operation to untwist my intestine and I'm on the mend now.

My question is has anyone else experienced this? Did it re occur because apparently it can!! I was given no reason why it happened apparently it just happens!

many thanks

John

[Hidden]

My daughter is a vet and I do know that if a dog presents with the symptoms it's all systems go to operate straight away or it is a death sentence for the animal! Don't know of the incidence in humans, but thank goodness it was found and fixed for you!

[Barnclown]

Yes: the pain related to this is extraordinarily intense. V much feeling for you. My former boss had emergency surgery for this when he was in his 80s & did very well afterwards. Hope you do well too

Twisted bowel can be caused in several different ways. In my case, medics have me on SOS re symptoms of twisted bowel because all my lower GI tract is super stretchy due to hypermobileEDS which has also given me severe slow transit dysmotility constipation with history of acute faecal impactions (AKA Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction). All that makes me prone to twisted bowel. The important thing is that we minimise impactions, so gastroenterology has me on combined therapy treatment plan which is helping ( this time last year my GP rushed me to A&E where imaging confirmed high colon faecal obstructions so I was admitted to surgical ward for 6 days while the lead surgeon scratched his head…this was at our local secondary care hospital…so he had to hand me over to my tertiary care Univ Hosp gastro team. Together we sorted this out, but I remain on constant alert for signs of impaction & twisted bowel

I’m 68 & all my immune dysfunction + connective tissue disorder illnesses were childhood onset, incurable, multisystem & progressive. So we know the causes of my GI tract issues & it makes sense that my predisposition to twisted bowel has increased with age due to increasing general debilitation caused by my diagnosed conditions

My feeling is that your GP & Gastroenterologist really would do best to discuss your version of this with you, so you have more understanding of what has happened & the probable causes. They may not be able to definitively explain why this has happened, but they can at least offer you several possible reasons & suggest the best way forward to avoid it happening again etc

I’m in the U.K. & this source of info is NHS approved, so here’s the link:

patient.info/doctor/volvulu...

[Bumpkin74 in reply to Barnclown]

Many thanks for your reply, yes the pain was unimaginable, I really didn't know what pain was until now, 1 minute felt like 1 hour and I had to wait 22 hours before surgery, which I'm not complaining about considering the current conditions. The thought that it can happen to anyone apparently and also that it can come back is quite terrifying, however I have already decided to try not and live in fear.

I've just started research on it as it only happened 1 week ago and I'm still in hospital, have you heard of gastropexy? Not entirely sure but it seems like a surgery where they support your intestine so that there is much less chance of it happening?

Again many thanks for your reply I really appreciate it.

John

[Barnclown in reply to Bumpkin74]

You’re totally welcome!

No, hadn’t heard of gastropexy, but just now ran a quick search & found very little on it, other than being used on patients with enteral (tube) feeding probs. My impression is that you’be correctly understood that gastropexy aims to help support various structures inc the bowel etc. Hope you’ll let us know how you get on 🍀✌️

[Bumpkin74 in reply to Barnclown]

Sorry, I didn't see the link, I'll study that now Many thanks

[Barnclown in reply to Bumpkin74]

Hope it’s useful…are you in the U.K.?

[Bumpkin74 in reply to Barnclown]

Very useful thanks and yes I am in the UK.

[Mutleyforever]

Hi Bumpkin, it sounds like you have an overlong colon which has extra twists to fit inside your abdominal cavity, also known as a tortuous colon or redundant colon. I too have this anomaly which may never cause any issues or could unfortunately as in your case!I’m ,glad it was addressed so quickly and hopefully will not recur, try not to worry about it recurring but don’t delay in seeking help if you feel any severe abdominal pain……I’m sure you won’t! Best Wishes Mutley

[Barnclown in reply to Mutleyforever]

Hope you & Bumpkin don’t mind if I ask you a question. Mutley:

my gastro team & I know I have an especially long stretchy sigmoid loop. But so far I haven’t asked them if this can relate to tortuous or redundant colon. My obstructions occur simultaneously at the ileocecal valve & at the high upper descending colon (more detail is in my reply above)

Has long stretchy sigmoid loop been mentioned re your case?

[Mutleyforever in reply to Barnclown]

Hi Barnclown, apparently my colon is more than 5 feet long which means it has excess tight twists to fit in, but no mention made of it being more’ stretchy’ than usual, this sounds a more particular health issue due to your hypermobile EDS. Hope this makes sense, best Wishes Mutley

[Barnclown in reply to Mutleyforever]

Yes, does make sense. So, your case involves redundant colon, yes?

[Mutleyforever in reply to Barnclown]

Hi Barnclown, these terms ‘ redundant and tortuous colon’ are sometimes used interchangeably. My colonoscopy report stated a tortuous colon with very tight sigmoid descending, which is possibly causing me problems 😬 take care Mutley

[Barnclown in reply to Mutleyforever]

Thanks 👍💞