 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / General / August 2004partial bowel obstruction
I am wondering what the current thinking is regarding partial bowel obstructions and surgery. A few years ago I had diverticulistis (sp?). I had very thin bowel movements, extreme gas, pressure in my chest after I ate,at times very loose movements and bleeding from 2 of the diverticuli. When they did surgery they found that I had a volvulus at the junction where the small intestine goes to large intestine. Previous to the surgery I had a colonoscopy and a barium enema. Neither showed or suggested that I had a volvulus. After the surgery the surgeon said that most of my symtoms were from the volvulus. About 6 months ago I started having ribbon thin stools a few times a week, with intermittent loose stools. It has progressed to almost always ribbon stools and/or just plane liquid movements, up to 6-10 in about 2-3 hours. It takes me all day to recovery from this, as I get totally wiped out. I now have the liquid movements 2-3 times a week. There is no bleeding and the only discomfort I have is on my right side and that is just an ache. Sometimes I get pressure under my ribs on the right side that may last a day or two. I sometimes feel stuffed and then nausea even if I haven't eaten. I have never vomited. One other symtom that is I can hear the liquid going though my intestines. It can be very loud. I do have an appointment with a gastroentogist on Wednesday and I have done google searches but there isn't much on partial obstuctions lots and lots on total ones. If someones knows of a site or has information on partials I would be very grateful. Thank you Damian > I am wondering what the current thinking is regarding partial bowel > obstructions and surgery. A few years ago I had diverticulistis [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > and lots on total ones. If someones knows of a site or has > information on partials I would be very grateful. You don't mention what surgery you had, and that is important information. Likewise, you haven't told us the results of the Intermittent cecal volvulus is difficult to diagnose, and is usually a diagnosis of assumption. The only thing one might see is a hyper-mobile cecum on barium enema - but maybe not - and colonoscopy will tell nothing. The treatement for this is removal of the right side of the colon. But recurrent diverticulitis sounds most likely in this scenario. Yes, you could have intermittent partial small bowel obstruction from adhesions from previous abdominal surgery. This can be difficult to diagnose too, but such a diagnosis would be based on an xray appearance consistent with that diagnosis. If a person were suspected of intermittent partial small bowel obstruction, a surgeon would expect to see dilated loops of small intesting on xray. Ribbon thin stools is a symptom of narrowing of the sigmoid or rectosigmoid colon, such as in colon tumors, or diverticulitis. Intermittent cecal volvulus or partial small bowel obstruction won't have anything to do with such stool appearance.barium enema and/or colonoscopy that was done within the last 6 months since the onset of these more recent symptoms. If a barium enema hasn't been done in the last 6 months since the occurrence of your symptoms, that would certainly seem like a good place to start. HMc > > I am wondering what the current thinking is regarding partial bowel > > obstructions and surgery. A few years ago I had diverticulistis [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > > HMc Howard Thank you for your response. I had a sigmoid resection due to diverticulitis. I could have sworn that the surgeon said I had a volvulus but the operative report says that I had a band extending from the ileum to the sigmoid diverticulosis area and underneath this the bowel was stuck resulting in a partial small bowel obstruction. No I haven't had any follow-up xrays or colonscopies for about 2 years so I guess I can expect to hear that from the Dr on Wednesday. IF it was found to be either diverticulitis or adhesions causing this problem do you think they would operate or just wait and see. Thanks again Damian > Howard Thank you for your response. I had a sigmoid resection due to > diverticulitis. I could have sworn that the surgeon said I had a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > was found to be either diverticulitis or adhesions causing this > problem do you think they would operate or just wait and see. The doctor you are seeing is a gastroenterologist, so he has no choice but to 'wait and see'. If you have a partial small bowel obstruction or diverticulitis, there is very little he will be able to do for this surgical problem. A barium enema and/or colonoscopy is the next best diagnostic step. The surgeon would have removed that obstructive band at your operation, and sofar, your description does not make me put partial small bowel obstruction at the top of the list. I would be more inclined to be thinking of recurrent diverticulitis, or possibly a stricture at the site where the colon was sewn together from your previous resection. First step will be diagnosis, and that's where your gastroenterologist will start. HMc > > Howard Thank you for your response. I had a sigmoid resection due to > > diverticulitis. I could have sworn that the surgeon said I had a [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > HMc Howard, Again thank you for your response. I have done more reading on diverticulitis and I am a little more discouraged. They all mention the ribbon stool and that it requires surgery to fix it is just not an emergency which I am very thankful for. But having already had a sigmoid resection I am concerned that they would have to take more or worse end up with a colostomy at some point. I am a pretty upbeat person so I will get passed this discouragment and deal with whatever is coming. Thanks again, having this information will be very helpful when I see the Dr tomorrow. Damian |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2010 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.