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Seems unusual. What is confusing to me is that the patient had a "total colectomy", but retained the ascending part of the colon. I don't understand a "total colectomy" that still has part of the ascending colon.
Typically after a total colectomy (which I had in 2021) one has the opposite problem of watery stools because there's no colon to absorb the liquid and make the stool semi-solid. In my case, they connected the end of the small intestine to the rectum.
Second, after a total colectomy there is no buffer space in the colon and one requires more frequent trips to the toilet.
Whether a total or partial colectomy, Metamucil or equivalent is a suggested therapy. For a partial colectomy, the fiber helps keep stuff moving. For a full colectomy, it's recommended to absorb the liquid and tighten it up.
One other thing - keep in mind that we're not medical professionals on this site, we're patients with real patient experiences.
Replies to "Seems unusual. What is confusing to me is that the patient had a "total colectomy", but..."
I too was puzzled by the apparent incongruence between "total colectomy" and still having the ascending colon.
Question for you, @rjjacobsen : in a total colectomy do they remove the sygmoid and rectum too?
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At the age of 13, this patient suffered from chronic constipation until presently age (21). It’s unusual because the colon has been removed however the patient is still dependent on laxatives.