? recovery time after sphincterotomy

Am now almost four weeks out after a lateral sphincterotomy. I am a bit discouraged with the slow healing and was wondering what the average amount of time is to really be back to normal? The BMs hurt (but not as much) and often feel a dull continuous ache when upright. Also a feeling like my bowels haven't emptied completely. Maybe I'm rushing it but just want to get back to normal. Thanks.

Aftre four weeks, you should be feeling close to normal, though I have seen no two recoveries alike. Give it another week, then I would go see my surgeon.

I still have a problem with my bowels not emptying completely, after 6 months out from the surgery. Sometime I think I may never have a perfect BM again...but I'll take this over the pain anyday..

I haven't had this type of surgery but I have had other rectal surgery and it took longer than the surgeon said it would to get better. Of course I developed a fissure on top of that so it took months for me to feel better. I can understand the frustration but like Kim said, no two healings are alike and I think it is often a disservice when we feel that we aren't fitting into the doctor's timeline of healing. You are better than you were and if you look at your progress over time you will see that you are healing. It is just unfortunately a long haul with healing for all of us. We are in or have been in the same boat.

i always say give it 6 months to a year.

:-)

Gareth is right, from my experience, for *complete* healing.

For the initial healing, what most CRS's consider healed, is 4-8 weeks.

But your "recovery" from surgery should be over by now, that's why I say you need to go see your Dr. again if you are no better in a few days...

I wouldn't worry a bit yet. From my personal experience, it's been a very SLOW and discouraging healing process. For me, it's been almost 8 full weeks since my surgery and i am still not at all back to "normal", although i do feel a change since before the surgery.. (I've posted a few times on the board about this already.)

While one person may take 2 weeks to be completely healed, another may take 6 or 10 or more. I know of at least one person on this board who is 12 weeks out from surgery and still not a full 100%.

Everyone is different, and "complete" healing for you may be completely different than someone else. Call your surgeon if you are concerned, but I am sure he/she will reassure you that it's okay. Just keep drinking lots of water and taking stool softeners. Ibuprofen has helped me lots too.

my friend who the surgery said it was at least 6 weeks before she started feeling somewhat normal. hers was bought on after having a kid if i remember right..

Regarding the feeling of bowels not feeling empty...

Not sure if this will work for you, but it does for me...it's actually a trick that Happyass suggested (thanks, HA)... Before I do a BM, I take a wadded up piece of TP, run it over warm/hot water, and press it against my anus as I'm squatting on the toilet. This helps relax the muscles down there. Stool comes out easier...then, when I think I'm done, I press another wadded up piece of TP against the anus (sometimes I do it several times, re-wetting the TP). Doing this generally triggers a second smaller wave of stool -- at times, it's really helped me empty out the rest of the poo lurking up there.

Hope you all feel better!

I think healing time would also depend on the type of surgery you had (open or closed LIS) and how much of the muscle was cut. ....those who heal quickly might have only had the muscle knicked during a closed surgery.

And then even that considered, everyone is different. I think I mentioned on another post that I had surgery for an abscess, where the abscess was drained starting from just above what was left of my original fissure about an inch inside to the outside and down almost to the muscle. I had that done at the beginning of Feb. and still am not quite healed, but I am healing (especially after the botox!! ) Granted, that is a different kind of surgery, more in line with a fistulotomy, but the healing time was supposed to be 12 weeks. I passed that up a long time ago and then stopped sounting because it was too depressing and discouraging. So basically what I'm trying to say is that 1) everyone is different, 2) it's hard to tell exactly what the surgery looks like and how much was cut, 3) so it's hard to say how long it "should" take for you to heal--and though it seems like a long time when you are constantly uncomfortable, 4 weeks really isn't that long. I bet 4 weeks from now you will feel much better.

cute pic Dano!

thanks Noelle!..........
........why doesnt your bowels feel empty? how does the surgery affect that? youd think it'd be the opposite with the muscle being relaxed,it all just come on out......

Well, I think the sphincter is actually responsible for pulling the stool from the colon and moving it to the delivery area, the anus...so if it's been compromised, via surgery, it can't do it's job quite as well...

Just a non-medical guess on my part...

on the other hand, it may be that we have become so super aware of everything down there, that really our bowels are empty but we feel something - which may be a muscle or a hemmy or something that is situating itself back in there.

all i can say is that if you have pushed and nothing comes out, you are basically done.

avoid the strain to get what you feel may be the 'last drop' out!

it only makes things worse.

***
this is a great exercise in learning to listen to your body and trying to respect it when it is ready to do something. in a way, despite all this trouble we have with our sensitive bottoms, its a great opportunity to become more aware of what is better for our mind, body, and soul.

That is a good point, Gareth!

If I don't have the urge to go I don't push it. I figure my body will let me know when it is time. And I think we all may have a hyperawareness of this area after dealing with so much pain and thinking about all things butt related for so long.

Thanks for all the tips and information.
It sounds like everyone is different in terms of their healing times.
It's just frustrating when you are an active and athletic person to have the weeks drag on with this continued pain down there. It is getting better albeit very slowly.
Am also bothered with this continued drainage of a clear, yellowish type fluid with a bad odor. My sister had the same surgery and said this went on for about two months. I've found that the continued drainage sets one up for skin irritation down there---end up with a bad rash off and on despite trying to keep it all clean and dry.
Am going to see the surgeon tomorrow and guess I just need to be patient. Thanks again. S.