Colon Cancer: Fecal Incontinence and Reversal Surgery

Posted by coliemore @coliemore, Sep 12, 2017

I have fecal incontinence post rectal cancer LAR and reversal and seek advice

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Colorectal Cancer Support Group.

Welcome to Connect, @coliemore.
Let me introduce you to a few members. Please meet @lamerex4 @travelgirl and @starrlight, who have (had) rectal cancer, as well as @aithnie and @cowboy1997 who have experienced fecal incontinence.

Coliemore, when did you have the low anterior resection (LAR) and reversal?
I found this study (systematic review) that demonstrated that Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation can Improve Functional Outcome After a Low Anterior Resection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079807/ Have you done any physical therapy and pelvic floor rehab?

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@colleenyoung

Welcome to Connect, @coliemore.
Let me introduce you to a few members. Please meet @lamerex4 @travelgirl and @starrlight, who have (had) rectal cancer, as well as @aithnie and @cowboy1997 who have experienced fecal incontinence.

Coliemore, when did you have the low anterior resection (LAR) and reversal?
I found this study (systematic review) that demonstrated that Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation can Improve Functional Outcome After a Low Anterior Resection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079807/ Have you done any physical therapy and pelvic floor rehab?

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Dear Colleen Very many thanks. I have had four sessions of SNES needles with electrical pulses via PF therapist here in Vancouver and also anal sphincter exercises to try to strengthen but inconclusive and much issue with cluster BM's. Advice appreciated on FI treatment. David

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@colleenyoung

Welcome to Connect, @coliemore.
Let me introduce you to a few members. Please meet @lamerex4 @travelgirl and @starrlight, who have (had) rectal cancer, as well as @aithnie and @cowboy1997 who have experienced fecal incontinence.

Coliemore, when did you have the low anterior resection (LAR) and reversal?
I found this study (systematic review) that demonstrated that Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation can Improve Functional Outcome After a Low Anterior Resection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079807/ Have you done any physical therapy and pelvic floor rehab?

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LAR July 29 2016; Reversal July 5 2017

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@colleenyoung

Welcome to Connect, @coliemore.
Let me introduce you to a few members. Please meet @lamerex4 @travelgirl and @starrlight, who have (had) rectal cancer, as well as @aithnie and @cowboy1997 who have experienced fecal incontinence.

Coliemore, when did you have the low anterior resection (LAR) and reversal?
I found this study (systematic review) that demonstrated that Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation can Improve Functional Outcome After a Low Anterior Resection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079807/ Have you done any physical therapy and pelvic floor rehab?

Jump to this post

@coliemore, what are SNES needles? I'm quite confident that you are not referring to Super Nintendo Entertainment System

While we wait for other members to join in, here some information about treatment and self-management of fecal incontinence http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fecal-incontinence/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20166903

We also have several videos about this issue. For example
Fecal Incontinence - Heidi Chua, M.D. - Mayo Clinic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwmKwo17j4U

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Dear Colleen, Very many thanks. Today my pelvic floor physiotherapist here in Vancouver applied eight needles to my lower spine and buttocks for the fourth time to jump-start the sacral nerves via electrical impulses in order to enhance bowel functionality and also today tested the strength of my voluntary anal sphincter by my squeezing on her finger and then doing exercises of anal squeezing to jump-start the strengthening of my anus to enhance bowel control/functionality. Regards David

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@coliemore

Dear Colleen, Very many thanks. Today my pelvic floor physiotherapist here in Vancouver applied eight needles to my lower spine and buttocks for the fourth time to jump-start the sacral nerves via electrical impulses in order to enhance bowel functionality and also today tested the strength of my voluntary anal sphincter by my squeezing on her finger and then doing exercises of anal squeezing to jump-start the strengthening of my anus to enhance bowel control/functionality. Regards David

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David, I'm so grateful that you are willing to talk about this on Connect. In the grand scheme of things July 5 is not that long ago. Have you been told that the incontinence is an expected side effect of surgery and how long recovery usually is?

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@coliemore

Dear Colleen, Very many thanks. Today my pelvic floor physiotherapist here in Vancouver applied eight needles to my lower spine and buttocks for the fourth time to jump-start the sacral nerves via electrical impulses in order to enhance bowel functionality and also today tested the strength of my voluntary anal sphincter by my squeezing on her finger and then doing exercises of anal squeezing to jump-start the strengthening of my anus to enhance bowel control/functionality. Regards David

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Dear Colleen, A fine Irish name. For a decade I was very happily a research professor at Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland. It was indicated by my LAR/Reversal Surgeon here in Vancouver, Canada that the process of accomplishing reasonable bowel functionality might take six months and I am thus at about the half-way point but worried that although there has been progress this is less than hoped-for and so I am researching routes forward. I'm ready to travel to the Mayo Clinic for an assessment perhaps in two months. Meanwhile your though on the PF treatment by SNES needles here in Vancouver would be much appreciated. Best Regards David

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@coliemore

Dear Colleen, Very many thanks. Today my pelvic floor physiotherapist here in Vancouver applied eight needles to my lower spine and buttocks for the fourth time to jump-start the sacral nerves via electrical impulses in order to enhance bowel functionality and also today tested the strength of my voluntary anal sphincter by my squeezing on her finger and then doing exercises of anal squeezing to jump-start the strengthening of my anus to enhance bowel control/functionality. Regards David

Jump to this post

Dear Colleen, A fine Irish name. For a decade I was very happily a research professor at Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland. It was indicated by my LAR/Reversal Surgeon here in Vancouver, Canada that the process of accomplishing reasonable bowel functionality
might take six months and I am thus at about the half-way point but worried that although there has been progress this is less than hoped-for and so I am researching routes forward. I'm ready to travel to the Mayo Clinic for an assessment perhaps in two months.
Meanwhile your thoughts on the PF treatment by SNES needles here in Vancouver would be much appreciated. Is this SNES treatment done in the USA? Best Regards David

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My mom at 88 years old had colon surgery for stage IV colon cancer that had perforated her colon. Lynph nodes were fine though and they removed a section of her bowel. This was in March. She was fine for awhile but then developed a mucus ball and had to finally use Milk of Magnesia to get it to move. That was a few weeks ago. Since then, she has had diarrhea (massive and uncontrollable) twice and mucus leakage constantly. So much so that she had to wear a pad. Her doc says its normal but how she is getting depressed and isolating herself as she doesn't want accidents. She lives alone in senior housing not assisted living.

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@suemer

My mom at 88 years old had colon surgery for stage IV colon cancer that had perforated her colon. Lynph nodes were fine though and they removed a section of her bowel. This was in March. She was fine for awhile but then developed a mucus ball and had to finally use Milk of Magnesia to get it to move. That was a few weeks ago. Since then, she has had diarrhea (massive and uncontrollable) twice and mucus leakage constantly. So much so that she had to wear a pad. Her doc says its normal but how she is getting depressed and isolating herself as she doesn't want accidents. She lives alone in senior housing not assisted living.

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Following 12 months of dysfunctional LARS I have now had a permanent colostomy for over four months which is an improvement in QoL. More research needed on protocols re LARS towards accepting early on that the best solution is a permanent colostomy.

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