Postponing Reversal Surgery Due to Concerns and Seeking Advice

Hello,

I am supposed to have reversal surgery this Friday, but I have requested it be postponed to October as I am unsure about the success of such surgery and I am pain-free at present. I suffered from diverticulitis for 5 years and was forced into the ER on May 19th, 2023, where I was given emergency surgery to remove part of my large intestine, resulting in a stoma. I am looking for anyone who may give me an insight into the reversal surgery—success/failure. I feel too young to not try it, although my rectal stump is very tight. My surgeon is concerned about this and getting a proper joint. I will be left with an ileostomy after this, which again will need to be reversed in 2025.

Hi Amac,

Sounds like you still have lots of questions, and honestly, your surgeon is the best person to ask as he/she knows your circumstances best.

You could write down all the questions/queries you have as it's very easy to forget to ask when you have a consultation with your surgeon.

You've been through a lot and as the reversal surgery is elective, there is no hurry and you get to decide when you feel you are ready to have surgery, so my advice would be to take your time and don't feel like you are under pressure to have the surgery.

Agree with  David.

DavidK has great advice.

Reversal is a tough choice. I was offered it at 6 months for my colostomy. I was 65 and decided I had enough surgeries and hospital adventures. But... If I had an ileostomy, I would have undergone reversal.

Good luck.

I will add to the agreement with DavidK. I have an ileostomy and no colon at all. So, my decision has been to stay with the ostomy. I couldn't imagine life with no colon and no bag. You say you have had part of your colon removed. I assume that part includes the sigmoid colon. The function of the sigmoid is to store waste until it is ready to come out. Not having it makes retention a lot less efficient. But, there are people here that can talk to that better than me. Just something to consider. You are pretty young and, hopefully, resilient. Personally if I had a colostomy, I would be more interested in a reversal. The fact that I would have my small bowel attached to my rectum and that my rectum would be my storage was enough for me to stick with the bag. :-)

Daniel

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I had a colostomy for 7 months, due to diverticulitis, perforated bowel, and sepsis. I have no sigmoid and less than half of my descending colon. All went well for me with reversal and I have no regrets.

But it's a very personal decision, only you can make.

Thank you all for the replies. It is so helpful to have others out there who understand what it is like to live with a stoma and to be able to ask for some advice. I do realize it is my decision and mine alone, but I do feel young at 57.

Many thanks, all.

Hi Amac, welcome to the site. My oldest brother had colon cancer and a portion of his colon removed. After six months, he had reversal surgery but was not given an ileostomy. He was on a soft, low-residue diet for a while and had loose stools for months, but he controlled it with Imodium. This past year, he celebrated his 85th birthday.

G-Day Amac, if you have no pain now and are not sure about the reversal, you can always stay with the stoma. I had a reversal many years ago but had 18 years of problems, so back in 2021, I told my surgeon to give me an ileostomy and got my butt stitched up, and now I am 100% happy. No pain, no looking for a toilet all the time. Take your time, no hurry. Regards, IGGIE

Best of luck with everything, Amac.

Just one more thing, there is a great UK charity for ileostomies and internal pouches, and their website is iasupport.org.

It's a fantastic resource for all things stoma and internal pouch related, well worth a look.

Interesting. I learn something new about the human digestive system every day. The sigmoid colon stores waste. So, it makes sense if it's surgically removed, reversal might be tougher because of this.

I agree, if I were 10 years older, I would stay as I am.

Thank you.

Thanks David k

You're very insightful,  really appreciate the comments & advice.  

Thank you all.

After discussing with my wife and family (2 daughters in Oz, 1 in Melbourne @igge, 1 in Q.land), I've decided to go ahead at the end of October as my brilliant surgeon has told me that I can go back to the stoma if I experience any upsetting issues, but urgency and frequency are going to present themselves at the beginning. You have all been so good to reply to my personal issues. I am humbled by your selflessness; you have put a tear in my eye.

Good luck.  I've read many successful reversal stories.  I hope yours is added to them.

I have several post-reversal updates if you can search for me. I'm close to three years out from my colostomy reversal.

Get prepared for the frequency afterward with all the supplies - A&D ointment, shea butter butt wipes because the normalization period afterward is no joke. At times, I remember thinking about how much easier my bag was. But once I could get past that stage, I'm very pleased with the results. I have heard having an ileostomy and the reversal is very challenging; apparently, changes are way more frequent and a careful diet is very necessary due to food not being absorbed well. Some say they lost a lot of weight and struggle with the right foods.