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Bowel Surgery

Following a bowel operation it can take a couple of days for your bowels to function. Once your bowels do start to work you may find that your bowel motion may be much looser and more frequent; this is normal and can improve with time. If you do have frequent bowel motions this may cause you to have sore skin around your anal area. Barrier creams such as sudocrem, drapolene or metanium can help to relieve this. Using a wash cream on toilet roll, such as tenaset, instead of dry toilet roll may also help.

If you have any of the following symptoms please speak to your bowel surgeon or specialist nurse:

• Constipation.

• Passing soft stool and need to go back to the toilet several times.

Diet

Ensure you try and eat a sensible well balanced diet with fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of fluids. After this surgery it may take a few weeks for your appetite to return. It is important to ensure you drink plenty of fluids but try taking regular, smaller portions of food. Some foods may have an effect on your bowel function. It is important that you are aware of the types of food that may cause problems. Don’t rule out eating these foods as they may not cause a problem for you. It’s all about trial and error.

Medication

If your bowel function is erratic, some medications can help to slow your gut down. However, these are only given following specialist advice, so speak with your doctor or specialist nurse if you are having problems.

Patient Experience Team

The team are available to offer advice or information on healthcare matters. Their office is in the Main Foyer (Gate 4) of Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Contact can be made either in person, by telephone or email. The team can visit inpatients on all Trust sites.

The contact details are:
Telephone: 01302 553140 or 0800 028 8059
Email: pals.dbh@dbh.nhs.uk

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