STONES IN POUCH

I've had a k-Pouch since 1976, and I have never heard of stones. Well, I have learned something new today. What does your doc say? What are the symptoms of pouch stones. I had a teeny kidney stone some years ago. I passed it with no problems.

Shen removes them by scope at CC. Usually that is how you get rid of them.

they can be removed by scope only if they are small enough to come out through the stoma.

I had three big ones that could not be removed that way. I was put under anesthesia, a urologist went in through the stoma and through a technique -lithrotripsy- broke up the stones and the pieces came out through a catheter. The colorectal surgeon was in/out the OR. For me it was a 5 hour procedure.
Mine didn't bother me either, but the consensus of opinion was that the stones were not going to get smaller.

Lesrich1: Was the reason the you were willing to put up with such a long procedure to get them out for more space in your pouch or other health reasons. Also, did you have to stay over in the hospital?

Thanks

The stones were detected when a scan was done after complaining of intermittent sharp abdominal pain. We did not know if the stones were the source and I did not know that the procedure would take 5 hours. My surgeon, was not going to let the urologist give up. He wanted the stones obliterated once he was in there.
The outcome was; the stones were successfully removed.

Sorry to ask again, but did you have to stay in the hospital for several days and what was the total rehadilitation time?

Thanks again

Ask away.
It was a one night stay, but it took about a week to feel 100 percent. I think because of the 5 hours of anesthesia. My stoma was a little sore but nothing to complain about much.

Have you ntoiced any benefits from having the stones gones, like having to go to the restroom less often as there is more room in the pouch?
Also, did your doctor think there was a long term health issue if you did not remove the stones?

Thanks

the assumption is; the stones didn't begin as large.The grew to that size and the surgeon nor I didn't want to risk them getting bigger. The pain did go away.
I was taking medication for osteoporosis for sometime at the time the stones were discovered. I am convinced that the stones were an accumulation of undissolved medication in the pouch.

For the past three months I have had multiple elongated, black stones in my pouch.

My Doctor had them tested and they were made of calcium and magnesium.

It is quite scary because lots of times I have to twist and turn and push and pull the catheter several times before I can get the stone out, without damaging the valve. The stone invariably sticks out of one of the inlets of my catheter a FR28. I can no longer get a FR30 into my pouch.

And for the past 3 weeks I have had a problem getting the gas out of my pouch when I intubate. I get stool but no gas.

Has anyone had this problem ? It's almost as if I haves two Kock pouches - one for gas and one for stool and I cannot empty the one with the gas.

Fred25

Fred, I have had my pouch since 1980. If I can't get gas out, while the catheter is inserted and I'm sitting on the toilet, I move my body positions (bending down, side to side, etc) and I've ALWAYs have had bear down using my abdominal muscles to get gas out.

And, of course, irrigating will help move gas too even is poo is thin.