Colostomy reversal

[Maggie]

:-[Having had a colostomy two years ago as an emergency operation, at long last I am due to have this reversed on the 23rd February. I have been getting myself in a panic about it as I am told this op. is as bad the original. I have just joined this website and have read that this procedure can be carried out by keyhole surgery. This would be absolutely wonderful and obviously preferable to the full open surgery. This has never been put to me by my GP or the the hospital, so presumably there are only certain hospitals which would undertake to carry this out. Does anyone know which London hospital does this procedure, or where I can find out on the web where this is possible. My GP doesn't seem to know and feel I am floundering a bit with all this. Thanks guys and gals. Maggie

[Kathy_from_England]

Hi Maggie,
I've been looking for some information for you, and not found much to help I'm afraid.

I suggest you do a Google seach for:

laparoscopic colostomy reversal

I found quite a few useful sites...some giving advice about procedures etc. It should do as a starting point.

Hope this helps a little.

[Jason_D]

Hello there,

Laparoscopic surgery is very common these days. My stoma was formed that way six years ago, in Leeds General Infirmary (a teaching hospital).

Your best bet is any teaching hospital that does bowel surgery, however if you want to go to the best bowel hospital in the country and indeed the world then you need to go to:

St Marks Hospital,
The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
Watford Road,
Harrow,
HA1 3UJ (not sure on postcode, think that is right.)
www.stmarkshospital.org.uk/

I've been there too, many times - in fact most of my surgery has been done there, and it's a nice hospital, far more advanced than any other bowel hospital I've had the pleasure of being to.

Key hole reversals is not an option for everyone, and if you are lined up for a full open surgery reversal there is probably a reason for it considering the popularity and commonness of key hole surgery these days.

However a letter to the head of surgery will most likely get you an answer. I wrote a letter in desperation to St Marks, and about 6 weeks later I got a phone call inviting me down there for a chat with the surgeons. A month later I was in hospital having my operations. If anyone can perform the operation for you they can, but like I say, it all depends on what else is being done at the time of reconnection as to whether or not you can have your reversal done that way. For example, removal of other bits n pieces etc would necessitate an open surgery - it all depends on your case, the illness you have and what is going to be done at the time of the reversal.

Hope that helps you, and good luck with the reversal, I hope you get the operation you want.

Buh bye now,


Jason D.
webmaster and colostomist.
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk

(Topic moved to Colostomy advice section.
- 10th Feb '04.)

[Jason_D]

Forgot to say:

Reversal page of the website is:
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk/reversal.html

Also, on the whole it is NOT as bad as the first op regardless of if it's open or keyhole surgery. Ofcourse keyhole is a lot easier, but even open wise, it isnt as much of a shock to the body, it involves MUCH LESS work, and wont be as painful. The only person though who can tell you how good or bad the operation will be is the Surgeon. I'd certainly ask your own surgeon first if Key hole op is a possibilty, if not contact St Marks and see what they say.

Buh bye now,



Jason D.
webmaster and colostomist.
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk

[Eliza]

Maggie,

I just wanted to reassure you about the colostomy reversal if it has to be done through the large incision. I had an emergency colostomy for 18 months. I thought that the reversal surgery was night & day different from the original surgery. For starters, I wasn't sick or in pain when I came in. I knew what to expect. After the first 24 hours I was up and walking in the hall. By the third day I started food and on the 5th day I went home! By my two week post op doctor's appointment I was driving and finished with the pain meds. I agree that keyhole might be even better than my experience; but mine didn't turn out too bad either.

Good luck,
Eliza

[Kathy_from_England]

Maggie said:

Just a quick thank you to Kathy and Jason as you both responded so quickly to my concerns about having a Hartmans reversal operation and I was asking about a laproscopic procedure and where I could get it carried out in England. Well eventually, as I had my date to go in at my local hospital for the 21st Feb. and having spoken with a consultant at St. Marks Hospital who said quite often a laproscopic reversal cannot be carried out and they couldn't tell until I had been opened up if there were only small ends to join up then I would have to then be opened up anyway, I decided to go ahead with open surgery. The worst part of this was being told by the surgeon a Mr. H. Benziger, who has trained at St. Marks what a difficult operation it is, much more difficult than the original and a Hartmans is a lot more difficult than a colostomy reversal, which I thought was all the same thing. I almost legged it out of the hospital as it all sounded 80% negative with all the risks he told me about, but after he left I sat with the Sister of the ward and talked it through with her as I held back from signing the consent form for about an 1 1/2hr. I had never been asked to see this consultant at a clinic before the operation and should have pushed for this myself, because to be told all this downside of the op one hour before going down was too much of a body blow. I expect you guys are aware of the difference in these two operations, i.e. Hartmans reversal and colostomy reversal, but I was totally in the dark and would advise anyone considering the reversal to have as much info to hand as possible. Maybe though, had I seen the consultant beforehand I dont think I would have chanced having the op. after what he told me, so in some respects I bit the bullet and I am now back home after 12 days in there and are hopefully on the mend, but obviously still sore.
Thanks for your kind support on the subject of the laproscopic procedure, but it would appear from the advice I have received it is still early days to proclaim this form of reversal 100% advisable.
Good luck to anyone else who can have the reversal carried out, I feel stronger this time than I did after the first op. Will keep in touch with your website on a regular basis. Thanks Maggie

[Jason_D]

Absolutely, you should always get as much information as possible from the Surgeon before yuo have the opeartion so that you can make as informed a decision as possible. Even seek a second opinion if necessary, it is your right to be able to do so.

It does certainly seem from what you've said that things have changed from when I wrote that page a few years ago. At that time Key Hole was all the rage and quite a few surgeons were trying to use it as much as possible. Certainly, when I was down to have a reversal it was going to be done via keyhole, but sadly things all went south long before then and I ended up having open surgery to remove the rectum instead of key hole surgery to reconnect it.

I will have a look at rewriting the temp reversal page as a result as I do want to keep it as up to date and accurate as possible, which is certainly hard with the advancements being made in the medical world every single week.

For the folks that are reading this and dont know the terms....

* Laporoscopic is the posh name for key-hole surgery.

* A Hartmann's Procedure is where the lower end of the rectum is closed with sutures or staples and left in situ. The upper end of the bowel is bought out as a descending colostomy stoma. The residual rectum is thus completely defunctioning. However, its secretions still pass through the anus.

This was the way my stoma was formed originally in '98 and it was done laporoscopically at the Leeds General Infirmary.

Anyways Maggie, thanks so much for letting us know how you've gotten on, and the latest information on the key hole reversal via open surgery reversal . I certainly think you made the right decision to have it reversed, and I hope you are soon fully recovered and living life to the full again.

Buh bye now,


Jason D.
webmaster and colostomist.
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk