Sigmoid colon resection: What to expect for recovery?

It gets much better and there are times that you just accept and continue. Let yourself heal, it is not a race or the same for everyone. The first 3 weeks are very uncomfortable. Ask your doctor when to introduce more types of food. It is trial and error and you will have to see what agrees with you. Also, you have to time your activities. What helped me was resuming my pre-surgery life which was difficult but was progress. Four months was my turning point and the gas started to subside. Good luck and stay in touch.

Hi,
I’m 66 and had a reversal 11 days ago. Overall, I’m doing well but I’m having several bowl movements a day which is inconvenient and rectally painful. I’m still eating soft foods as I haven’t even had my 8 week post-op visit yet. My sigmoid colon was completely removed as well as part of my colon so I’m wondering if the much shorter colon will cause permanent BM’s on a daily basis. Has anyone experienced this?

Thank you for this post. I am very concerned that I only have very small bowel movements. Will try fiber (Metamucil) & at least 64 oz. Hydration daily. My surgery was 4 months ago; going for MRI.

I have made some encouraging progress in the past week and a half since my post here of 9.6.22. Next week will be two months since my surgery.

Earlier this week I had another visit with my surgeon and I updated her with my problems. She reiterated the importance of having enough fiber, which I know I was not getting enough of. I wasn't sure of how long I should remain on the low fiber diet, post-surgery. So my bowel movements were infrequent and loose. And because of the pain, I had taken one small dosage/pill of Oxy (left over from post-surgery), two nights in a row. And although that eased the pain, that contributed to my three-day constipation bout, which I remedied with Magnesium Citrate (drank the 10 oz bottle, with results over a 12-hour period). But I was concerned about getting constipated so stopped the fiber supplement. But, as the surgeon explained, it's the bulk in the stool that assists in causing the signal for the bowel movement, which fiber provides, along with the required hydration.

So I experimented with eating more, within reason, than I had been eating, plus began adding the fiber supplement, in addition to more fibrous foods. The sharp pains have lessened over the past week, and the bowel movements are easier and not as loose. So it's fiber + hydration that is necessary for more normal and regular elimination. My hemorrhoids were also more inflamed because of straining and irritation. So I wasn't sure if the pain in the rectum was post-surgery or hemorrhoid pain. But slowly I seem to be improving. Sharp gas pains are less frequent and less intense. And other odd physical sensations seem to be lessening as well.

I hope the details are helpful. I share them hoping that they may make your journey of recovery even a little more encouraging for what you are going through, as your sharing has helped me. Obviously no two individuals' recoveries are identical. But we've all been through major physical and psychological and emotional trauma, and just knowing we are not alone can be very encouraging to one another's ongoing journey through recovery.

Hi @mweisslasvegas, I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing so much pain and little information about recovery. You may have noticed that I moved your post to this existing discussion:
- Sigmoid colon resection: What to expect for recovery? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sigmoid-colon-resection-10282019/

I did this so you can read some of the recent posts and connect easily with other members like @virgo1952 @music5052 @lisag03 @apinzonc0627 @troyhenn22 @kathyoung @bethpearson.

I think you are now 4 weeks post surgery, which isn't a very long time for such a major surgery. How are you doing now? Has the sharp pain stopped? Did you get pain management advice from your care team?

I am 71 had partial
colectomy due to diverticular disease and surgeon said it was “textbook” laparascopic surgery but bowel has not normalized. In fact it stopped working completely - unless I keep it liquid with prune juice since no Restoralax or fibre moves things it only builds things up so that I am about to explode. I have to do enemas daily. I suspect nerve damage and that I will need more surgery and the bag. Same happened to my Mom.

Hi, I’m 66 yes old just had the takedown after having a colostomy for 8 mos due to diverticulitis. I had my surgery last week on 9/6/22 my entire sigmoid colon was removed plus more of my colon. My surgeon was able to reconnect me no iliostomy. I’m having multiple bm’s a day and am only eating a very soft diet. I have 1 drain left plus my staples. I’m managing the pain but it isn’t so easy yet. I too am looking for feedback on people who have gone through this surgery and what to expect as far as a time line and eating normally again if that’s even an option.

