does anyone have to have frequent dilations after takedown? My takedown surgery was last Tuesday and my surgeon said he dilated me during the surgery. I called him today as I have been having really bad pressure and fullness in the rectal area and not going alot when I empty my pouch. He said it's probably because I am not emptying my pouch fully and need to be dilated again. Is this how it feels to others when they need to be dilated? I am hoping it helps to go in again even though it has only been a week as nothing is giving me relief. Has anyone else had to be dilated this frequently and for how long?

I have to go every 6 weeks to my surgeons office to get dialated. He does it right in his office (the 'ol finger up the wazoo). My takedown was in October and this has been a problem since then. He said after some time it should stay open or atleast stay open for a longer period of time. It's not pleasant but atleast it's very quick and I feel so much better afterwards. For me I can tell when it starts to narrow up because it's difficult for me to empty and I get more gassy than usual. I do get some pressure too but that isn't too bad.

All I can do is hope the stricture starts to stay open. In fact I have to go this Wednesday and like clockwork I can tell it has narrowed up again. This is the only problem I have had so I guess I can't complain but it is starting to get old. I know some people opt to be put under sedation to get dialated but I just want to go and get out of there quickly. I also have a high tolerance for pain!

Thanks for the reply, I too have it done in the office without sedation and just deal with it. I had it done a few times during my temp. ileostomy months because he didn't want to let it get too bad. This is just the first time I have felt what it feels like with the j pouch actually hooked up and I got a little scared especially since I just had it done. I am going to go in Wed. and have the dilation done again and I hope it helps. I keep telling myself at least this isn't as bad as when I had an abcess and a drainage tube coming from my butt cheek and I better keep my chin up!!

I had the drainage tube in the butt cheek too because of an abecess! Yikes that was the longest 6 weeks of my life having that thing in. You're right...this is no where near as bad as that! Good luck!

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I had the drainage tube in the butt cheek too because of an abecess! Yikes that was the longest 6 weeks of my life having that thing in. You're right...this is no where near as bad as that! Good luck!

Wow, 6 weeks... I thought I had it bad with just 2 weeks. No fun at all. Then when they took it out, it made a fistula. I'm still waiting for it to heal...

I have had dilations since my takedown also and that was 9 months ago. I can only go about
a month and I start narrowing up again. I think my body thinks this is a wound that needs to be closed. I have the pressure and not emptying my pouch except for small amounts and frequently. And a lot of straining. I am hoping also that I finally get to a point where it stops.

I haven't had my takedown yet, but I have been having dilations every 4 weeks. I also had a drainage tube in my bottom because of an abcess! Looking forward to having my takedown surgery in the first week of May.

I have had the same experience. Prior to my reconnection surgery, I had a few dilations due to pressure in the anal area from the normal fluid and mucus that needed to come out. I also had a drain tube in my pouch from a perforation and an abscess that developed posterior to the perforation and had a drain tube in my abdomen almost 9 months! I had to have the tube changed a few times because it became a permanent part of my body. They also made me have the procedure without anesthesia and I begged to have it after they promised it wouldn't hurt when they ripped it out of my stomach!

I have had over 40 dilations. I stopped counting at 30 over the past 4 years. I was going in every 2 weeks for about 9 months and then I had scar tissue removed and I was only going in about every 6 weeks. I am now able to stretch it out to about 6-9 months. I have it done with anesthesia because it wasn't helping at all with using the finger and it hurts like you know what.

Good luck! Unfortunately it's all a part of what we have been through!

well I went to the surgeon's today to be dilated and he said there was no stricture this time, it was open. We are both baffeled. I have the same symptoms, urgency to go, feeling like I need to go and not being able to and tons of pain and pressure in the rectal area. He just gave me stronger pain meds to try to relax things and hopes it will just take time for things to settle down. I was glad it was not closed up again, but I was kinda hoping that was the problem so I would start to feel better after the dilation. I have to return to work next week which means I will have to stop the pain meds so hopefully things improve.

Lisarb-Well that's a good thing that there was no stricture. You are still very fresh from takedown so your body probably just needs time to adjust to your new plumbing. It's been through so much. I bet you will start to see an improvement in the coming weeks.

On a good note for me I went today too to get dialated and my dr. said the stricture wasn't nearly as bad as it has been and it didn't hurt as much this time too. So he thinks it's on its way to staying open. Still have to follow up in six weeks. Now if we can only get the anemia figured out, I'll be good to go.

Hope you start feeling better real soon.

Mason&Marasmom-
OMG you poor thing...that's a lot of dialations. I'm a little more optimistic after my appt today but I'm still worried I may be doing this for a while. My dr. said if this keeps up he could give me a tool to self-dialate at home. I'm not too keen on that idea! I'm just going to hope it stays open and even if the worse case scenario is going every 6 or so months as you have to do...I can live with that. Ugh what we all have to go through! I guess I really shouldn't complain since this is the only problem I have had.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mgmt10,

I dilate myself daily with a metal dilator instead of going to my surgeon, which is over 2 hours away and a long wait for appointments.

SueH-
I think that's why my surgeon suggested giving me a tool to do it myself because it's an hour and change drive.

Is it easy to do? I would be afraid of damaging something. Am I thinking into this too much? If this keeps up, it would be a heck of a lot easier doing it myself....just makes me nervous.

mgmt10-
I was taught how to do it and it's really no big deal. Sometimes it feels a little uncomfortable. As long as you use a straight edged dilator (I was given a hagar) and use lubricant there is little chance of damaging anything. It was nuisance for me flying to Spain to visit my daughter recently as they refused to allow it in my hand luggage, I had to check a bag in when I hadn't wanted to wait around for luggage. Other than that it's just part of my bedtime routine-clean my teeth, empty pouch, dilate!

I've never thought I needed to get dilated. Just suffered with gas pain and thought pencil thickness formed stool was normal for J-pouches. I was diagnosed with a really big (redundant) pouch last year. Could the pouch have grown so big from holding in all that gas and stool because of having such a small opening at the anus? My pouch stretches from the rectum up to my rib cage and makes a left turn up at the top.

I wonder if I would have been dilated my pouch wouldn't have grown so big. Also, does it keep growing? My surgery was in 1999. Would there be any benefit for me with dilation at this point? My surgeon never mentioned it.

I have a tube from an abscess in my J Pouch through my abdomen and emptying into a bulb. My fluid output is around 50 cc's a day but has gone has high as 100. My question is......... I have had the tube since my 11/29/11 surgery and am wondering how long this can last until the abscess closes. Today is January 20th so almost 2 months now. I can't move to the take down until the cavity closes and J Pouch continues to heal. Appreciate thoughts and comments