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What Causes Rectal Bleeding?
Question: Hi
My dad 74 years old had major rectal bleeding 2 months ago and was diagnosed with diverticulitis and since then he was OK until this past Friday. He got the rectal bleeding again and they did a colonoscopy and the doctor said he was OK. Then he had to go to the bathroom 10 times last night and he bleed every time. Now they say they have to do surgery. My questions are:
1. Since the colon is so long how do they know where to cut?
2. Can there be more than one location where the diverticulitis is?
3. Can there be something else other than diverticulitis causing the bleeding?
5. Any other suggestions for me?
My dad 74 years old had major rectal bleeding 2 months ago and was diagnosed with diverticulitis and since then he was OK until this past Friday. He got the rectal bleeding again and they did a colonoscopy and the doctor said he was OK. Then he had to go to the bathroom 10 times last night and he bleed every time. Now they say they have to do surgery. My questions are:
1. Since the colon is so long how do they know where to cut?
2. Can there be more than one location where the diverticulitis is?
3. Can there be something else other than diverticulitis causing the bleeding?
5. Any other suggestions for me?
Brief Answer:
Diverticulitis is the most probable reason of the bleeding in his case.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
1. As they did the colonoscopy they know where the diverticles are located (sigmoid colon is most common area of diverticles location). They wont be searching for exact bleeding area. The surgeons will remove whole part of intestine with diverticles. This gives the best chances for success.
2. Diverticles are a kind of pouches in the intestinal wall. This pouches are always in multiple locations (there is more than one). But by multiple location we understand a section of large intestine. In simple words the area where diverticles are has its beginning and end. Usually its a section of large intestine. Rarely there is more than one section. But this is possible.
3. If there was full colonoscopy done (whole large intestine has been checked) and the blood in stool is bright red (not black like a tar), the other location of bleeding is rather hardly possible. But as diseases can coexist and every person is different of course we can not say that there is no other place for 100%.
4. Suggestions:
- make sure that everything was done to treat diverticles inflammation with medicines (usually there is a need to stop eating for a day or two, give antibiotics, diet modification is necessary after inflammation healing - fiber rich products, mineral water intake, probiotic intake, avoiding pushing hard on stool)
- it is always better to perform a surgery when acute inflammation is healed
- large intestine removal due to diverticles can be done laparoscopically (minimal invasive surgery done with camera and tools inserted through small holes)
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Diverticulitis is the most probable reason of the bleeding in his case.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
1. As they did the colonoscopy they know where the diverticles are located (sigmoid colon is most common area of diverticles location). They wont be searching for exact bleeding area. The surgeons will remove whole part of intestine with diverticles. This gives the best chances for success.
2. Diverticles are a kind of pouches in the intestinal wall. This pouches are always in multiple locations (there is more than one). But by multiple location we understand a section of large intestine. In simple words the area where diverticles are has its beginning and end. Usually its a section of large intestine. Rarely there is more than one section. But this is possible.
3. If there was full colonoscopy done (whole large intestine has been checked) and the blood in stool is bright red (not black like a tar), the other location of bleeding is rather hardly possible. But as diseases can coexist and every person is different of course we can not say that there is no other place for 100%.
4. Suggestions:
- make sure that everything was done to treat diverticles inflammation with medicines (usually there is a need to stop eating for a day or two, give antibiotics, diet modification is necessary after inflammation healing - fiber rich products, mineral water intake, probiotic intake, avoiding pushing hard on stool)
- it is always better to perform a surgery when acute inflammation is healed
- large intestine removal due to diverticles can be done laparoscopically (minimal invasive surgery done with camera and tools inserted through small holes)
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Thank you
What I heard recently is that they found a polyp type about 2 inches from the anus but its not polyp. That is whats causing the bleeding. What does that sound like to you.
What I heard recently is that they found a polyp type about 2 inches from the anus but its not polyp. That is whats causing the bleeding. What does that sound like to you.
Brief Answer:
can be a rectal cancer.
Detailed Answer:
The polyp-like lump in the rectum which tends to bleed can be a rectal cancer. But as long as there will be no pathologist result of the samples which were collected during the colonoscopy, this is only a suspicion. It can be just a weird polyp as well.
Regards.
can be a rectal cancer.
Detailed Answer:
The polyp-like lump in the rectum which tends to bleed can be a rectal cancer. But as long as there will be no pathologist result of the samples which were collected during the colonoscopy, this is only a suspicion. It can be just a weird polyp as well.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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