mesenteric swirling

Any update on this? I am curious as well.

No update yet. My surgeon wanted to see the full cd of the scans. The radiology place mailed them Thursday. They hadn't been received as of Friday. My surgeon is only in his office a few times a week. We've now been playing phone tag. I'll update when I have more information.

I wonder if they are describing a volvulous- where a loop if bowel twists and untwists on a pedicle intermittently?

Very good, notsotough! I had never heard of that term, but your description of the volvulus made me wonder, and sure enough, this is a radiologic sign of the very same. This usually results in terrible pain and obstruction and a bowel resection. But, I suppose if the adhesions causing the vovulus are not too tight and the twisted loop not too large, it can move in and out of a partial obstruction.

Here's a descriptive link:
http://radiology.rsna.org/content/226/1/69.full

Jan

Update:

Finally met with my surgeon today. He was not worried at all. He said that basically it seems like it is scar tissue that caused the partial obstruction I had back in February. He said that the mesenteric swirling is most likely scar tissue/fat that is bunching together.

Because I have no pain, he does not feel the need to go back in and do any surgery to check it out/fix anything. Right now, he believes that the scar tissue isn't wrapping around the intestines which is why I don't have obstructions very often (and when I do they are minor, except for the last one).

I was told if I do have another obstruction that doesn't clear up, then to go to his hospital (45-50 minutes away) instead of the one where my GI is out of (20 minutes away), just in case. But at this time, he's not worried. I know the symptoms, and now know when they aren't going to resolve themselves.

He's happy I haven't had too many problems since my surgery almost 5 years ago. He was excited to see me much healthier than when he saw me at 17 on 60mg of steroids, remicade, asacol. I told him, even with the little bumps I have had, I still don't regret my surgery and thanked him for giving me my life back.