Post op checkup

[Grumbletum]

I'm now exactly two months post op and continue to feel really well - yay! But as there has been no sign of a post op review appointment, I phoned the hospital. Seems the colorectal surgeon and GI's office have been playing ping pong about who should be doing the review. The surgeon who saw me the day I was discharged a week after the op had mentioned the possibility of going to see a GI I used to see when first diagnosed ( island life is complicated! )
So the GI's secretary phoned me today to say that he will see me at his clinic on the mainland in the New Year.
I'm just wondering what the standard time is to go for a post op review?

 

[DustyKat]

Hey Grumble!

So fab to hear that all is going well! YAY!

For my two it was review with the surgeon 6 weeks after the date of the surgery. If all was well, which it was, it was then at this point that care for the ongoing management of their Crohn's was handed back to the GI.

Dusty. xxx

 

[Susan2]

It's great that you are doing so well, Helen. My surgery was so long ago that I don't remember exactly but probably about six weeks. My feeling is that I would like the surgeon to see it at least once but, in your situation, where you have particular problems of access, and because you are feeling so well, it might be OK to go straight to monitoring by your GI. What did they mean by "in the New Year"? Can you push for as early an appointment as possible in 2013? :hug:

 

[Grumbletum]

Thank you for your replies. I got a letter today for an appointment with the Inverness ( mainland ) GI on 17th January so that's good and it makes sense to see him for continuity purposes.
Yes, I'm not sure why I'm not seeing the surgeon again, although he did say on discharge that it was the GI I would see next. I had no major problems during/after surgery and no dressings and clean dry puncture sites on release.

 

[DustyKat]

Good luck with the appointment Grumble!

It does seem a little strange that the surgeon doesn't want to check his handiwork again, it is the norm out here for them to do that, but the main thing is you are doing fab and when it is all said and done the surgeon wouldn't be doing anything more than the GI is capable of in the physical sense. The only thing that can be useful when you see the surgeon later is you have a better opportunity to discuss the surgery and the pathology reports/pictures and you are often in a better frame of mind to retain the information.

Dusty. xxx

 

[Tummy trouble]

Hi there, I have wondered this myself after having surgery just over two weeks ago. I was advised that I would be seen after four weeks and then received an outpatient appt for the 21 Jan 2013?? When I queried it they changed it to the 9th Jan and then just this afternoon I had a phonecall to say the surgeon wants to see me sooner and I am due to go 17 December. My stricture was removed and has been sent for analysis so hopefully I will have more infomation at my appointment. I think the usual follow up appt should be offered within 4-6 weeks - good luck with it all

 

[Mel13]

Hi Grumbletum,

I had my follow up appointment 2 weeks after surgery (surgery was 14 Nov) and my surgeon wants to see me again on the 11th. I think January is quite a long time after your surgery- can they see you sooner?

 

[Grumbletum]

I dont know if they will, Mel, unless I'm having complications or concerns, which I'm not, thankfully. I saw a GP about a week and a half after the op, but that was mainly to get a line for work. They did check my puncture sites and he advised me that the GI would want to see me to decide what to do about maintenance meds.