I'm 11 months post TD. It's been along hard road. I finally started to feel somewhat normal about 2 or 3 months ago, I was able to sit and emty and pass gas, what a good feeling it was to not have to strain real hard it just sort of happened. It started to slowly change, I was starting to have to strain pretty hard to go and now can't go at all without putting a tube up inside. Went in and was scoped yesterday surgeon said he found nothing wrong with pouch or anything that could be corected. He suggested I go see Dr. Fasio at the clinic in Ohio. My surgeon wants me to try cipro for awhile to see if any change. Here is what I know, if I put my finger up the tailpipe and beardown the opening closes up, when I insert my little tube about 2 ins I can go. Is'nt that inner sphicter mussel? All I know is I can't keep this up much longer. I told him yesterday I was ready to go back to bag, he said no not yet. He has a meeting with Dr. Fasio in a couple of weeks, and wants to talk to him about me. Has anyone else had this problem? if so what was the out come?

Bill,
Have you been to see a pelvic floor therapist? If you are having sphincter problems then maybe they would be able to help. I think they do biofeedback sometimes too which could help identify where the problem is occurring.

If you think it's a sphincter problem I too would recommend a physical therapist but not a pelvic floor therapist but a rectal physical therapist. I had sphincter problems shortly after surgery and was sent by my surgeon to a rectal PT. Through biofeedback she discovered my problem and with some specific exercises it was corrected. Rectal PTs are hard to find, you might have to travel to find one.

Sue

Bill,

I have had similar problems before and there were 2 different reasons for them - the first was that my pouch had elongated and enlarged and was prolapsing "closing the door" so to speak when I would try to go. My doctors said this is very rare and I really hope and doubt it is your problem. But, not being able to empty the pouch is not only frustrating and uncomfortable - you don't want "stuff" sitting in there.

The other issue is your anastamosis - the place where the end of the small bowel was sewn to the rectum or anal tissue they left could be strictured and need to be dialated. I have had that done 3 times over the past year and a half and they do it under anesthesia and I felt better immediatly!

You may also need to have a pelvic floor muscle evaluation - sometimes the muscles get out of coordination with each other and work against each other.

My advice - talk with your doctors, you may need a defecagram to actually see what the pouch is doing on x-ray while you try to expel the barium and if all that checks out I would ask for an exam under anesthesia - sometimes they can tell more and do a more extensive exam when you are asleep.

Good luck - warmly,
Mikaela