My son is at step 2 of jpouch redo by dr remzi. 5 days post op. He has significant output from his loop ileo. But still very distended, bloated, and nauseous. He is walking and npo and getting anti nausea meds, chewing gum, smelling alcohol, and heating pad on belly to help with nausea. Does this sound like ileus even though he has a lot of output? If it were ileus or blockage wouldn’t there be no output or reduced output? His stoma is working quite well.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
If only 5 days since surgery, it's normal recovery process; it was a good 10 days and after a stay High Dependancy Unit before I was well enough to walk and when I eventually stopped the random vomiting; It was during this time I was regretting my surgery, believing I'd made a huge mistake.
Due to the vomiting, I had to have a nose tube inserted, which was terrible, I hated it.
Ward Doctors claimed the vomiting was due to the 10 hours of anesthetic which was pumped into my body during surgery
As you say, if a blockage, they'll be no or a reduced output.
As to bloating and distended; I would assume it's inflammation from surgery, just ensure your Son's abdomen isn't un-naturally hot, as this could be a sign of infection.
Momma posted:My son is at step 2 of jpouch redo by dr remzi. 5 days post op. He has significant output from his loop ileo. But still very distended, bloated, and nauseous. He is walking and npo and getting anti nausea meds, chewing gum, smelling alcohol, and heating pad on belly to help with nausea. Does this sound like ileus even though he has a lot of output? If it were ileus or blockage wouldn’t there be no output or reduced output? His stoma is working quite well.
I had a postsurgical ileus and it was not just nausea but preciptitous, violent vomiting that required insertion of NG tube. There was no output in bag at all, and the spasmodic vomiting concerned them that my sutures would tear open and cause infection. An ileus will not be suspected if he is not vomiting and the bag is filling. They will only suspect an ileus if he starts vomiting because with an ileus, what cannot go down eventually must come up. As long as the bag is emptying he should be OK.
As soon as I was given the NG tube the vomiting ceased, and the nausea abated. Later, after my bag started filling up and I knew the ileus was over, I pulled out my NG tube because it was making me gag and I couldn't stand it. This outraged the hospital staff, but I was none the worse for my self-help, and they just had to deal with the fact that a patient took matters into his own hands. All they could do was sternly reprimand me.
I have money bet on his nausea being due to painkillers- did he take opioids or morphine? If so he might want to dial it back.
He is vomiting but not violently and not all day long. Maybe 3-4 times a day. His pain control is fentanyl via epidural. He walked 10 laps already today.
I would suspect the nausea and vomiting are from the fentanyl but it could be his motility is a bit slow due to the fentanyl and, if so, he should ease back on it. The walking should help stimulate motility but pain meds slow down motility. But if the bag is filling he has some motility and likely not a full ileus.
