I just had my 4th dilation in as many months. My surgeon suggested I start home dilation, but mentioned the kits are expensive. Where do people order them from and how expensive are they, generally. He wants me to start on Monday so I kind of need to know.

Wow. I think I hit on the one topic no one wants to talk about or can help with.

This article calls it a Hegar dilator:

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1357134

Once you know the name, you can find them for sale:

http://www.thomasmedical.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=68

A more affordable, consumer-type product:

http://www.vaginismus.com/products/dilator_set/?utm_sou..._term=hegar+dilators

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bobolink713,

My surgeon suggested that I just buy the ones I needed, so I picked up three pieces of this set: 13-14, 15-16, & 17-18 . . .


Unfortunately I did not get the cool carrying case with my broken set, but I saw no need to buy more than I needed. I ordered mine from the medical supplier my doctor referred me to, and he faxed the Rx directly for me. My three pieces cost between $30-40, but I see you can get the whole set on eBay much cheaper.

I dilate daily and do not use any device.

I take a rubber glove and then lubricate with ky jelly. Then I insert my index finger in. As long as I am maintaining the opening it does not hurt.

It can take a while to get to that stage, NY-Pouch. I still have spasms and fissures, and the stainless steel is less traumatic. I use a gloved finger too, at times, but like I said, when spasming a finger just can't breach the site! It is nice to look forward to a day when I can take care of it myself, without tools.

Wow, the set of Hegar dilators is 10 times cheaper on eBay.
Maybe these have been used and discarded by clinics?

Can someone please explain why some of us or all of us need to use a dilator? My surgeon gave me a plastic one not long after my pouch surgery, but I lost it years ago. He has never suggested I use one since, but I wonder if I should get another one.
Maybe I am too tight and thats why I have such a problem evacuating my bowel at times?
I'd love to know a bit more about the benefits of using one and if its ok to go ahead and try one without having to go back to the Dr again for approval.
Dont you just get so sick of going to the bloody quack all the time?
Thanks
Veronique

I used a St Mark's dilator during the last 6 months with my j-pouch. It was white plastic and cone shaped.

There was a discussion on this site a few years ago and one j-poucher's surgeon suggested using an ordinary household candle. Of course many jokes followed but the fact is that it is very similar in size and shape to the St Mark's dilator so the notion wasn't as weird as it sounded.

Shell

You would have to get the full text, but the experts in balloon dilation:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15571580?ordinalpos=...anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

say the causes of stricture include "CD, cuffitis, ischemia, abscess, and NSAID use."

(So don't take ibuprofen for cuffitis pain!)

Basically, any damage to intestinal walls can result in the formation
of strictures, because the tissue often responds to the damage by growing some
scar tissue in an apparent attempt to help seal up any leaks. That's
good when actual leaks at the anastomosis site get closed, but nasty when
you want that passageway to stay wide open. Some people are much more
prone to this than others.

As Jan has posted repeatedly, self-dilation is normally done after
dilation by a GI or surgeon. Some people here have attempted to self-dilate
without first having had a GI/surgeon do it, with varying degrees of success.