What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as the name implies, refers to an inflammatory condition of the bowel or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of the bowel or any part of the GI tract. Though the exact cause of the condition remains unknown, the genetic and non-genetic or environmental factors are thought to play a part. All these factors may impair the normal functioning of the immune system and the body's defence mechanism attacks the body's own tissue causing inflammation of the mucosal lining.
Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is a technique, which involves operations on the colon and rectum through 4 or 5 small incisions. A laparoscope (a narrow tube having a tiny camera) is inserted through the incision which gives the surgeon an enlarged image of the internal organs on a television screen.
Preparation for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Surgery
Preparation for colorectal surgery involves cleansing the colon or 'bowel preparation'. Your surgeon will prescribe an enema and antibiotics following which you should not eat solid food for 8 hours before the surgery. You will be advised to discontinue your regular medications such as blood thinners, warfarin, aspirin, or ibuprofen.
Procedure for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Surgery
The surgical procedure is performed in a hospital under general anaesthesia. Several small incisions (3 to 5) which are less than 0.5 cm are made in the abdomen. Trocar (narrow tube-like instrument) is placed through these openings. A laparoscope is inserted through one of the trocars, which gives an enlarged view of the internal organs on the television screen. The surgery is performed through the other trocars by inserting special instruments or by enlarging one of the incisions to remove part of the colon.
Post-operative Care
You can resume normal activities in one or two weeks following the surgery. You can start walking the next day of your surgery. Loose stools are normal for the first two weeks after surgery. Seek medical help if you come across the following conditions:
- Watery stools for more than 3 days.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain in your abdomen
- Pus discharge or redness around your incision
- Fever with chills (temperature of 100.5 or higher)
- Bleeding from the rectum