My son age 11 is waiting on his TD surgery in a few months. He wanted me to ask how long is the hospital stay with this? I told him it should be very minor compared to what he has been through. 1-2 days is what I told him? Also he is worried he will have another NG tube and central line. Thanks

the hospital stay really depends on how long it takes his guts to wake up. three or four days is your best bet.

The NG tube depends on the doc. Some put it in during surgery as a safeguard, some after if a problem develops.

as for the central, i can't tell ya. I never got one, but my veins were good enough to get the job done. if your son was dehydrated before his first surgery, which, with colitis, seems possible, then they might have been too unpronounced to find. having been with an ostomy, the dehydration/anemia could have been resolved, allowing them to pop out more (not a doc, but this seems logical)

anyway, the key is that it is definitely an easier surgery than the first. the reduction in pain post-op makes all the other annoyances more bearable.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Paper Trained,

Paper Trained had the average stay about right. Some people go home sooner, some take longer. If his bowels woke up quickly after the first surgery, they should get moving quickly after TD, making for a shorter stay.

Since the intestines aren't moved around that much, there shouldn't be a need for an NG tube. I don't know his doctor, but you can always request, "No NG tube!" ahead of time. Since it seems to be a doctor's choice for this surgery, you should be able to talk him/her into it ;-)

No need for a central line at all - unless your son has some reason for it before or after. TD surgery is pretty minor and there shouldn't be a need for it after surgery.

Give your son our best! And you are brave to go through this with him.

Steve