Newly Diagnosed

Hi . Welcome to the board but sorry that you’ve had to find yourself here. It’s an awful shock when you’re diagnosed especially when other tests have seemed clear.

The sign of no spread is good news and hopefully the op in July will get it all away. My tumour was rectal so I can’t offer much advice on what’s removed with a transverse tumour but I had open surgery as my surgeon said it would be easier to ‘ get in there and get it all away’. I was disappointed as I’d originally been told they would hope to do it keyhole as the recovery is quicker but he did say that after the first few initial weeks there is not much between the 2 so I told him to do whichever was best. 

Ive attached a couple of booklets about treatment and surgery -apologies if you’ve already been given them st the hospital

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/YourPathway_BowelCancerUK.pdf

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/Your_Operation.pdf

Hope everything goes well on the 12th and please let us know how you get on

Take care

Karen x

Thank you

Hi

i have just had an extended right hemicolectomy as emergency surgery for a total bowel obstruction in my transverse colon which has since been confirmed as stage 3b bowel cancer (gone into 2 lymph nodes and into blood vessels). Mine was 3.5cm Adenocarcinoma.

i went to a&e with extreme pain and dehydration as had thought I had a stomach bug. The next day I had the emergency surgery - so all my right side colon, all the transverse and part of the left side.

my surgeon did it laporoscopically and I have no stoma. He was amazing. My biggest cut was just over 1 inch and is through my belly button so the scar is already not that bad.

i am now 4 1/2 weeks post op and am starting chemo on Thursday. 

I guess it depends on your surgeon.

Although a second opinion is a good idea I wouldn't get too hung up on open or closed surgery. My tumour was rectal and I had a low anterior resection but I think that the principle is the same except I risked having a permanent colostomy if they couldn't get it all out with clear margins.I think that there are pro's and cons to both and I read a research paper that didn't find a lot of difference between the two approaches as each had their own risks.

I started off as a robotic laparoscopic op but after several hours on the table they were unable to access beneath the tumour properly and my bowel was adhered to my uterus which had to be slowly peeled off. They then had to proceed to open surgery. I was on the table for over 10 hours in the end and was admitted to intensive care afterwards. Although a laparoscopic op looks like smaller incisions externally, the surgeon doesn't have as much room to work with and it can be harder to look properly and access difficult areas, it is much less hands on. I would be guided by the surgeon as to which they think is best for you. With hindsight my surgeon should have gone straight to open and my op would have taken half the time with him easily accessing the difficult to reach places but he wanted to try the laparoscopic way first. Of course I can only speak for myself. The most important priority is that they get it all out with clear margins and if that means slightly longer in hospital or a bigger scar then I would go with that.

Nicky

Thank you

Thank you