Question: I am a male retired dentist. D.O.B.Dec. 166, 1938.
I had emergency small bowel resection surgery on October 28, 2013, consisting of removal of 42 cm of small bowel 3 ft. past the Ligament of Treitz. The surgery was performed about 48 hours after presenting for symptoms of intense pain and inability to keep down either food or water for 1 day. The surgeon reported that the bowel had formed a loop and was strangling itself. I was hospitalized for 2 weeks during the first 1 1/2 week I had a tube into my stomach suctioning out any fluids to allow for healing. After leaving the hospital , I found I had difficulty tolerating many foods I had eaten before especially fatty foods. My family doctor had no suggestions to improve my situation. My daughter suggested a digestive supplement called Digest Gold which contains a number of digestive ensigms and probiotics. (Information available on internet) This helped a great deal for after about 2 weeks it almost completely releived these symptoms.
The second after effect has been more challenging to deal with, namely a low blood hemoglobin level. previously my hemoglobin levels had been very good and well up to average healthy levels. when leaving the hospital my hemoglobin level was about 90. I have been prescribed iron supplements which at first seemed to help some and raised the level to about 118, but in the last year have been innefective at raising my blood iron level. I have many of the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia as listed on the Mayo Clinic list of symptoms. My family physician has now prescibed a Vitamin B12-B6 preparation to try to improve my iron absorption, if that fails she will resort to B12 injections. My question is this: is this a common side effect of having the stomach evacuation procedure in place for that period of time?
I am not questioning the need for the sugery or the surgeons skill or the necessity of the evacuation procedure but rather trying to identyfy the source of my quasi pernicios anemia symptoms. XXXXXXX Enns