Over the past five years, I have been in the hospital on five times for partial bowel obstruction which my doctors believe is caused by adhesions from an appendectomy I had in 1992. In each case, the obstruction cleared after using an NG tube. In perhaps a dozen other cases I had similar pain/pressure building, but the obstruction cleared on its own without having to go into the hospital. Between partial bowel obstructions, I have no pain or symptoms. Initially, the approach my doctors suggested was to do nothing. Each noted that by operating I ran the risk of creating more adhesions. However, this is interfering with my life and I would like to do something about it, provided it will not be counterproductive.
I live in Baltimore and consulted a doctor at Johns Hopkins who initially recommended waiting until the next partial bowel obstruction and operating then. Later, he recommended a colleague who would use the hospital's robotic laparoscope to do the surgery less invasively. After consulting with him, I scheduled surgery, but I am having second thoughts about going through with it. I haven't been able to find much written about success or failure of this approach. Are you aware of anything or do you have any thoughts?
-- paul.jeanne@wachovia.com