Surgery Question: ER or Elective?

[Nytefyre]

For all those out who have had surgery, how did it happen? Was your surgery scheduled or did you have to go to the ER?

My first surgery was scheduled, but I didn't make it. I blame Las Vegas! You see, my wife, some friends, and I were in Las Vegas. I had a horrendous time of the tables. Bad Froggie(my nickname)! I ended up losing a great deal of money. I had horrible pains, which I was treating with what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. I was passing a lot of blood. I was weak and dizzy. My wife saved us by hitting a royal flush in the airport! She won $1000 and off we went. My surgery was to be some weeks in the future, but I didn't make it. We went to the bank to deposit the money once we touched down in our city(at the time Ft Lauderdale FL). Then we went to the ER. I sat in the ER for 5 hours before being taken to the back. My wife was bringing towels because I was cold, shivering, and thought I was dying! Trying to make a LONGERstory short, I touched down from Vegas, went to the ER, then emerged from the hospital 17 days later. Sucks.

So what about y'all? ER or elective?

 

[Crohn's 35]

My first one, was emergency, my Gi decided to keep me there after I was in a week prior for a appendectomy (sp) I was let out only to go back a few days later with excrciating bad pains, he kept me there a week on IV of antibiotics and then the surgery and a week of IV antibiotics after.

My second surgery was elective but when I arrived the 2 days prior I ended up in a blockage so they put me out for almost 2 days and operated on me whilst I was heavily infected....HUGE mistake, was infected for months after.... dumb doctor!

 

[kenny]

I was given a description of what I could expect from each and allowed to make the decision.

ER was said to be fast and dirty. I had a lot of infection with a large inter-abdominal abscess and there was much risk of complications due to that. My intestines were so inflamed the surgeon said I might lose more bowel and it would be difficult for him to work with because it would be sticky.

Elective meant they had time (months) to bring the inflammation under control and deal with the infections before opening me up. It could mean I save a lot of bowel and have a better overall outcome. The bowels would not be so sticky and he could do a better job.

I chose elective and spent all of August and September with a nasty restriction so bad I had to take a full fluid diet for most of that time.

A graphic example of what it was like would be the time I tried to add mashed carrots to my meal. I was in a lot of pain the next day and the drain line for the abscess stopped. It hurt like heck when I tried to flush it. The Home-care nurse called in for backup because she didn't know what to do. Another retired RN who worked for the St.Elizabeth Home-care came and aspirated the line for 1/2 an hour. Carrot bits and blood clots came out.

I really don't know if it was worth waiting for the elective. I might have some more bowel left, but I really lost a lot of time. I was so weak and getting so little nutrition that I went down to 130 lbs. I am over 6' tall. It was not pretty! I was really getting upset that I was slowly starving to death while waiting. They started talking about TPN and I said NO WAY! get me the heck in for surgery and quit messing around. I feel so much better now and wonder all the time if I had it done right away, would I have not gotten better that much sooner?

 

[imisspopcorn]

I did have a consult with a surgeon after my first hospitalization. I looked great at the appointment. He didn't recommend surgery at that time.

After 2 more hospitalizations in 2 months I finally had surgery. The Surgeon said it was a good thing I had it done when I did....Duh! I knew I needed surgery after the first hospitalization but no one really wanted to do it because of the high dosage of steroids I was on.
Anyway, everything worked out good.

 

[krahsdnal]

Is there something in between elective and ER? Elective is like plastic surgery, you dont really need it.

I guess I dont really need it but dont really like the pain and having to deal with CD. It is more like a "have to have" sugery, but not ER

 

[Crohn's 35]

Elective (like I may have to) is when you are heavily infected or have a stricture and have exhausted all meds and nothing works it could warrant to have elective. Emergency surgery is acute pain or a rupture, abcess that could burst.. then they rush you in for emergency if you health is in danger!

