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Surgery on Small Intestine

Posted by taratga @taratga, 4 days ago

Hello, I am 51 years old and was diagnosed in April. My primary tumor is in the intestine and the doctors want to do surgery to remove it. I also have a complex congenital heart defect so the goal would be to do a heart and liver transplant in the future since the cancer spread to the liver. What is your experience with this surgery? I am concerned because my heart is weaker. I am followed at NYU.

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jlsgt | @jlsgt | 4 days ago

You've been diagnosed with Neuroendocrine cancer? Symptoms? How was this discovered? Maybe you are needing a small bowel resection? You seem to have quite a plate full. Having NETs in the liver does not necessarily translate to transplant. This can be a very slow growing cancer. Don't be in hurry to sign up for surgery. Surgeons want to do surgery. Carefully consider all options. Be your own best advocate.

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fraaseo | @fraaseo | 4 days ago

I had a small bowel resection & removal of 4 of 24 lymph nodes that had mets in 2022. Surgery was open & I recovered pretty fast. Surgery was on Tuesday & I went home on Friday. Best advice is to get up & walk asap! Walking helps with promoting a BM which I had to have before I could be discharged. Abdomen was really tender for about 3 months. Surgery was the only option at the time as I was vomiting & could not eat. Good luck to you!

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taratga | @taratga | 4 days ago
In reply to @jlsgt "You've been diagnosed with Neuroendocrine cancer? Symptoms? How was this discovered? Maybe you are needing a..." + (show)
Profile picture for jlsgt @jlsgt

You've been diagnosed with Neuroendocrine cancer? Symptoms? How was this discovered? Maybe you are needing a small bowel resection? You seem to have quite a plate full. Having NETs in the liver does not necessarily translate to transplant. This can be a very slow growing cancer. Don't be in hurry to sign up for surgery. Surgeons want to do surgery. Carefully consider all options. Be your own best advocate.

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Hi, I had a ct scan for something else and many tumors showed up in the liver. The issue is I know I need a heart transplant in 4-5 years and was told I can't get the heart with the cancer in the small intestine. They would also take the liver when I get the heart as to no longer have the cancer. We can watch the cancer but then when my heart fails I would not be able to get the transplant. Rough situation.

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taratga | @taratga | 4 days ago
In reply to @fraaseo "I had a small bowel resection & removal of 4 of 24 lymph nodes that had..." + (show)
Profile picture for fraaseo @fraaseo

I had a small bowel resection & removal of 4 of 24 lymph nodes that had mets in 2022. Surgery was open & I recovered pretty fast. Surgery was on Tuesday & I went home on Friday. Best advice is to get up & walk asap! Walking helps with promoting a BM which I had to have before I could be discharged. Abdomen was really tender for about 3 months. Surgery was the only option at the time as I was vomiting & could not eat. Good luck to you!

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Thank you! where did you have the surgery?

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fraaseo | @fraaseo | 4 days ago
In reply to @taratga "Thank you! where did you have the surgery?" + (show)
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Thank you! where did you have the surgery?

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I had a small bowel obstruction & resection was performed by a general surgeon at Springfield, IL. Pathology results confirmed NETS so I was referred to Edwards Cancer Center in Naperville, IL to a fantastic NETS specialist surgeon, Dr Salti.

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