# Bowel function issues after laparoscopic rectal prolapse surgery after



## wnorm (Jan 13, 2015)

"I am a 64 year-old woman with bowel function issues.
In May/2015 I had perianal rectal prolapse surgery. The prolapse recurred. I had been advised by my surgeon to do a 1.5 litre water enema daily since June/2015 because of associated bowel function issues. There was a long wait for surgery. As a result, the prolapse had become quite large and extremely painful. On Sept 13/2016 I had abdominal laparoscopic rectal prolapse surgery without resection. Post-op instructions were minimal.
I suspect that long term use of water enemas, a hysterectomy in 2013, a hemorrhoidectomy in 2003, years of severe diarrhea due to poorly managed collagenous colitis, 2015 perianal rectal surgery, and finally Sept.13/2016 laparoscopic rectal prolapse surgery may have been triggers in alteration of normal normal bowel motility. I have been suffering with severe constipation since the 2015 surgery. It is worse now.
I was advised to:
1) avoid all H2O enemas until post op appointment Nov1. They strain stitches in abdomen.
2) do liquid/soft diet for 2-3 days until bowels more normal
3) I said that I was going to drink lactase milk to trigger bm. She said it was a good idea.
4) Experiment with diet, fibre, stool softeners, Milk of Magnesia, etc.

My current status:
I have been experimenting endlessly. Even low doses of MOM, PEG, and stool softeners give me severe diarrhea. Small amounts of foods higher in FODMAP, high fibre cereals, and even 1 tsp of Metamucil give me many hours of diarrhea, which is difficult to control. If I decrease fibre, evacuation is tedious or impossible, frequently even for soft stool. If the stool is more solid, I cannot evacuate it normally. I cannot sense that stool is present in the rectum. When I walk around the house, small pieces of stool are evacuated accidentally. 
The question is: will I ever regain normal bowel function? How long does it take to normalize? I have not been able to leave my house since the surgery due to these bowel function problems.
However, I feel that you could offer me some advice regarding these bowel function issues. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. This situation is quite upsetting.
Thank-you


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i am so very sorry for all your problems. you have been through so much with all the surgeries and now you have all this happening--so sorry.

i wish i had some advice for you but i don't, not having been through anything like this myself. we do have a number of people here who have had prolapse surgery so hopefully some of them can answer your questions. since you have two posts here in this forum that are identical, i am going to move one of them to the General Discussion forum so more people will see it.

i do wish your doctors could help you more with all of this. and i do hope that soon you can find some answers and some relief. take good care.


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## marleyma (Aug 13, 2014)

Hi,
I had rectopexy (but with 6 inch colon resection) and the prolapse came back a few months later. Prior to surgery, my bowel movements were very normal and daily. After surgery, I eventually just stopped going all together. The only thing that has been working (for almost a year id say) is taking dulcolax sometimes combined with magnesium citrate. I only do this on weekends so I can be at home. Some weeks it works great, others not so much. I know it can be so hard. Hang in there.


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## rewinj (Apr 19, 2012)

I had laparoscopic rectal prolapse surgery as well (+ sigmoid resection), and am in the same boat. Severely worsened obstructed defecation & now recurrence of prolapse. Sigh. Waiting for the next surgery but in the pits of despair. Mineral oil + insane kegel exercises like 24/7 have kept me moving enough. Going to experiment with dulcolax tonight but scared based on fodmap/diarrhea/etc. situation.


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## rewinj (Apr 19, 2012)

I find I can only really get good eliminations while standing or lying on my side since recurrence.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

rewinj said:


> I had laparoscopic rectal prolapse surgery as well (+ sigmoid resection), and am in the same boat. Severely worsened obstructed defecation & now recurrence of prolapse. Sigh. Waiting for the next surgery but in the pits of despair. Mineral oil + insane kegel exercises like 24/7 have kept me moving enough. Going to experiment with dulcolax tonight but scared based on fodmap/diarrhea/etc. situation.


Sorry for your anal woes Rewinj, I have had two hemorrhoidectomies myself. Healing up afterwards was ROUGH.









A while back someone else had posted the same thing here that you just did, they had rectal prolapse surgery, then a little while later it happened again.

Have you ever tried Dr. Schulze's Intestinal Formula to keep things moving inside you or no? See link below, if interested:

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/239065-finally-a-product-i-can-recommend/


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