Post op belly bulge

[mimi94]

Hi!
Just wondering if anyone has had a similiar experience to me and if they have any advice…..I had a perforated bowel from crohn's last year and spent 2 weeks in a medically induced coma with an open abdomen…thankfully I bounce straight back! I was started on remicade and am doing so unbelievably well on it that i feel like a whole new person :dusty:
The only thing is that since all this, my tummy has been quite distended and lumpy! I somehow managed to escape without a stoma and know im lucky to be so well but the appearance of my stomach is starting to bother me, especially as a 19 year old girl! Its like theres a bulge in the middle of my abdomen, which is uneven on either side of my scar, which has contracted in the middle causing my stomach to look sort of like a bum?? My surgeon says that theres no sign of a hernia but isnt able to tell me whats causing the lump?
Is it possible that its just because all my muscles have been cut through? Has anyone else had something like this and was there anything you were able to do to get rid of it or at least improve it?? I really want to go see a plastic surgeon about it but my parents really arent keen on the idea of an elective surgery!
Thanks XxOo

 

[DJW]

Hi.

I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help.
Pure speculation: have you been able to gain weight since surgery? If the scar is tight it might cause that bulge. Again, just speculating.

 

[Muppetgirl]

Hi mimi, what a traumatic time you have had. If the changes bother you then it matters. Esp when you are young. I have had long term changes. One side of my abdomen sticks out more than the other . I had a uterine mass (unrelated to my endometriosis) that originally caused it to stick out more, but after it was removed my tummy stayed that way. Later on with further ops my belly button shifted so it is no longer central, but offside! I have a few other depressions or bumps. I spoke to my surgeon and after checking for hernias, he just looked a bit sheepish and said I'm sorry about that! It is unconnected to weight for me. I think it probably is to do with the muscle and the way things are sewn up. Maybe ab strethening would help but obviously be careful. I think it can take up to a year for things to fully heal/strengthen. I would guess there is no harm in talking it through to see if you do have options plastic surgery wise.

 

[afidz]

I would get a second opinion, it sounds like a hernia to me. My last surgeon told me that I didn't have a hernia and everything "felt fine" and I believed him. Later I got a CT and I now have the biggest hernia I have had yet (I have had several).
Do you know if they used mesh when they closed your abdomen?

 

[tzvia]

It's hard to know for sure, but it sounds like just the way that your scar has healed. A perforated bowel usually means emergency surgery and they don't always make the cleanest cuts in an emergency. I had non-emergency surgery and I even have a spot where the belly fat kind of hangs over where it didn't used to, and I have the "front butt" look as well. If you're sure it's not a hernis, one thing that you can try is going to a massage therapist that specializes in breaking up scar tissue and adhesions. That may help with the appereance of your scar. I'd recommend that before plastic surgery.

 

[mimi94]

Thanks so much to you all!! I'm new to this forum but it's so nice to talk to people who have similar experiences! My friends and family are so so supportive but sometimes they don't really understand, no matter how hard they try!
Fortunately i managed to gain yhe weight back without any problem so I don't think that's it! I haven't been great with regard to regaining muscle mass though so it is possibly due to laxity of my abdominal muscles!
Thanks again to you all for the advice! Really appreciate it!

 

[Ki3]

I had a giant lumpy stomach after my surgery (was also because of perforation) but I was given the blessing (pfft) of an ostomy, so I'm not sure if that's any different. But anyway mine took about 4 or 5 months to go down, and sometimes it randomly bulges up again. Sorry I'm not that helpful, but I did have a similar thing happen, and It's back to normal now. (Unless I eat something stupid haha)

Good luck solving the mystery!

 

[scoutfinch]

Hi mimi94,
You're not alone. I also have the "front butt" problem. Had open abdominal surgery in October and while the incision above my belly button is somewhat flat, the 2 inches below is bumpy. Since the waist area is where fat usually accumulates anyway, the bulge is exaggerated. My plan is to get back into an exercise regimen to try to burn off some of the fat.

I don't expect to return to having a perfectly flat belly -the muscles are changed forever - but I can probably get toned enough that I won't feel self-conscious baring my mid-section in public! My suggestion to you would be to try exercise as a first resort. Good luck!