My surgeon would prefer me to keep the jpouch rather than fully remove it when I go for the ileostomy. He said one of the potential complications is retrograde ejaculation. I'm 29 years old.

I'm concerned that keeping the pouch won't resolve all of my symptoms of spasms, pain, frequency and urgency as I will still have mucus discharge.

I was wondering if anybody had suffered complications such as above? Also would like to hear from those who have gone through either option and their thoughts and experiences.

Keep smiling,
AQ

I tried just disconnecting the pouch but had exactly the issue you fear - lots of mucous discharge and continued pouchitis in the inactive pouch. Had pouch removed 18 months later and it fixed all my problems. I was 30 when I did the disconnect.

I did have trouble getting pregnant most likely due to scar tissue. iVF worked twice for me.

If I were you I would ask the dr what the percentages are for the complications. Are theympossible with a disconnect surgery and just more possible with removal or not possible with the disconnect?

I'm having my jpouch removed on 12/13, and I've been warned that there is the potential for complications to ... well...you know, anyway I told my surgeon he did a good job the first time and all my parts worked afterwards, so I have confidence that he will do so again. Though jokingly I think I need to tell him at my pre-surgical visit if he needs to amputate a leg or something to get more room to work with and to save my sex life then he has my permission. I can always get a prosthetic leg, I can't however get a prosthetic .....

quote:

ejaculation

AQ,

I removed my jpouch in March 2011, and guess what he removed the pouch but left 10 cm as stumped end for the same reason he was afraid to make me impotent. now i'm having mucus discharge. no problems with the ileo. see my post on general discussion two dyas ago.
happy thanksgiving

My surgeon kept the jpouch and gave me a loop ileo because he said I was far too sick to endure the surgery of complete jpouch removal at the time. I've been told that complete jpouch removal surgery is the most complicated and major of all surgeries from colon removal, jpouch creation, etc..

And yes, I have ALL of the symptons you state and more - pain, discharge, urgency, cramping, and even massive fatigue and joint pains. I am officially diagnosed with diversion pouchtis and on drugs and enemas daily for that, but they don't fully solve the problem. So I am just trying to pshyche myself up for another surgery to get rid of the useless failed poorly constructed jpouch as I have weight back on and know my surgeon would do it now.

My story is a little different.... I had my j pouch turned into a K pouch and had my rectum and anus completely removed. My j pouch problems all stemmed from my anal canal and incontinence issues, so keeping my rectum and anus intact were not a possibility for me. I knew that my discharge would be bloody and incontinent so the doctor made sure to sew me up below. Although the surgery is different than a complete pouch removal, I do have to say it was the most painful and hard to recover from surgery that I have had so far, (colectomy, j pouch creation, take down).