Post-surgery scans?

[scoutfinch]

Hi everyone. I was wondering what kinds of scans or body checks were performed after your surgery to determine how you were healing both internally and externally?

I had a extended ileocecectomy in October (ileocecal valve and large amount of small intestine removed, including terminal ileum). I'm getting blood tests done every 2 months to check the normal stuff along with inflammatory markers and vitamin levels. My doctor suggested having an MRI in a few months, but hasn't suggested any other observations or tests. Luckily, my wounds seem to be healing fine (that is, no pain), but I'm wondering if there should be more monitoring taking place.

 

[DustyKat]

My two children have had ileocecectomies. Neither had post op imaging as a way of determining their healing/progress, only bloods tests as you are having as they had no post op complications.

My daughter did have a renal ultrasound 3 months after but that was only because she had Hydronephrosis pre op and they wanted to ensure that removing the affected bowel returned the kidney to normal.

Dusty. xxx

 

[hawkeye]

I had a left hemicolectomy in February and had a colonoscopy done in November by my GI as a follow up. Prior to the surgery they couldn't get past the stricture, so any scopes were of limited use.

I had a follow up with the surgeon at 8 weeks following surgery, and a follow up with my GI at about 12 or 14 weeks after surgery. I had a second follow up with the surgeon 9 months following surgery (it was scheduled for 6 or 7 months after surgery but scheduling issues pushed it back), one of the things he checked for was a hernia. The surgeon mention a final follow up in a year (that will be 21 months after surgery to check for a hernia.

I am on annual GI appointments as there was no evidence of crohn's visible when the scope was done in November.

 

[Grotbags]

I've just had my ileostomy done a month ago, and a follow up scan to check the healing wasn't mentioned, all I'll be getting are yearly scans and colonoscopys.

 

[Muppetgirl]

Same as the others, I have not had imaging just to check healing post surgery. I have annual MRI's, and others scans as and when required. I've only had imaging post op to investigate specific complications such as hematoma.

External wound sites should be checked at your follow up. If you had rectal surgery they would probably have checked internally but otherwise they tend only to do more if you are having problems.

 

[UnXmas]

I've just had my ileostomy done a month ago, and a follow up scan to check the healing wasn't mentioned, all I'll be getting are yearly scans and colonoscopys.

Can you have a colonoscopy with an ileostomy? You don't have a colon anymore, or at least what's left isn't connected.

 

[UnXmas]

I haven't had any tests specifically to assess post-op healing. I seem to end up having tests frequently for other purposes, and so I guess my doctors assume they'd have picked up on any post-op complications that way.

I've always had at least one follow-up appointment after surgery, and since my ileostomy, follow-ups with stoma nurses too, so I think they'd only arrange tests if something came up in those appointments that gave them a reason to. Before I had a stoma, my surgeon would always do a digital rectal examination and a sigmoidoscopy in the follow-up appointment too, (so glad I don't get those anymore!), but he did that in every appointment. Same with bloods: I have blood tests done every month or so, but that's not because I've had surgery, I have them anyway.

Short answer: if you're monitored anyway, you probably won't need additional tests despite having had surgery, unless some post-op complication arises.

 

[Grotbags]

Can you have a colonoscopy with an ileostomy? You don't have a colon anymore, or at least what's left isn't connected.

I still have a stump left, so I guess it's that they'll be keeping an eye on as they found some grade A cancer cells in the colon when they wheeked it out.
I'll be getting the stump removed at some point.
I have wondered though what they do if they want to look at your large intestine, do they put the tube in your stoma ?, I don't fancy that at all !.

 

[UnXmas]

Yes, they can scope your stoma. It's called an ileoscopy (when it's through an ileostomy anyway, I'm not sure if there are equivalents for people with colostomies, but I'm guessing there are since doctors usually find ways of sticking things into every orifice imaginable). It's not bad at all. I had it done just a few days after my first stoma surgery, when it was all still so sore and swollen, but it didn't hurt. I've been told stomas don't have nerves that detect pain, you just feel the pressure on areas surrounding it. I had no anaesthetic or sedatives, and it was very quick (though I'm not sure how far they needed to see, maybe there are more extensive ways of doing it). Didn't need to prep for it either. But they were scoping my small bowel, not my colon. I don't think there's a way to get to any remaining colon via an end ileostomy is there?

 

[UnXmas]

This page is about kids, but it's a good description of an ileoscopy: http://www.chp.edu/CHP/ileoscopy