I had this surgery in May 2022. Do not have normal bowel movements. Sometimes urgency. Only defecate small amounts (nugget-like size) throughout the day. Anyone else?

Hello
I am 67 year young female. 13 weeks ago I had my sigmoid colon removed due to smoldering diverticulitis that never healed. Every 2 weeks on Flagyl and bactrim since the middle of February 2022. Even when they did the pathology on the part they took out, it still showed is infected and abscesses. Surgery was my only chance of getting my life back.
I have always been very active in exercising and going to the gym. And last two years working out virtually. Now that I am 13 weeks out from my surgery I am actually starting to feel some relief. Still trying to get my G.I. tract and below working correctly. I take a Docusate a.m. and p.m. and switched from senna twice a day to miralax every other night. I try to give my body a good week or two once I make a change to see how it excepts the change. It seems to be working for me. Still live with the mental trauma of not wanting to get constipated. Even though that area is out of me, I live with the worry of getting constipated and getting a flareup. My G.I. doctor said that would never happen. But it is hard to mentally get over that. I am slowly getting into eating a lot more things but stay away from anything that could make me gassy. I will have to say the weeks before this were pretty rough. Still feel twinges here and there inside. Not sure what’s going on but I guess it’s just stretching from nerves and such. I am still glad I got the surgery because at least that gives me a chance of being able to live a life without being afraid and feeling sick all the time. I have read many of the posts and many people have posted recovery of four months up to two years. It is an individual thing. Everybody will recover at a different rate and have different underlying issues that they might be dealing with. I appreciate everybody who posts about their journey because I believe you can never have too much knowledge. So many times you have to be your own doctor. And try not to be too impatient which I have so much of the time during this journey. As I have found things do get better. Not in my time but in the time that my body feels is time. Hang in there as I am still doing. Hopefully things just continue getting better. But keep that patience right where you need it. Hugs to all!

I'm so grateful to have found this group.

I'm a 70 years young male and had a colon resection 7 weeks ago (7.19.22), elective surgery, to prevent the worsening of my diverticulitis. I've seen my surgeon 3 times since then and she's pleased that the surgery went well, with only a part of the main incision that is taking longer to heal than expected but is progressing under her care.

But I am now almost constantly feeling pressure in the perineum for a bowel movement, but at times very little comes out. At other times the pressure seems warranted because the bowel movement is larger. This is happening throughout the night as well, even if my last meal is eaten around 5 or 6pm. It's frustrating, now, to say the least.

I'm trying to control food volume intake as well as what I eat. But at this point it doesn't seem to make too much of a difference, no matter what I try. At times I eat a little more, other times less, more fiber, less fiber, more protein, less protein, etc., even at times to the point of eating very little during a day, just to try to stop the pressure and gas pain feelings so I can at least get some rest.

I've appreciated the suggestions from others here as to how to deal with pain from gas build-up, and some seem to help. I'm walking 30 minutes a day. GasX doesn't work for me. And previously the gas pains were very sharp and yet I wasn't able to relieve them at times even though the pain to release was there.

My surgeon says, as do many of you, that it is going to take time, and everyone is different, and I agree. But to live with a constant pressure that ebbs and flows but never stops is discouraging. It never was that way before, for my entire life (I know, my body has been through the wringer). I even try Tylenol, but that hasn't worked well as pain management, either.

I also try Miralax, Colace, Senocot, etc., to fend off constipation.

I know 7 weeks is nothing when it comes to recovering from this major surgery. But even if I could take a stronger pain reliever, it seems like it could help.

I continue to focus on healing, with lots of patience, but my reserve is dwindling. But at least I know I'm not alone in dealing with this, thanks to all of you who have gone/are going through this, too.

And I agree whole heartedly that more could/should be done to guide post-op patients through the challenges that arise soon after the surgery ends. Surgeons do what they are best at, and most do it well. But "it just takes time," while true, isn't helpful when at this point I'm just trying to eat to live, with less pain; forget living to eat. That part is gone for now. Apart from the ongoing improvements to the surgery, (for which i am thankful), it seems like this is a major area for serious research and study that has yet to be addressed.

Sending healing and wellness thoughts and prayers for all of you. And thanks to this Mayo Connect service; psychologically and physically, it has been a huge help for me.

Wayne