Check ups?

After several post-op visits with my GI, he ended up saying there was no more need to see him, unless something happened.

I see my surgeon every two years now for a check up and a scope.

My brother has never had any check ups after his surgery-eight or so years now. I am surprised that his wife, a nurse, has not wrung his neck.

Haha I am a nurse as well!! To set things straight, I'm trying to change the whole, 'nurses make the worst patients' misconception thanks for the advice.

I guess I could be considered a bad patient. My takedown was 1990 and I never went back bc I had too many horrific doc experiences.

I went back for my first scope since 1990....just last week bc I was having a problem.

I have had my PCP, Gyn and therapist all tell me I should be checked over the years. I believe I've heard annually.

I will be better about it now that I have a GI that seems to know what the heck she's talking about...Not sure I am up for annually, though.

My surgeon recently retired, but before then, he had me see him every 2 years for a scope.

My new GI, who is just starting his practice, says that the new guidelines say j-pouchers should be scoped every SIX MONTHS!!!

Has anyone else been told they should be scoped that often? I have no interest in having it done that often.

Hi,

I am interested too in how often we should get checked. I tend to only see my GI when I have issues (i.e. suspect pouchitis)...which means the last time I got the scope was almost 4 years ago. I have had my jpouch for almost 25 years.

Should we be having regular check ups? I dread that scope.

CC suggests one year scopes. They are recently finding cancer in jpouches. Scopes aren't a big deal. Quick too. Why risk things when you can just get a simple yearly scope?

My surgeon told me he would like to do a scope each year. I have no problem with that. It's so much easier than a colonoscopy!

This always kinda makes me wonder. I never heard anything about having a scope. I called to inquire after reading about it on this site and was told sure I could do that but my GI office where I had the surgery was always a bit flyty. My surgeon was fabulous don't get me wrong. Anyway...no one ever contacted me about needing one (you know like the dentist sends reminders or womens health reminds you of pap smear...) and I ***fortunately*** have had a very healthy well functioning pouch have not had to seek help.

Tanya

My doctor scopes me every year also. Told me my chances for rectal cancer increased cause of the severity of my UC. Went from normal healthy colon to total removal in 10 months.

Thanks everyone for your response! I think I kind of already knew the answer but was hoping I was wrong. I'm dreading going back because I have been purposefully avoiding seeing my surgeon again. After my surgery, he insisted on my dilating myself to prevent my stricture at the connecting part from getting any smaller. A the time he couldn't even pass his pinky through upon exam. It wasn't bothering me so I never followed through. It was just too painful. He knew and kept warning me it could lead to issues down the line. Eventually, I stopped seeing him (every six weeks) because I moved away. I'm not too far to go in for a special trip... But I am definitely nervous with thinking of the pain of passing the scope through. Maybe I could ask for some mild sedation? Eeeek, I'm coming up on a year since take down....

My physician did give me a mild sedative for my first scope. Hopefully yours will also. My last one was quite easy and painless so they do get easier with time.

It's completely reasonable to ask for sedation if you have a stricture that you think will cause significant discomfort. Sedation is generally unnecessary for a straightforward pouchoscopy, but your case is simply different. You'd need a ride, though...