Hi I'm new here.. My name is William. I'm 69 years old and facing my first stay in hospital since I was born!
I've been diagnosed with cancer in the large bowel and been given two options for surgical treatment. I would welcome the views of others who may have had the same diagnosis. I have two patches of cancer, in widely separated parts of the bowel. The first surgeon, who told me the diagnosis, said I should have most of the bowel removed, with the risk that I might need a permanent colostomy bag.
On thinking this over, I wondered if it would be possible just to remove the two affected sections, thus reducing or eliminating the need for a bag. I got a second opinion from another surgeon who said that would indeed be feasible but there would be greater risks of leakage from two joins not one and of the cancer appearing later elsewhere in the bowel. He also said, as to the first option , that because the small bowel was fairly mobile there was a good chance it could be moved round thus obviating the need for a bag.
I'm undecided as to which option would be best. If anyone else has faced a similar choice I'd be grateful to hear from them
William
