Waking up from a major surgery is a harrowing experience. Your body feels like it has been weighed on by something immovable, your eyes are sensitive to light, the headache and the lack of coordination is uncomfortable. There are tubes coming out all over the place. The nursing staffs lightly pat your cheek and asks you questions to determine if you are awake or delirious. What feels like minutes but are actually hours later, you realize that you are now being wheeled into your room and you try to sleep.
On waking up the nurse comes in and monitors your blood pressure. They check on your catheter to make sure that there is adequate urine output. You barely see them put something down in the chart when again you are left alone to recover and you sleep. On the second day, you realize that your catheter has been removed and you are now expected to make minimal manoeuvres and you reluctantly do so. Several times a day, the residents and nursing staff check your output, and blood pressure among others. Then the shocker:
“Have you passed wind?”
We have been programmed by our parents not to talk about ‘passing wind.’ This is simply a topic almost taboo in nature. And here are these strangers asking you if you farted already! It must clearly show in your face but the nurses kindly assure you that you have to indicate ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Passing wind or farting is an indication that your bowels are working. If there is no passing of wind after a certain period of time, this can be considered as constipation after surgery. This can be indicative of a complication. Can you imagine having to forcefully bear down to relieve yourself when you are feeling like your abdomen is about to rip open at any time?
There are remedies to constipation after surgery. Your fluid intake may be increased and fibre supplements can be given to induce bowel movement. You can be given a suppository that may quickly relieve you, or if that does not work, you can be given a mild laxative. Generally, these elementary remedies work. The least of which that can happen, If they don’t, is a more direct way of relieving the constipation after surgery. An enema can be administered or a manual manipulation of your anal sphincter to physically remove the hardened waste. These are all embarrassing to read about, I know. But the consequences are dire if this remains uncorrected.
Truthfully, there are some complications in constipations after surgery that can give rise to even more complicated complications. Confusing? Fact: there have been rare cases when constipation after surgery reached the critical limit and another surgery was required. In some cases, a colostomy procedure had to be performed.
Taboo aside, constipation after surgery is not an experience for the faint hearted. Your body feels like it’s about to advertise its contents to the outside world. There is an urge that cannot be ignored and yet you have to be forced to bear down and relieve yourself. Worst is if you have to have this done in a bed pan. Embarrassment is the least of your concern. The staff will help you out. They will be very concerned for your physical welfare. This is all part of the natural course of any major surgical procedure. So you just have to straighten your spine (unless your had a spinal surgery) and take it with dignity.