Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

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BallCoach10
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:19 am

Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

Postby BallCoach10 » Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:42 am

I was diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer back in May 2015. The Drs started me on chemo (5FU) and radiation a few days later and it continued until August. PET scan showed no more cancer but surgeon guaranteed cells were still there and I needed surgery to remove the section of my colon where it was. Surgery was performed in October here in Pensacola and the next week the anastomosis started leaking from a dime sized hole. I was admitted into the hospital and stayed there for 6 weeks while Drs tried to control infection that was now formed in a 6 inch presacral abscess. During that time the diverted me into temporary ileostomy to allow the hole to heal. After 6 weeks I was DC'd home with a JP drain and antibiotics because the hole wouldn't close and the abscess was still there. For the next year I had the ileostomy. Dec 7, 2016 I went to Houston Methodist Hospital and Dr Das reversed my ileostomy. Since then I have been having many bowel movements per day (8-15) and tons of chronic pain. I have been living on pain killers. I have had several tests done and was told I had a new abscess and the old abscess cavity was still there causing trouble too in May. I flew down to Cleveland Clinic In Weston and met with Dr Wexner last week who ran more tests and concluded the chronic anastomotic sinus is getting larger and bacteria is getting inside causing my fevers and extreme pain. He suggested another colon resection (my 3rd) and another ileostomy.

I'm on antibiotics but it doesn't seem to be helping much and taking pain meds and suffering most of the day. Does anyone out there have any experience with chronic abscess cavities or a similar situation?? If so, please tell me if you had to go to an ostomy permanently or what procedures were down to help you? Also please tell me the surgeon who was able to help you?

If anyone has a suggestion for a great proven colorectal surgeon that is skilled in abscess removal please pass along the information. I'm almost at my ropes end here dealing with the pain every day for past 7 months trying to avoid permanent colostomy.

Thanks so much!

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

Postby Lee » Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:53 pm

Hi and welcome,

I am so sorry no one has responded to you thread. I hope you see this and that others will respond too. Sometimes threads get buried fast around here. Butt know that you have come to the right place for information and support.

It sure sounds like you have been through a lot. I'm so sorry. Especially the pain, that has got to be the worst.

If you have to surgery done again, I'm going to recommend getting that permanent colostomy bag. I have one, best decision I made. It truly gave me my life back. Radiation while effect destroyed 2/3 of my rectal muscles, thus I was tied to the toilet anytime I ate. Please understand this was over 13 years ago, a lot of advancements since then. Butt my bag does not hold me back. I can be out all day, eat what I what not have to worry where the nearest bathroom is.

Is there a reason you are so against it? Have you talked to an Ostomy nurse yet? Really they are not that bad. I have better quality of life with mine. There is another site that might be help. I will locate it for you.

Hope this helps some,

Lee

Here is that other site, check it out. I hope it give you some direction. Again welcome,

https://www.uoaa.org
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

Soccermom2boys
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:29 pm

Re: Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

Postby Soccermom2boys » Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:27 pm

Hi BallCoach10--

I can only speak regarding a permanent colostomy, I have no experience (thankfully) and no medical background to speak of your anastomatic issues, sorry. I wanted to agree with Lee in that having a permanent colostomy is by no means the worst thing that can happen to you. I think ostomies get such a bad rap because of the temp ileostomies many need to have after surgery and during chemotherapy, but they really are two completely different experiences. Your output would not be so voluminous and liquidy with a colostomy as you have all of your colon to process your waste. You could even irrigate (sort of like the equivalent of an enema but via the stoma) where you wouldn't have output for 24-48 hours, depending on your body. I am a high school teacher and my students have no idea what lies beneath. I am an active walker and enjoy running when I can and enjoy the pool and the beach during the summer, truly not anything I can't do today that I was able to do two years ago before my ostomy. Just keep it in mind, it really is not so tragic as it might seem.

