Sigmoid colon resection: What to expect for recovery?

Hello @nouveaustyle and welcome to Mayo Connect. As you posted your experience in the Colorectal Cancer support group, I'm assuming that the sigmoid colon surgery was cancer-related? I ask, because not all sigmoid surgeries are related to cancer.

If you could provide more information as to the type of cancer, I can connect you with others who have had a similar experience. If you do not have colorectal cancer, I'd be happy to direct you to other discussions in the Digestive Health support group that deal with sigmoid surgeries and adhesions.

Same happened to me. I’m one month past 12 inches of sigmoid colon removed due to adhesions from my hysterectomy.
It’s been a rough recovery. My sigmoid colon was twisted and stuck to my side wall, I spent two years begging doctors to go in to see what’s going on and being dismissed. Eventually they did and an extensive 7 hour surgery was done. I’m now adjusting and worried I will have reoccurrence of adhesions. Did you? How are you now?
These were some of my adhesions.

@ambrosia1323, four weeks is a relatively short time after such a major surgery. You are still healing. Hopefully you are feeling small improvements everyday. If you're concerned at all, you should call your surgeon''s office to be sure.

You might also be interested in connecting with others who have had the same surgery to help diverticulitis here:

- Colon Resection for Diverticulitis and Chronic Constipation
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/colon-resection-for-diverticulitis-and-chronic-constipation/
- Colon Resection for Diverticulitis , Yet Still Having Pain.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/colon-resection-for-diverticulitis-yet-still-having-pain/

Hello! I recently had to get 6 inches of my colon removed because of diverticulitis. It’s been four weeks and I am now having pain in between my ribs and under my left rib. A lot of gas and just belly pains. Has this happened to anyone else? Just wondering if it’s indigestion and my body adjusting or if I need to be concerned. The pain usually happens after I eat.

I too had stage 3 colon/rectal cancer 10 years ago. I was treated with Folfox and Oxaliplatin. I didn't seem to have any complications with the 5 fu pump. Infact, I commented to my oncologist that I had to remind myself that I had cancer. She stated that the 5fu pump was in combination with the radiation and it would be a different situation when I started the Oxaliplatin. That was so true. It was awful. I couldn't touch or eat anything cold . I had to use gloves to take something out of the refrigerator. I have now been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy and foot drop that seems to be getting worse.
It takes awhile to get back to a new normal. I took extra underwear and clothes for the uncontrollable situations.
It does seem to add extra anxiety for going out but it does get better. I drink a Boost Plus Vanilla or Walmart brand with a tablespoon of Metamucil Fiber unflavored 4 in 1 and Gas X for the gas. Figure out what you can't eat ( mine seems to be chocolate} that gives me gas. Sometimes, I still eat it knowing what it will do.
Stay positive. It will get better. We are still here. So God has a plan.

Perhaps I should try that too 🙏

@jjevitts I didn’t get your message but then you were in the hospital. It’s not as if messaging was a top priority! 🤣.

I am glad to know that the bowel resection went well and your surgeon confirmed that the surgery went as planned. So you’ve been home for about a week. That’s not very long so no wonder you still have pain and low energy. That nice long scar, as you call it tells me that you have considerable healing to do.

December 4 is your return visit. That’s not far away and I expect by then you will have more energy.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving too. And that you will allow your family to do all the work this year. If you are like me then you start cooking days before Thanksgiving and spend much of the actual day in the kitchen. This year I am « ordering » you not to do that. Ha, ha. You get to rest, eat, and someone else can do that heavy lifting.🦃

I messaged both of you while I’m the hospital, but not sure if I sent it. 😂 There are times when I think ignorance is bliss, this was one of them. I didn’t really know what to expect. According to my surgeon everything went as he’d planned. They cut out a good portion of my large intestine and the bowel resection went well. I have a very long, nice scar. That was on the 7th? 8th? I came home last Saturday. I’m very glad to be home, but still taking Tylenol and lacking much energy. I have been walking, but I totally agree, I need to do more.
I go back on Dec 4th for a checkup and treatment plan.
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! 💜

@jjevitts I’m so glad to see your post as I’ve been wondering how you are doing. We are close in age (I’m 71 years old) and I sure don’t bounce back like I used to either. Ten days isn’t all that long when you think about it depending on the extent of the surgery. Also, we don’t stay in the hospital for very long as used to be the case.

When I had kidney surgery in 1996 they wanted me to go home the following day. I did stay one more day but was sent home with very few instructions and felt very weak and « beat up » for at least two weeks. I know this isn’t the same surgery you had but I do recall how much pain I had and that it was more than a week before I could even go for a walk on my street. The surgery was endoscopic and so I had a 1 inch incision. But the real healing was on the inside of the kidney.

Here are my suggestions which you can take if you want because I don’t know the extent of your surgery. Walk every day. Move around as you feel you can. If you feel up to it, walk to the end of your driveway (assuming it’s less than a mile!). It takes time to heal from the anesthesia too (did you have general anesthesia?). One of my doctors told me that the more I lie around the more tired I will be. That was good advice and I tried to do what I could.

You have been in my thoughts and ❤️. I’m tagging @gynosaur42 so she can jump in too.

Do you know what the further treatment will be? And when it will start?

Hello, I just had a mass removed and a resection 10 days ago. I too am late 60’s and finding I’m not bouncing back as quickly as I’d hope. I do have further treatment so I’m hoping I’m feeling much better by then. I really didn’t know what to expect from the surgery, which maybe is a good thing.
I wasn’t given many instructions so all suggestions are appreciated!