You should be up and walking within a day or two after surgery. This will encourage your circulation and bowel function to return to normal, and may prevent complications.
The first four weeks of your post-op recovery are the most important, and you'll be increasing the intensity of your walks one week after the other. During your first week, you should stick to taking anywhere between 2 to 4 ten-minute light-paced walks a day.
Starting with 2 or 3 ten minute bouts of light walking is a safe place to start your post-surgery exercise routine. This light activity will not only aid in improving your mood post-surgery, but it will also speed up recovery and help digestive/bowel function.
After the Surgery
It's normal to experience some pain, nausea, and drowsiness as the anesthesia wears off. Your nurse can give you medication to help control your symptoms. Once you are fully awake and your pain is under control, usually within a few hours, you will be wheeled on your bed to a hospital room.
You may experience leakage from the ends of the colon that were surgically attached. Treatment for a leak may be as simple as taking antibiotics. With more severe episodes, another operation may be necessary. Bleeding, infection, and blood clots are other potential complications of the procedure.
In 4 to 8 weeks you will be recovered from surgery and back on a regular diet, but it is important to keep your colon healthy. This includes eating plenty of high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains throughout the day. Also, drink plenty of liquids such as water and juice.
In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed.
In this procedure, your surgeon will remove any infected colon, but will then connect your bowel through an opening in your abdomen called a stoma. This procedure is known as a colostomy and will result in an ostomy bag. This is only done if there is too much damaged colon tissue to retain full use of your bowels.
The surgical mortality rate for diverticulitis is 18%.
Use a conservative approach. While you are still in the hospital after surgery, you may be encouraged to walk once you are able. Do one lap around your ward three to six times a day. By day four, back at home, you should be walking for five full minutes, up to six times a day.
Following colorectal laparoscopic surgery, the average hospital stay is 6.5 days and normal activities usually resume within 1 to 2 weeks. With open surgery, the average hospital stay is 9 days and typically 6 weeks of recovery.
Avoid strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, until your doctor says it is okay. Ask your doctor when you can drive again. You will probably need to take 3 to 4 weeks off from work.
You can walk, climb stairs, shower, and bathe soon after surgery. But don't drive until your provider says you can. Follow all special diet instructions you are given. Take care of your cut (incision) and any drains, as directed by your provider.
In the case of intestinal surgery, your surgeon can check for leaks using a CT scan with contrast dye. The contrast is injected into your rectum near the anastomosis to see if it leaks out of the connection.
It is normal to lose some weight after this surgery. Soon it will level off and slowly you will start to regain some of the weight you lost. Try to have a good calorie intake to keep up your energy. Your bowel actions may change after your surgery.
Most people with diverticulitis will not need surgery. The condition can usually be treated with antibiotics, fiber, and probiotics. When these treatments fail to reduce symptoms, doctors may recommend surgical removal of the infected part of the colon.
After surgery, new diverticula develop in the remaining colon in around 15% and roughly 2–11% will require repeat surgery [3, 10]. Historically, recurrence of diverticulitis after surgery has been in the range of 7–11% with an estimated risk of recurrence over a 15-year period of 16% [3].
Diverticulitis is an intestinal disease that can cause fatigue in some people. The fatigue may be caused by infection, inflammation, or sleep disruption due to pain. It could also be related to nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, dehydration, medication side effects, or surgery.
In most cases of surgery for diverticulitis, a colostomy is not required. However, sometimes this is not the case.
According to the American Gastrointestinal Association (AGA) guidelines, it is recommended to perform a colonoscopy six to eight weeks after resolution of acute diverticulitis [1].
Yes, most patients have a successful colon resection procedure and go on to live full and comfortable lives.
Recurrent diverticulitis occurs in about 10% after resection. The pathogenesis for recurrence is not completely understood.
Mild cases of diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics and a low-fiber diet, or treatment may start with a period of rest where you eat nothing by mouth, then start with clear liquids and then move to a low-fiber diet until your condition improves. More-severe cases typically require hospitalization.
Bowel rest is also important for acute diverticulitis. For home treatment, that means sticking to a diet of clear liquids for a few days, then gradually adding soft solids and moving to a more normal diet over a week or two.