Why do people end up having emergency surgery?

[Lizzie]

I'm wondering exactly how people end up having emergency surgery, is it because of severe pain, bleeding, weight loss etc? Being a big worrier I keep thinking it might happen to me and I want to know what to look out for - does your body give you warning signals for a while or does an emergency come on really suddenly? I'm particularly anxious at the moment because I'm tapering off steroids and my symptoms are coming back with a vengeance, and I know I haven't got the courage to take the biologics that I'm told are the next step.

 

[ronroush7]

Let your doctor know your symptoms are coming back. He may want to up the steroids for the time being. Also,it might help the disease to get under control with the biologic. Let us know how you are doing.

 

[danmc]

Personally, I have a tendency to wait too long to see the doctor.

Mid last year I had upset stomach and diarrhea. Didn't see the doctor. Then I developed what I thought was a hemorrhoid. Didn't see the doctor.

Then the pain got so bad I finally saw the doctor, but couldn't get in to see a specialist. In a few days I went to the ER and had what turned out to be an abscess operated on.

I hadn't known I had Crohn's prior to this.

Moral of the story: Don't wait to see the doctor!

 

[Tubes]

When I had Toxic mega colon I went from a normal flare like I've had many times before to out of nowhere feeling like my stomach was going to explode and it hurt so bad that it may me vomit.Good Times.

 

[shamrock15]

I think obstructions are probably the main reason for emergency surgeries. I had one of mine like this, the rest built up to surgeries with one exception. Had sutures tear through after a surgery and leaked all through my bowels. That one was a real emergency situation!

Don't worry about biologics. I have been on remicade for 8 years now and they have been the healthiest that I have been in my adult life. It sure beats the surgeries.

 

[Walt]

Hi Lizzie,
Why ER to OR?

off the top of my head:
stricture/obstruction
perforation/bleeding
ischemic (lack of blood circulation)
fistula stops draining green &/or red can become...
abscess/septic

yikes, that is a horrible list.
I understand your concern of such ugly threats lurking & looming.

wishing you only well,
peace
w

ps
: D

 

[Salad_Shooter]

Intra-abdominal abscesses for me.

 

[eleanor_rigby]

Perforation for me. I was not diagnosed at the time so I am sure it could have been avoided - this was 5 years of symptoms that led to this. My symptoms were an absolutely horrendous fever and extreme pain on the right hand side pretty much out of nowhere (thought I had appendicitis).

 

[Ribo]

I think obstructions are probably the main reason for emergency surgeries. I had one of mine like this, the rest built up to surgeries with one exception. Had sutures tear through after a surgery and leaked all through my bowels. That one was a real emergency situation!

Don't worry about biologics. I have been on remicade for 8 years now and they have been the healthiest that I have been in my adult life. It sure beats the surgeries.

Yep, emergency surgery is necessitated by obstructions (often with other complications),or perforations.

I think "just" pain in and of itself would not usually be cause for emergency surgery, unless they were completely stumped and decided to do an exploratory.