@darla77 I do really think the gut issue is overlooked by spine surgeons because they tend to the surgery and consider management of surgical recovery symptoms to not be of their concern but it should be.
I had such awful blocked bowels that I needed an enema but the ER wouldn't administer one even though I had done everything else I was told to, I had to have my mother administer one which was humiliating because I couldn't reach my own behind to do it and the hospital was willing to let me suffer in pain and gut bloat for weeks.
The pain of having the blockage dislodge and finally evacuated was also excruciating surgically because I had a 4 level lumbar to sacrum fusion laminectomy with a cage and tons of inflammation. Was not happy with the saddists but finally recovered pain wise. But after my bowels were not working properly and I believe it was due to the long surgery itself making my gut inactive, there's a term I can't remember but your gut actually stops metabolizing food properly and that was just the beginning. I still try to eat very high fiber to keep it moving and as much walking/hiking activity my body will tolerate to combat it. I think some of us are more sensitive to the anesthesia and drugs used in this major surgical process and surgeons can be negligible to the health of the patient after clearing their handiwork of the actual surgery of liability.