 

[kenny]

heh yea not so much like a nip&tuck but more like if you are having a heart attack you get emergency surgery, but if you get scheduled in for bypass by your physician after a checkup. Thats elective.

 

[Skinny Dub]

Mine was elective had a consult late october then was schedule to have it the week of Christmas. When I had my consult im pretty sure I had a blockage of some sort and was on just about every med I could be at the time trying to get the flare down. Needless to say I didnt make it till then. Mid November I went into the ER with a blockage they told me I wasnt going home until I had the operation I said ok! They waited a few days started TPM and the surgery and since then its all been good.

 

[Peaches]

Mine was emergent - after two weeks of being diagnosed - had a perf and was taken to the ER the next morning. My records indicate it could have been due to the colonoscopy (!).

 

[Jennjenn]

The first surgery I had was elective. Had extreme narrowing in the ileum couldnt eat anything without extreme pain. After exhausting all diiferent types of treatments still was losing weight, fevers, pain and more. Scheduled to have the resection and went in being told I would be out in 5 days. A week after the resection I was still in the hospital. They removed about 2 feet and some of the large intestine. Nothing was working (intestines) and 6 days after the surgery my fever spiked up and they were poking at my belly. I was under so many different drugs and was so sick with a really high fever I was not really understanding anything but did hear she needs emergency surgery. They tried to put an NG tube in but it was not going in. They started to wheel me down to surgery and with my family there said she has free air and we need to go in again there is a hole. And if there is not a hole at the surgery site we will just take out the air. But if there is a hole at the surgery site then she will need a temporary ileostomy for a couple weeks. then they said jennifer sign here. I was barely able to see what I was signing (big mistake) I woke up with the ileostomy and was told there was no hole but she put it there anyway and it would only be 2 weeks. I was so upset.....I went into a deep depression and cried each day and was in unbearable pain. I was on even more meds and was in the hospital for another 1.5 weeks. They refused to schedule the reversal when I got home. I reminded her she said 2 weeks. The response I was given was the head of GI said it couldnt be done that soon that my intestines needed to rest longer. My mother then took control of everything because I was not myself and I had the reversal 5 weeks after it was placed there. I was back to my old self with smiles didnt care what the scar looked like just as long as I was able to see my tummy again. 5 weeks after that I had an abcess and wound up in emergency and was told I would need surgery. I REFUSED and it was a great decision because it healed on its own. Yes 2 more weeks in the hospital but I kept refusing for surgeons to even come near me.

 

[Paulah28]

My first was emergency. Earlier in the day I had a colonoscopy and when the dr was pulling the scope out he sliced open my intestine and did not know about it. I had been through colonoscopys before so I know something was wrong. I just grabbed a heating pad nad went to bed. At 4am when I could not move due to the pain my hisband called for an ambulance. 2 hours later I was in surgery not expecting to make it through the night. Over the next 7 months I have 7 more surgeries 5 of which were emergency. The only 2 that were not were when they gave me an iliestomy and then a few months later closed me up.

I may be having yet another one in the next 6 months. I have another colonoscopy where my dr had to open part of my colon as there was a stricture. He states that it will not stay open forever nad surgery may be the only option.

All of that being said I think I would prefer the emergency surgery because I get so worried about them and try to plan my life around the time I will be out of work and what will I do with my house kids...just life in general. When it is not planned you learn to just go with it and things work out somehow.

That may sound weird to most but having gone through so much with this horrible disease I would rather the bumps come quickly so I can move on with my life and not dwell even more about being sick.

 

[Nytefyre]

old post but Braveheart's thread got me thinking about surgery. There seems to be a good mix, in terms of age, on the forum.

So for all of you who have had surgery, was it elective (scheduled date) or was it an emergency?

 

[vonfunk]

I avoid barely avoided emergency a couple of years ago, and I'm meeting with my sugeon on Tuesday to go over having an elective one.

 

[Debbie]

My 2 bowel resections were scheduled but 2 fistula surgeries were emergencies.Now i have to have colorectal surgery.