I went through two abdominal surgeries last month and spent almost the whole month of June in hospital for one complication after the other. Last week, just one month after the second surgery, I experienced severe vomiting for two days. Although vomiting stopped after the second day, I have been worried that adhesions may be back again. To face the never ending battle, I determine to better prepare myself before another attack arrives. Here is my story.
I had a Bilroth II gastrectomy 13 years ago due to duodenal bleeding, and suffering from partial blockage of small intestine since. For most of the time, I have been functioning normal(no pain at all). The side effect from the gastrectomy, however, is the unpredictable attack of partial intestine blockage. The frequency of the severe vomiting arising from the blockage is about 4 to 5 times a year, and I had been hospitalized through emergency several times. But for most of time when attack comes, I stop eating for 2 to 3 days, and the blockage releases by itself. Finally, after 13 years of on-and-off suffering and frustration, the small bowel x-ray revealed a total blockage last month after I was hospitalized . I was then forced to take surgery measure.
For the first surgery in June, my surgeon decided to use laparoscopy to relief the scar tissue/adhesion associated with the blockage. After some manipulation, he didn't feel comfortable with what he got(13 years of formation must be a real challenge), so he decided to open up a 2.5-inch incision to fix the intestine. Initially, the operation was called a success. No more pain and vomiting. I was back on normal diet and discharged from the hospital on the fifth day. However, after staying at home for only five more days, I started to have severe vomiting and was sent to emergency room again. This time, the x-ray, CT, and small bowel series all indicated an obstruction near the surgical region. I stayed in the hospital with a NG tube in my nose for a week before my surgeon decided to operate on me. He was hoping that the blockage will be relieved by itself with time. The second surgeries in June was a full blown treatment of laparectomy to break all adhesion/scar tissues of the small intestine. My surgeon was against using any adhesion barrier due to his prior experience. After the surgery, I had an infection around the lower opening of the exterior incision, that was later clear. The recovery from the laparectomy has been a slow process. I stayed in the hospital for another 11 days with TNP, and the opening wounded eventually closed up this week. I am in normal diet and experience no obvious pain right now. However, the severe vomiting occurred a week ago raised a big concern of whether the adhesion is coming back.
To better prepare my self this time, I have several questions that I hope you all can give me input and advice.
1. The interval between my first surgeries in June and the reocurred intestine blockage was only a week. Is this common ? Or is this surgical procedure related ? 2. I like to find out the best laparoscopy surgeon with adhesion experience in Phoenix area. Where can I find out the information ? 3. What kind of exercise have people tried and found somewhat effective for controlling adhesion related symptom ?