Post-Surgery Pain and Bleeding: Is This Normal?

My husband has a lot of pain from his recent ileostomy. Large colon and rectum were removed due to colorectal cancer, and his buttocks were sewn shut. He still has bleeding from his butt 4 weeks after surgery and has to take pain meds every 4 hours. Is this normal, and how long until he starts getting relief?

The bleeding is not normal, I’d have that looked at soon. Everyone is different on pain levels, so there’s no exact timeline for that. Personally, I never bled once after surgery. 

Yes, look at getting professional assistance immediately, perhaps at another hospital.

He’s had a surgeon and an internal medicine doctor look at it and they keep telling him it is normal. 

Consider a second opinion from another gastroenterologist. At a minimum, a CT scan should be performed. Continued bleeding and pain are not normal. Ken Butt surgery takes quite a while to heal. Care must be taken when sitting, using the toilet, taking a shower, getting up from sitting, and lying down. Look through older posts on this website for stories from other ostomates who had Barbie Butt or Ken Butt surgery.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

G-Day Ladybug, he should not be bleeding after 4 weeks. If blood is coming out, then a bug can get in. Try to get it fixed before it gets infected. Regards, IGGIE

It's not unusual to have pain and bleeding; it's a problem area to heal. Is the blood coming from the wound or inside? If it was inside, it could be an abscess. Have doctors or nurses advised bathing the wound in salt water to help it heal?

Hi all, when I had my surgery many moons ago, the surgeon left about an inch open both in front and back for drainage, which was kinda pinkish for about a week but then was clear after, and after 2 weeks, he recommended Epsom salts baths to help the stitches not get too dry and the pulling feeling.

Doc left an opening for draining but it continues to drain blood after 4 weeks.  Could this be due to cancer cells left?

Hi Ladybug, not sure if it's cancer, but something isn't right. I would pester the surgeon or find a different one to figure it out.