Still feeling obstructed after resection

[Khaley]

Hi. I just had open resection surgery 19 days ago. He resected about a foot of my terminal ileum and did three strictureplasties (two Heineke-Mikulicz and one Jaboulay). For the last several months prior to surgery I was feeling really blocked up in my lower abdomen due to a functional obstruction and I had a lot of uncomfortable distension. I was also burping like crazy.

So, the surgery went really well. I had very little inflammation and I'm recovering quickly. I was only in the hospital four days and was back to walking my dogs at the dog park by day five (thanks to the lovely oxycodone). However...as the incision pain lessens, I'm thinking I still have the uncomfortable partial obstruction feeling in my lower abdomen. I still have the firmness that I can sort of move around and I'm still burping a lot. I'm sort of afraid he missed something or it's scar tissue from surgery. I definitely have a large, firm knot at the bottom of the incision.

Is this normal right after surgery? I know it will be a few more weeks until I'm fully recovered. Perhaps there's still swelling that needs to go down? I'd love to hear from those of you who've had resections on how you felt in the first few weeks after surgery. Thank you.

 

[Khaley]

BTW, I am considerably better than before surgery. By the week before surgery my pain had gotten so bad I couldn't even walk unassisted. Plus, I was mostly on a liquid diet. So I AM better. I'm just not sure I'm completely better.

 

[DJW]

Hi Khaley.

I'm afraid I'm a bit stumped. It could be post surgery inflammation but it could be something else. I'd suggest giving the surgeon a call. He/she may want you in sooner just to be safe.

I truly hope its nothing. Sending you my support.

 

[Khaley]

Thanks, Dave. I think that's good advice. Perhaps I'll give it another week and then give him a call if I still feel this way.

 

[UnXmas]

After abdominal surgeries, I always get a tight feeling in my stomach. I think it's just from tensing up due to the pain. If you're walking around in a kind of doubled-over way, and maybe clutching your stomach a bit, and are automatically resisting doing anything that involves much bending or stretching because you're sore, I'd say that's probably normal.

Another possibility is that the pain meds can be constipating, sometimes even in those with Crohn's who are prone to diarrhoea, especially if you're not used to them, so you might be feeling blocked up due to that - are you having normal(ish) bowel movements?

But on the other hand, remember that it's possible the painkillers are masking more severe pain. So I think DJW has the only real answer - so many things can happen after surgery, it's difficult to compare.

 

[Khaley]

Hi UnXmas. Yeah, my stool is soft and formed and I'm not in much post-surgical pain. I think a call to my surgeon is in order. I was really hoping people would tell me this is perfectly normal and to just hold on a few weeks, but that seems not to be the case. Thanks for your reply.