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Impaction after rectal surgery please help!

1821 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Soccerlifter
Hi all,

Apologies in advance for the depth of detail here...I'm desperate

I just had a lateral internal sphincteronomy two weeks ago. Initially after the surgery, I had diarrhea for three days or so, so I did not start taking stool softners until about 4-5 days post op. It seems the pain meds did a good job backing up, I only was able to pass some very hard stool two days ago.

Since then it has been a nightmare. I have had to use countless oil enemas and suppositories along with heaps of miralax to get anything out, and that's with lots of straining.

I now I have a rectum full of semi- hard stool in large bits - I was able to manually feel around a little with a gloved finger, but cannot get any put manually. I know it's the end of the solid bits because I'm now having some diarrhea move around it.

Although the surgery was supposed to relax the muscle, things are tighter than ever and I just can't evacuate this stool. It is VERY painful to go at all, and every attempt is a struggle that leaves me in pain for hours.

I just don't know what to do to pass this stool...I've tried every trick, even trying to go in a warm bath. It's extremely irritating to the area, and I am now getting bad stomach cramps, I think from the diarrhea trying to push its way through (all the miralax caught up to me).

Before the surgery I often had to manually remove things - embarrassing, but my bowel just doesn't seem to work properly. There is no momentum to any movement, and I always feel like I'm pushing against a brick wall, now more than ever.

Please please help. This has been three days from hell! I'm thinking I should just go to the hospital - maybe they can sedate me and get it out, the pain is just too bad to do it on my own.

Thanks for taking the time to read
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You are definitely not alone. I'm sure there are alot of folks here like myself who's issues started after surgery. I was constipated once in my entire life where I needed to use something. Since my first surgery in 2012, I've become an expert on Milk of Magnesia, Miralax, manual extraction, food types, etc. It is so annoying and frustrating and defintiely feel where everyone is coming from.

I just had a CT scan yesterday to see if I have some type of issue that is causing my off and on constipation. As others have mentioned, there is being constipated, but then a point where you need to call the doctor. I think you can easily call them and say you have tried the laxatives and not helping. They could maybe put you on a liquid diet or something else to help figure it out.

One thing to just keep in mind. When you have surgery, everything shuts down inside your body. It takes time to clear everything out but also to get back to "typical" bowel movements especially if you are not very active. With that said, if it doesn't improve, definitely get them to help you out.

Again, sorry you are dealing with this. We've all been there, otherwise we would not be members of this forum. :)
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