I had my knee replaced 3 weeks ago followed by an extra 3 days and an re-admission with a miserable post-operative ileus. After the first Oxycontin, I refused all oral heavy narcotic drugs, but it was too late. Home and still struggling slowly getting my bowel back to normal. This has happened to me before with other surgeries (including original j-pouch). Any thoughts or ideas to avoid this in the future?
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I need to schedule my hip being replaced due to Osteonecrosis (thanks Prednisone). Ileus wasn't something that I evenness considered, probably something that I need to talk to my surgeon and GI about.
after my takedown surgery they sent me home and told me to take Colace for a few weeks if I needed it.
Please do talk to your surgeon and GI. It doesn't happen often, but apparently there is a greater risk if your bowel is compromised. (j-pouch) After joint replacement (especially for knees), oxycontin and oxycodone are used for pain. I took one oxycontin and my bowel shut down for days. The Colace is good for constipation, but as far as I know, not for ileus.
I have had my j-pouch for 12 years and I still love it.
Any surgery runs the risk of causing post op ileus, longer surgeries make the risk higher and post-op narcotics can make it worse.
I had never suffered from them until 2008 (about my 30th surgery)...suddenly I was that person, the one who throws up her guts for 3 days post op and keeps walking the hallways like a robot.
There is nothing that they can do to prevent them and nothing that you can do once they start other than riding them out and eventually getting the dreaded NG tube put in.
Physical activity helps. Walking as much as possible up and down the hallways (unless you are home, in which case, climb the stairs, circle the kitchen and roll around on that big, fat, yoga ball), massaging the zone, and movement.
I am not sure why it suddenly appears when it had never happened before but it does. Not sure why some post ops are fine and other not.
I just ride it out.
Good luck with it
Sharon
You would think with all the advances in medicine, that there should be something besides waiting it out that could avoid this!
