Length of bowel used in j pouch

Shainy

Hey everyone. I had stage 2 of 3 surgery last week and all seems ok so far other than the usual difficulties one has after such a procedure.

I recall my surgeon telling me he was happy with the op and that he managed to use 18cm of bowel for the pouch which he said was an optimal length.

However I have just been looking on the Internet and it seems most publications talk about 30cm as the norm.

Does anyone have any idea what the norm is?

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Jan DollarModerator, RN, retired

My understanding is that it is a range, not a set number. It depends on your anatomy. From what I've read, it is 6-12 inches, or roughly 15-30 cm. The less that they need to use, the better, because less tissue to be exposed to inflammation, and more tissue left for normal nutrient absorption. Small pouches have the same function over time as large pouches.

Jan

5/19/1410:31 AM

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ShainyMember

Ok thanks jan

I just assumed the more bowel they use, the bigger the pouch and bigger the capacity but obviously that's not the case then over time...

5/19/1410:35 AM

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