I will try to make this brief. I went in for my takedown surgery 11/29. I was in the pre-op room with the iv in my arm waiting to be wheeled into surgery. Dr. Remzi (CC) comes in and tells me that they cancelled the surgery as my Liver functions tests (LFTs) were abnormally high and the anesthesiologist would not put me under due to what "might" happen to my liver. Needless to say I was very disappointed. My LFTs have been elevated since the completion of step 1 of my surgery. What irritates me is that on 11/28 my first appt was with a liver specialist and he said not to worry about it as I had all these tests done for my liver and all showed negative. He cleared me for surgery the next day, then this happens at the last minute. Anyway, on 11/30 I went to see him again and he told me they have to get the functions back to normal before they will do my takedown. He prescribed me Ursodiol 300 mg 3x a day. Does anyone have any experience with this drug? Does it help? Does it work quickly? I am weaning off Xanax, Lexapro and my occasional Lorazapem in order to hurry this process along, thinking they might be the culprit. The only other drug I take is Lomotil. Any help or insight anyone can provide would be most welcome.

I'm sorry I don't know anything about the subject but think it's horrible they waited until you were outside of the surgery door before cancelling!

Did the doctor tell you weaning off of the other medications would improve your liver function? If not I'd keep taking them as I had a hard time after surgery and needed those types of medication. This is a high anxiety time in anyones life.

I hope everything works out for you soon.

Has anyone taken a look at you possibly having PSC (Primary Scerlosing Cholangitis)? While rare, 70% of the people who have it also have UC. Not sure that you do, but since most J pouchers do, you may want to look into this. It can be hard to diagnose and you need a person familiar with it to know. I take Urso (300mg 3x a day) for PSC, which was diagnosed in me just this year after abnormal LFTs. I had no other symptoms. I just had a one stage J pouch done in Oct 2011....doing very well now, but my LFTs were normal going into surgery..and I was on Urso. Any other questions..feel free to PM me.

I have taken ursodiol for years for PSC which I was diagnosed with in 1984. My PSC has progressed very slowly fortunately and until the last few years my liver function tests were always high. I would definitely look into the possibility that you have PSC. A non-invasive test for it is MRCP. The confirming diagnosis is done with an ERCP. Make sure you have a gastroenterologist who has a lot of experience with PSC patients doing your ERCP if it comes to that. I live in Bozeman, MT and travel to Virginia Mason Medical center in Seattle for ERCPs; I've had 2 done to open up strictures in my bile ducts. You can PM me as well...