Farting a lot after Sigmoid resection?

Posted by tribalbob @tribalbob, May 24, 2024

Hey everyone,

About 9 months ago I had 14cm of my sigmoid removed due to Diverticulitis. In almost every respect my QoL has improved drastically. Prior to it, I had urgency, loose BMs, pains, aches, etc. Turns out the portion they removed was just permanently inflamed and basically not working at all.

For the first couple of months post surgery, my BMs normalized, no more urgency, everything is perfect. After about 3 months I started to get gas. At first it was off and on, but nowadays I seem to get excessive gas almost daily. I eat a high fibre diet, drink lots of water, get lots of exercise and have normal BMs (usually one sometimes twice a day). Has anyone else experienced this? I've started trying out probiotics (I'm one week into the first one to try). Really hoping I can figure out a way to control this.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | May 24, 2024

Hello @tribalbob and welcome to Mayo Connect. Congratulations on your successful surgery. It sounds like many of your symptoms were relieved since part of the sigmoid was removed.

Regarding the excess gas, I would, of course, encourage you to talk with your doctor if this continues to be a problem. However, you might consider some dietary changes. I see that you are eating high fiber and also drinking a lot of milk. It could be one or both of these are contributing to the excessive gas. Some types of fiber will contribute to bloating and gas more than other types of fiber. Also, as we age, the lactose in milk can cause digestive issues.

You might consider keeping a food journal to see what foods or liquids might be triggers for the excessive gas. Also, requesting a consultation with a registered dietician at your hospital might be helpful to you. Registered dieticians are a treasure for anyone who has had surgery of the digestive tract. This is their area of expertise, and they can offer suggestions for post-surgery problems.

I look forward to hearing from you again. Will you post again with an update?