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Instructions Following Anal Surgey
- Use oral analgesic as prescribed. The nature of the analgesia will
vary according to the operative procedure, but Panadeine is usually
quite effective (2 tablets 3-4 hourly as required). This may have the
tendency to cause constipation, but Agarol as prescribed below should
ensure that no problem occurs.
- Use Agarol 25ml daily or twice daily for the next 72 hours to ensure the bowels open.
- When the bowels have opened, then it is wise to substitute
Metamucil (2 teaspoons morning and/or evening) for the Agarol. Continue
Metamucil for 1-2 weeks.
- Warm baths or showers taken after each bowel action or when in pain
will reduce postoperative discomfort and spasm of the anal area.
- Try to avoid using toilet paper in the 2 weeks or so following anal
surgery. If it is not possible to wash, then use of either moist cotton
wool and pat dry with dry cotton wool or haemorrhoidal or use baby
wipes which can be brought from the chemist or supermarket.
- Bleeding post operatively is common and this may occur for the
first few days, and sometimes may recur at 1 week to 10 days post
operative. Usually this will settle down within a few hours, but if it
continues, and particularly if there are large clots being evacuated,
then contact me at my office on 9509 8233 during office hours or page
me on 9387 1000. It may be necessary to wear a pad or gauze or a panty
liner for a week longer post operatively, as there is often some
discharge from healing anal wound(s).
- There are no sutures (stitches) to be removed from the anal area, as all suture material will spontaneously dissolve.
- A normal diet is recommended including plenty of fruit and vegetables. Try to drink 4-6 glasses of water each day.
Related Links
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Authorised: Adrian Polglase
Reviewed: Monday, February 27, 2006
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gas
July 18, 2007 |
| We’ve all experienced intestinal gas, some more than others. While belching, bloating, and flatulence are considered normal, the urge to pass gas can cause social embarrassment, discomfort and pain. Although you can’t stop gas from forming, you may be able to alleviate the symptoms through diet, lifestyle changes and medications. If you experience persistent gas pains, you should talk to your doctor.
For more information on intestinal gas, visit the ACG Web site at www.acg.gi.org
Source: American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
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Bowel cancer finding brings screening closer
July 18, 2007 |
| RESEARCHERS have identified for the first time a gene that triggers bowel cancer, a move that could bring closer a genetic screening test for the disease.
The gene, carried by about half the population, appears to increase the risk of developing bowel cancer by 20per cent.
Bowel cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, accounting for about 13,000 new cases a year.
So far, faulty genes have only been implicated in about 5 per cent of all cancers, and 5 per cent of bowel cancers.
In the case of bowel cancers, the genetic defects so far associated with the disease are all thought to be associated with faulty cellular repair mechanisms, meaning that the body loses the ability to kill off cells that start to divide abnormally.
Bowel cancer is also the second most common cause of cancer death in Australia, accounting for 4372 deaths in 2003, or 11.5 per cent of the total fatalities. It is notoriously hard to pick up for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of picking up warning signs - such as blood in the faeces - and patients' reluctance to see their doctors.
This year the federal Government began rolling out a screening program, costing $43 million over three years, whereby older Australians send in a faecal sample for testing.
If blood that could indicate a cancer is detected in the sample, the patient may be called in for further examinations.
The latest findings, published in international journal Nature Genetics, suggest a faulty gene found on chromosome 8 may trigger bowel cancer, and account for 10per cent of all cases of the disease. |
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| Let's Beat Bowel Cancer |
| An initiative of Cabrini Health, Let's Beat Bowel Cancer is a not-for-profit, community awareness program dedicated to saving lives through improved bowel cancer research, education and prevention.
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