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Chronic pains after right hemicolectomy
Hi everyone,
I had a right hemicolectomy in March 2022 due to a benign tumor in my colon. It’s been over three years now, but I’m still struggling with persistent symptoms that are affecting my daily life.
I frequently feel full, bloated, and swollen in the lower abdomen. There’s a constant sensation of tightness and blockage, along with recurring constipation. The pain keeps coming back and is becoming harder to manage. It’s not sharp, but more like a deep discomfort that never fully goes away.
I live in Germany, but unfortunately, the doctors I’ve seen here mostly just run basic tests (which come back normal) and then prescribe painkillers, which only offer temporary relief. I feel like I’m not being taken seriously and it’s getting harder to function normally with this ongoing pain.
Has anyone experienced anything similar long after surgery? Could this be related to adhesions, nerve issues, or something else? I’d really appreciate any guidance, shared experiences, or suggestions on what kind of specialist to consult next.
Thank you in advance!
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@hallo643
I had a good sized tumor ( 8 cm ) located in the hepatic junction of the transverse colon ( on the right side where the ascending colon becomes the transverse colon). I've read the operative and pathology reports a couple times and note it states removal of the 1) caecum ( with a notation that no appendix is present, I had an appendectomy as a child) 2) ascending colon, and 3) enough of the transverse colon for wide margins around the tumor. There is no mention that the ileocecal valve was removed along with the rest of the colon, and I believe this would have been attached along with the rest of the terminal ileum at the anastamosis site where it was attached to what was left of the colon. But considering the surgery, there is no doubt it would be a hemicolectomy, I mean post surgery I'm now missing a caecum, ascending colon and part of the transverse colon! Though I prefer to think I now have a "semi-colon", LOL.
From what I read you're correct in that traditionally in hemicolectomies the terminal ileum, including the "stalk" containing the ileocecal valve was removed, regardless of where the tumor was located. But later on, there was a consideration about preserving the ileocecal valve's physical and immune system functions in patients where the tumor was located nowhere near that part of the caecum, and they started doing hemicolectomies that did not remove the ileocecal stalk/valve. I've attached two articles that describe this surgery which they performed laparoscopically. My surgery was also done laparoscopically, and since my operative and pathology reports ( which are described in painstaking detail), make no mention of including the terminal ileum or ileocecal valve in the excised tissue, I have no reason to think these were removed.
https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e15650
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11105954/