I am 6 days post op today for an abdominal revision.
My beloved surgeon did it all laparoscopically...
I had been having sever abdominal pain, blockages, hypatic flares, daily nausea, fatique, pain when eating or fasting, bloating, cramping and problems with my K pouch access (could find the right direction for the catheter).
My liver enzymes were high and my liver 2xs its size with no obvious disease (no tumors, cirrosis, necrosis, fatty liver disease or anything else that was obvious).
They did a dozen tests including echo-endoscopyn MRI, ultrasounds & 3D ultrasounds. Nobody could find just one thing that fit.
So I was sent to a top specialist via my hepatologist who refused to let me live this way. The specialist looked at all of the test results and scratched his head, told me to go back to my historic surgeon and said goodbye (all in under 10 mins).
My surgeon listened, talked and asked questions. Booked O.R. for 10 days later.
The plan was simple...remove a small cyst by my liver and a gallstone in my common bile duct (he also removed 4cms of the common bile duct along with the stone). Check out a loop of bowel that has caused me problems before (it was covered with adhesions so he liberated it)...but he got a surprise when he discovered that my small bowel was glued to my liver...the Ah-Ha moment...that is why I was in so much digestive misery...it took him over an hour just to lyse it without losing any bowel or injuring my liver.
He then sat me up and checked my pouch which was 'down' again and sitting on my bladder...he picked it up and tacked it back onto the abdominal wall.
All in all just under 3hrs...
My anesthesiologist was incredible...I do not know what he did but I did not wake up in recovery or when they took me back to my room (I always wake up and remember)...it took me til after 3am to wake up...with no sore throat, no nausea, no coughing, no dizziness...nothing...just a bit sleepy.
The best wake-up ever...a whole new method of light anesthesia with no intubation! I had never heard of it before.
2 nights in the hospital and that's it. I came home, removed the leg bag and am recovering nicely without any major pain or side effects. Light diet, mild pain meds, anticoagulants and support hose...that's it.
I guess that this is what you would call a rave...
I am so grateful!
Sharon