RinaJP posted:Hi Jenners.
I had a stricture in about the same exact place as yours. I had it dilated twice, but it ended up that the stricture closed due to Stelara. Also, the dialation stretched the stricture, but structurally the stricture dipped into a U shape because the small bowel that strictured could no longer hold up its original shape to the point where it was hard for food to pass through. I’m not sure if you also have ulcers in your j-pouch. For me, I was also ulcerated throughout the j-pouch that changed my diagnosis to Crohn’s disease. I had my jpouch and stricture removed last year and am back to an ileostomy. I would say that the success rate of balloon dialation is very slim. Balloon dialation for the small bowel in itself is very risky in comparison to the large bowel because of how much thinner the bowel walls are.
I’m surprised that the doctors are going to try to remove the stricture only. My doctors over here said I had no choice but to have my j-pouch removed, because of the where the stricture is at that there wouldn’t be enough blood flow to the j-pouch when they cut and reconnect the small bowel to the beginning of the j-pouch, thus basically killing my j-pouch. I would get a second opinion because if it fails, you might have to get a 3rd surgery to remove your j-pouch.
This is just my experience. I spent about 5 months in the hospital for this whole ordeal, but I am finally able to live life again with an ileo. Please, do not be scared of going back to an ostomy. It’s not the end of the world.
I wish you the best of luck.
-Rina
Heya, this all sounds so hard! 5 months in hospital sounds awful!!! Thank you so much for letting me know about your experiences. I do have some ulcerations in the jpouch, have been treated for a lot fo "pouchitis" over the years. Now seem to be changing diagnosis to Crohn's because found ulcerations further up small intestine too. Stellara seems to be a drug for crohn's? So this made your stricture worse? The doctor suggesting the surgery did indeed warn of the difficulties with bloodflow to the jpouch, and that is why would do in 2 surgeries. He said if there was not adequate bloodflow then they would reconnect the jpouch to the intestine in another spot. It all sounds quite complicated (obviously) and with very uncertain outcomes.
yes, I remember after being very ill when I was younger that having the ileostomy bag was quite liberating! I recall being at a party thinking "wow! I am out! At a Party! Like a normal 20 something!!" But currently I feel really good. I am getting energy back, I have pretty good feeling guts, poops, and an active life. So, the idea of having surgery feels like such a weird thing to do? It's tricky to explain I guess. My experience of surgery is a mixed bag (no pun intended) of it saving my life and also making it very complicated and painful.