Is it time for surgery need your advice!

[F.u.Crohns]

I have crohns disease, lately my right lower adnominal been hurting. I bevlive that's my illeminum. The meds I currently on is 25 mg of predisone tapering off and humira shot. I been on humira for 5 months now. I have an Dr appointment coming up next month, I wonder is it time to talk about surgery with the g.I. doc. Also what surgery is the best ?

Thanx

 

[valleysangel92]

The decision about when to have surgery is a very personal one, there are no right or wrong answers but many believe that delaying surgery for as long as possible is the better way to go, as surgery can have lasting effects. Once you loose part of your bowel, its gone forever.

Humira is one if the medications that can take a while to work, so you may need to stick with it a little longer, you could also have the dose upped if your doctor thinks its needed.

There are lots of other medications which you could try either alongside or instead of the Humira, including azathiopine, 6MP, Remicade and pentasa etc ( although pentasa and the others in that group would be better alongside another medication.)

If you have scarring, then medication wont treat it, but if there's inflammation, it has a good chance. Its just a case of finding the correct combination for you. Take your time and think about it, don't go rushing into anything yet.

The type of surgery you would need would depend on the location of the damage, the severity of your disease and the surgeons personal preference.

 

[UnXmas]

A lot of things can cause pain, it's impossible for us to say what is causing yours and whether it's something that could be successfully addressed with surgery. Surgery is often proposed after attempts with medication have failed, but there are other factors to consider, e.g. the risks of general anaesthetic, whether surgery could prevent future problems, etc. What surgery could help you is something that will have to be determined by a doctor who has seen recent test results and been able to assess the location and severity of your disease and any complications that may have arisen. It may be that the cause of your pain isn't something that can be treated with surgery. How severe is the pain, and have you tried pain medication? Do you want to consider surgery purely to help with this pain, or are you suffering from other symptoms as well?

 

[sugacookie]

Hi, I was poorly for crohns for 6 yrs and I was on infliximab and then I was put on humira. I was told a operation/ ill ileostomy was the best thing for my by my consultant and I kept saying no!
I had no quality of life and just kept resisting it as I was only 25. When I was 29 I had been in bed for a grin and out of hospital yet I still kept saying no to surgery. Then days before my 30th bday I was told I had to have surgery or my organs would just shut down and I would die.

Unfortunately as I was so week they could not do an ileostomy so they could only do a colostomy. So now I will have to have a second surgery to do the ileostomy.

The surgery was the best thing that could have happened for me as now I am well and loving life. I wish I had done it earlier and not had to do in again for major surgery.

Yes the bag is sometimes a annoying but it's not stopping me from doing anything I want to do x

You may have diff condition to me so you may not need it, but if you do don't be scared as it can be a new lease of life x