Mina Saeed

Hello, excellent question. It depends on the amount of colon removed, and how you are reconstructed. Removing up to 1/3 of the colon likely won't cause a noticeable change in your life, other than perhaps moving your bowels more frequently. Removing 3/4 or more of your colon will certainly lead to the increasing frequency of bowel movements, and may also result in looser stools, as the colon is unable to absorb water from the waste.

Absolutely.

You can choose to be awake during inguinal hernia repair if you would like to avoid general anesthesia. Most cases are done under anesthesia.

Even though there are plenty of articles to suggest it can be treated with antibiotics, what they fail to mention is it takes patients a lot longer to return to a normal life, and the infection can return. My personal recommendation is if you were diagnosed with appendicitis, have it removed. It's a non-essential organ, and you won't even know it's missing.

Yes, in general, it is safe to start strenuous exercise 6-8 weeks after abdominal surgery. Congratulations!

Hello, Is the pain brought on by food? Do you have nausea? Any symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, or indigestion?

Hello, yes, there are great treatments available for hiatal hernia. The most commonly performed procedure, is hiatal hernia repair, with some type of fundoplication, to recreate the lower esophageal "sphincter". The most common is called a Nissen fundoplication. Other options include Linx, which is like a magnetic bracelet that goes around the top of the stomach and tightens the junction to prevent acid from refluxing. This is not effective in the setting of a large hiatal hernia, due to the size of the defect at the diaphragmatic hiatus. A series of tests, including endoscopy, X-ray with oral contrast, esophageal manometry, and pH study is often required to inform the best treatment pathway. Please let me know if you have further questions.

Typically, a colonoscopy is done under conscious sedation. This means you will be sleepy, and generally unaware of the procedure, but can be aroused with stimulus. This does not require general anesthesia.

Laparoscopy is associated with less pain, less surgical site infection, and shorter recovery time. The only time an open appendectomy is superior is when the procedure cannot safely be done laparoscopically, due to scar tissue, abnormal anatomy, bleeding, etc.

Hello,

This all depends on the type of resection. In other words, how much of the liver is being resected, and how are they approaching it (open vs laparoscopic). The length of stay can vary between 2-5 days, depend on how you recover.

Hello,

Small bowel ileus can be secondary to many things, but is self-limiting. It can happen in the setting of illness (pneumonia, UTI), intra-abdominal infection, or post-surgery. It should resolve with bowel rest, and ambulation. If there is an abscess, it should be drained if accessible, or treated with antibiotics promptly.

I hope you have a speedy recovery!