A little TMI... But when did you have your first BM after SRS?

[JennX]

It's been 7 days since my SRS, and I've not had any bowel movements. I haven't been eating a lot (for obvious reasons), but more and more each day. Is this normal? I see my surgeon tomorrow so I'll ask, but wanted some opinions. Thanks.
-Jenn

[mintra]

I had my first bowel movement day 7 after srs so it perfectly okay I think. I had very little to eat just like you because of the pain.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Definitely talk with your surgeon.  You might need some help, but talk it over with them.

[Vicky]

Three days 15hrs and 37minutes.  Part of that is what surgeon and what the hospital feeds you.  The hospital I was in would have been happier if I had done it that time the day before when I was sent to my aftercare site, but some of it also depends on what was used for the bowel cleansing.  You will probably be given some stool softeners, and told to start drinking liquids like your life depended on it during your visit with the doc today.  I was on a special diet in the hospital that kept me at 1300 calories per day, and a mean set of nurses that kept me eating what I was served.  I hate brocoli!!

[Jessica07]

Its normal, but be taking the stool softeners regularly...you should be about due to go soon I think..I ended up going finally having a movement the day or so before leaving the area which was a relief.  Just dont strain yourself and pop a stitch, itll happen, but I would stay in the area until it does.

[AusBelle]

Mine was 3 or 4 days.  They wouldn't allow me to leave the hospital until I did.

[JennX]

Thanks everyone.

Three days 15hrs and 37minutes.  Part of that is what surgeon and what the hospital feeds you.  The hospital I was in would have been happier if I had done it that time the day before when I was sent to my aftercare site, but some of it also depends on what was used for the bowel cleansing.  You will probably be given some stool softeners, and told to start drinking liquids like your life depended on it during your visit with the doc today.  I was on a special diet in the hospital that kept me at 1300 calories per day, and a mean set of nurses that kept me eating what I was served.  I hate brocoli!!

Before my surgery, I would usually only eat around 1200 calories per day... And I know I'm eating a lot less now. I'll try to force myself to eat more. Maybe even order pizza.

[Shantel]

Any opiates used during and after surgery will cause big time constipation. Yes use stool softners because that first one can be like passing a dry brick out of a round hole.

[JennX]

9 days since SRS and had my first BM today. Whew. I told my surgeon during my first office visit, and she really wasn't worried. She said it was about par for the course. I'm not a big eater to start with and I have a very slow metabolism anyway under good conditions. But everything worked itself out.

[Jessica07]

Glad to hear it

[calico]

With my dr here they dont want you to go to soon on fear of contamination of the surgical site. They want you to eat only a liquid diet untill the packing is removed. So I believe 7-10 days is average after this surgery, also pain medications do tend to stop up the works a lil bit.

[Jenna Marie]

A little under 48 hours post-op, but Brassard's nurses are obsessive about it. Stool softeners, prunes, you name it... They also had us eating big, hearty meals of normal food pretty much as soon as the anesthesia wore off. Seems like they take a different approach to a lot of doctors, but what can I say, it worked out fine for me.

[Shantel]

A little under 48 hours post-op, but Brassard's nurses are obsessive about it. Stool softeners, prunes, you name it... They also had us eating big, hearty meals of normal food pretty much as soon as the anesthesia wore off. Seems like they take a different approach to a lot of doctors, but what can I say, it worked out fine for me.

I suppose that if you were going to have a bowel blow-out it would be better if it happened there than at home much later.

[Jenna Marie]

Shantel : That does make a lot of sense! (Of course, his patients stay under their care for 9-10 days post-op, so even "later" is probably still going to be while in the residence.)

Personally, after seeing how much misery some of my fellow patients were in after 5+ days of waiting to poo, I wonder if that's part of it.

[Shantel]

Shantel : That does make a lot of sense! (Of course, his patients stay under their care for 9-10 days post-op, so even "later" is probably still going to be while in the residence.)

Personally, after seeing how much misery some of my fellow patients were in after 5+ days of waiting to poo, I wonder if that's part of it.

I don't know. But I have a friend from about ten years ago whom I've sense lost track of that had her surgery by one of the SRS surgeons in Thailand. She had a ruptured bowel on the plane coming back to the states. Not pretty and there was no recourse but to be transported to the nearest hospital ER. It was repaired on her own insurance, but she almost died in the process. They opened her up from the breastbone to below the navel to clean out all the toxic crap. She has an inverted cross-like scar as a result. I'm not sure that she hadn't had a piece of colon used in the SRS procedure. Kind of scary, something that probably has a 1 in 10,000 chance of happening as those Bangkok surgeons have a long history of SRS successes.

[JennX]

A little under 48 hours post-op, but Brassard's nurses are obsessive about it. Stool softeners, prunes, you name it... They also had us eating big, hearty meals of normal food pretty much as soon as the anesthesia wore off. Seems like they take a different approach to a lot of doctors, but what can I say, it worked out fine for me.

The first few days postop my appetite was really off... The following week it kicked in to overdrive and I started eating like crazy.

I can see why docs are concerned about it... After all the work down there they want to make sure all the plumbing still works. No clogged drains, everything is working like it should etc. I know I was happy.

[Jenna Marie]

Shantel : Dear God, but that's scary, though!! I'm so glad she's all right.

[Shantel]

Shantel : Dear God, but that's scary, though!! I'm so glad she's all right.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that, I don't want to create any anxiety in anyone preparing for SRS, what happened to that woman was a fluke! I do think that the procedure is quite intrusive and the pain drugs used to deaden the pelvic area are themselves quite constipating being opiate derivatives, the medical teams strive to get their patient's lower end to wake up and the GI tract to begin functioning again before going home to preclude any such mishaps. That's usually the standard plan following any major surgical procedure.

[calico]

Totally seperate thought here but believe it still applies, The one thing my dr was happy about was the fact I was passing gas. He said that is good, and was because I was only eating non bulky soups.

[Shantel]

I was able to pass gas like never before.. My doc was pleased but I thought it was a little out of control. The gas just kept coming and coming.. I was constipated though. I was at the hospital for a week and had three meals a day including lots of mac donalds and I didn't have a bm once. After ten days or so they gave me laxatives because I felt like I would explode  but it still took 4 days I think before I had my first bm and omg did I have a bm!! I could not believe that THAT came out of me. I felt so relieved that I wanted to throw a party.. Now 7 weeks po and my bms are still not normal. If I have two a week then it's a lot. After I had one I can dilate an inch deeper lol. It must be the meds causing the constpation. I kinda don't mind because the less bm the less bacteria. If that makes any sense. I'm running out of most meds so things should be back to normal soon I guess.

Congratulations 
I was in the hospital on morphine which made me sick to my stomach, I lost 13 pounds but the worst part is that it bound me up so bad that I assumed that I'd never have another BM, ever. When it did happen it felt like I needed an episiotomy as it felt as if I was trying to pass a rectangular brick out of a round hole. I know TMI  But any substantial amount of medication that is an opiate derivative will bind up one's lower GI tract for a week or more.