Hi there,
I had my first surgery back in 2003 when 60cm of small intestine was removed to remove various stenois plus a stricturplastic performed. That was done about 50cm above the ileocycal valve.
Well, anyway, throughout the last 12 years there were better and worse times. However, in the last 3 years, I had little in terms of inflation and was generally feeling pretty good, until about March of this year, when I had increased problems with gas and other discomfort. I must admit, even during the times I felt really good, gas was a problem and new stenosis might have developed at any time in the last several years.
In any event, in May I had a coloscopy which showed a stenosis a few cm after the ileocycal valve that my gastroenterologist couldn't get through. We agreed to first have a 3 month course of budesonide and then have me do another colonoscopy at a hospital at which stage that stenosis, if it hadn't receded, could be baloon dilated. That was done 3 weeks ago, with two stenosis in a row being dilated. However, two further stenosis could be seen thereafter, and the doc who did the colonoscopy wanted to do an MRI first to check whether there weren't further stenosis behind those additional 2 ones before dilating them.
After the MRI it looks like there is a 30cm area starting 5 cm above the ileocycal valve which includes 3 stenosis which are all short. The option I was given are A. try dilation and then upgrade mediation to aza + humira IF dilation of all stenosis is successful or B. go for surgery of the 30cm right away and then upgrade from aza to aza+humira.
My gastroenterologist, due to the severity of how narrow the stenosis were on the MRI, said better to go for surgery. I will have a second opionin next week, as I have an appointment with the doc who did the dilation.
Ok, my question is as follows - people who have stenosis where dilation is a potential option, did dilation work for anyone long term in case of several severe stenosis?
I had my first surgery back in 2003 when 60cm of small intestine was removed to remove various stenois plus a stricturplastic performed. That was done about 50cm above the ileocycal valve.
Well, anyway, throughout the last 12 years there were better and worse times. However, in the last 3 years, I had little in terms of inflation and was generally feeling pretty good, until about March of this year, when I had increased problems with gas and other discomfort. I must admit, even during the times I felt really good, gas was a problem and new stenosis might have developed at any time in the last several years.
In any event, in May I had a coloscopy which showed a stenosis a few cm after the ileocycal valve that my gastroenterologist couldn't get through. We agreed to first have a 3 month course of budesonide and then have me do another colonoscopy at a hospital at which stage that stenosis, if it hadn't receded, could be baloon dilated. That was done 3 weeks ago, with two stenosis in a row being dilated. However, two further stenosis could be seen thereafter, and the doc who did the colonoscopy wanted to do an MRI first to check whether there weren't further stenosis behind those additional 2 ones before dilating them.
After the MRI it looks like there is a 30cm area starting 5 cm above the ileocycal valve which includes 3 stenosis which are all short. The option I was given are A. try dilation and then upgrade mediation to aza + humira IF dilation of all stenosis is successful or B. go for surgery of the 30cm right away and then upgrade from aza to aza+humira.
My gastroenterologist, due to the severity of how narrow the stenosis were on the MRI, said better to go for surgery. I will have a second opionin next week, as I have an appointment with the doc who did the dilation.
Ok, my question is as follows - people who have stenosis where dilation is a potential option, did dilation work for anyone long term in case of several severe stenosis?
