Hello all. Quick question. I live in Hawaii, but am thinking I need to remove my J pouch and go to an ileostomy. It seems Cleveland Clinic is the most experienced facility. Could you recommend the best surgeon for this complicated surgery? Thanks!! I'm desperate! Z
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I would suggest Dr Remzi but he moved to NYU in NY city. He is really the best there is
Although I cannot make a recommendation for a surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, they do have a fine reputation for dealing with pouch problems. You may wish to have them do an evaluation of your pouch before proceeding with its removal. Perhaps they can recommend something that would avoid removal and give you the quality of life you desire. If not, you would have a second opinion supporting removal.
If you should decide to proceed with removal of your j pouch, you may want to research two alternatives to an ileostomy that do not require having an external bag: the K pouch and the closely related BCIR. K pouch surgery is done at the Cleveland Clinic and a few other places. The BCIR is done in Florida and California. Selection of a surgical procedure is best done after researching each alternative. There is a lot of information about these procedures available on the internet. In my case, J pouch removal was confirmed by a second opinion at Mayo Clinic and I opted to get a BCIR instead of an ileostomy based on quality of life issues. I am very pleased with my decision. Others have had good results with a conventional ileostomy. It is a personal decision that only you can make. I hope the best for you.
Bill
Thanks so much for the advice. I will check them out. It is a difficult decision to go through another surgery when I might have some of the same issues, like obstructions, and the dietary restrictions, possible pain. Plus, it sounds like a potentially complicated surgery. I would like to have a consult with someone who is an expert, so will research the ones recommended.