Waiting list times for Stoma reversal op

I expect waiting times vary from place to place. I have had my ileostomy for nearly a year now. I finished chemo back in February.  I had an appointment to see a clinical specialist nurse a week ago. It was just a cancer follow up but we did discuss reversal. She said I would have to undergo a scan and an enema test ( not sure exactly what she called it) to check the join from the OP first. My tumour was quite low so I'm not sure yet how reliable a reversal will be. She did say that the waiting list was about 12 months for reversal which is a long wait. ( I  am with Hereford hospital)

I have just started back at work as a teacher and am finally feeling that I'm getting my life back . I'm managing my stoma well at the moment and like tum bum in a previous thread am quite nervous about having a reversal . I'm worried that if it doesn't go that well I could be off work again for ages  -  being in charge of 30 children sometimes without a classroom assistant means no emergency dashes to the loo!

I have been surprised at the number of people I have spoken to who know somebody with a stoma. I'm beginning to feel I'm not that unusual after all!

Does anybody know if it makes any difference to the success of the reversal  if you have to wait longer for it. Is there a time limit?

Hi, I had Gollum for 10 months before my reversal. It was not too bad afterwards but you have to wait for a solid motion. I waited about  4 days in hospital before I came home. All is well apart from a few loose ones. There is plenty of help from nurses and the surgeon. Not regretting it at all. Keep on a low fibre diet for a while and keep a good supply of loperamide to hand, I find I still need about 12-14 a day but if it works what does it matter? Best of luck, there are plenty of us out there!

Forgot to say that my reversal was last December which I suppose is not too long ago.

Hi, 

Have just had mine 2 and 1/2 weeks ago. Had my bowel checked the day before lockdown, so didn't hear anything until August when I was told I could go on the list for a reversal. I had been shielding and was working from home so he said as it was a short op, he would try and squeeze me in. I called every week to ask what the wait was like and 2 weeks before my op I was told not to expect a date before October. In the end there was a cancellation, they called me for pre op the following day which was a Thursday, and the op was on the following Wednesday, so I only had a week to prepare, had to totally isolate from everyone for 3 days prior to op.. Essentially I was told 3 months but got it in about 5 weeks. I think they wanted to stop me nagging! I then had a total freak out after doing research. But did go through with it. Have pretty much been solid from day 1 of eating. And not going too often. They left the wound open which I had to dress daily, that's just about scabbed over and is a little tight and uncomfortable but it's nothing really. Going back to work (still from home) next week. The op was less than an hour.

1. Good luck, my only advice is avoid orange juice (it stings like hell at the ostomy join inside) and if you can, drink peppermint tea or take pepemint capsules. I did this from day 1 post op, and im sure that's why I had such an easy time, it also helps with the post op wind.