Best of luck on a resolution, please stop back and let us know how you are doing! :D
8/3/15 Went in with a hemorrhoid, came out with a tumor
8/12/15 Biopsy from colonoscopy confirms RC (45 yrs old--zero family history!)
9/21 - 10/29/15 chemorad 28 tx (with Xeloda)
12/17/15 APR with perm colostomy
Pathology report stages me as IIIA (T2N1M0)--1/15 LN detects cancer
2/3/16 chemo port inserted
2/8-6/2/16 8 rounds of Folfox

User avatar
Sophy
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri May 27, 2011 2:46 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

Postby Sophy » Fri Aug 04, 2017 4:59 am

Hi Ballcoach10

I had eight weeks of daily hyperbaric oxygen treatment last year at a government funded hospital in New Zealand which healed my pelvic fractures caused by radiation treatment in 2011 - it wasn't just that I felt better, CT scans showed that the necrotic bone had regrown and was healthy again.

In the chamber with me were two patients who had had infections deep inside their abdomens which antibiotics were not helping. Both of them were referred to the hyperbaric unit and both of them benefitted greatly from the treatment.

For one who had acquired her infection during surgery for ovarian cancer several years ago the infection which had resisted other treatments since the surgery was completely gone by the end of the eight weeks.

The other patient had a long duration infection of her bladder. I finished my treatment before she did but she was already getting better part way through.

If hyperbaric oxygen in a proper clinical setting is offered by a hospital you can access then you might want to consider it, it may sound a silly idea but it can work.

Sophy
dx T3N1M0 Feb 2011 when children age 11, 7 and 2
Xeloda/rad March 11, LAR June 11 temp ileo
Xelox 6 rounds, NED
Lung mets Oct 13
Laser surgery Germany Jan 14. 3 mets left lung.
Laser surgery UK Jun and Aug 14 one met each lung, NED
Aug 14 Started Xeloda and Celebrex (ADAPT)
June 20 CT shows nodule, bronchoscopy confirms is scar tissue, still NED
Dec 20 stopping Xeloda continue celebrex, cimetedine
Aug 21,March 23 scans show still NED
March 2023 CURED - discharged from Oncology, no more scans or follow up

macpudd
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:00 pm

Re: Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

Postby macpudd » Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:29 pm

Hi Ballcoach,
I had a somewhat similar situation to your self, in that I had several abscess deep in my abdomen. It went on for several months, and infection got that bad that I could not eat and my abdomen was huge I required hospital care, NG tube and TPN. Surgeon eventually came up with a plan where an interventional radiologist inserted drains into each cavity using CT guidance, and I had IV antibiotics (four different types) for two weeks and then orally for a further four weeks. I had five drains which were removed as each one dried up, four weeks until the last one was removed. At one stage I really thought the infection from the abscess would kill me long before cancer ever would. However once that situation was sorted I began to recover and was able to complete my chemo and am currently NED :D . Hope you can get a solution to this soon and your recovery goes well.
Regards
Macpudd
Dx 10/13/2014 right hemicolectomy 10/15/2014 pT4b N0 M0
Folfox x12 from Dec 2014 to July 2015
01/16/18 tonic seizure hospital admission
01/17/18 ct and mri 2cm tumor on left side of brain
commenced anti epileptic and steroids and
insulin.
01/25/18 brain craniotomy 80% of tumour removed pathology says gbm4
6 weeks of rad and Temodar chemo and then 6 monthly cycles of Temodar
MRI in Oct no tumor
Mri Jan 2019 tumour growth Feb Pet scan tumour 6cm, no surgery, starting Avastin also Lomustine

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Chronic Anastomotic Sinus After Surgery

Postby Lee » Sat Aug 05, 2017 4:04 pm

BallCoach10 wrote: . . . Surgery was performed in October here in Pensacola and the next week the anastomosis started leaking from a dime sized hole. . .
Thanks so much!


My father in law lives in Pensacola, love going there.

Wishing you all the best,

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!


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