Silicon Injections

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:28 am

Does anyone know anything about silicon injections for fecal incontinence. My colo-rectal surgeon mentioned it before my op last year and said it was somthing down the track. Apparently "down the track' is here and I have to go back to him at the end of November. It costs about $9.000 Australian. About $7.000 US I think. He said he could do it through the public system as we don't have medical insurance. He has not told me a lot about the procedure as yet. I would appreciate any info you have. He did a bit of hitching things up a few weeks ago but it has not been all that successful. Really don't know where I should go from here.

Love

Liz

moremuscle · Post by **moremuscle** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:16 pm

Hi Liz,

I don't know anything about that type of procedure/surgery. I have experienced fecal incontinence in the past due to MC and it is no fun at all. I understand that you want something done about it so you can enjoy your life in a more carefree manner. I don't know you well enough to remember if you have ever tried working with your diet to manage your symptoms? It has been my route to living w/o fecal incontinence so I recommend it highly even though it is a little difficult - especially in the beginning.

The silicon injections sound very expensive - ouch!

Love,
Karen

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:24 am

I don't know anything about the injections either, Liz. Personally, I doubt that it would have helped me when I was having my worst problems. I don't think explosive watery D can be held back by anything -

Now, if my stools are too soft a very small amount might "sneak out", but it is rare. I can't believe I'm saying this for all the world to see!!

However, we always say there is nothing to "gross" or embarassing to be discussed here.

Shirley

moremuscle · Post by **moremuscle** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:01 am

Good Morning Liz and Shirley,

Liz, I don't think a gluten free diet is the only alternative; many MC sufferers have had very good luck with Entocort or Asacol. Both those meds seem to be relatively successful in treating the symptoms of MC. Joanna took Entocort while starting the gluten free diet - that combination was good for her because she had time to figure out the diet while not experiencing horrible symptoms.

I believe Shirley is still taking Asacol while starting to experiment with her diet - am I right, Shirley?

Love,
Karen

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:31 am

Liz, see your private messages.

Love,

Sally

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:12 pm

Karen I have tried all sorts of things including diet but the problem is internal according to the Doc who does the tests. The injections would not cost me anything as we have a free hospital system here in Queensland which I have not used for some time except for the urologist who treated me when there was the slip up during my operation last year. He was marvelous. He even came to visit me in a private hospital when I was admitted there with more complications as a result of the operation. We were prepared to carry our own insurance and have done so up until now but it is the surgeon's idea that he do it under the public system. He knows we are not insured. Usually if you go public you don't have any say in who your doctor of surgeon may be. In some cases you never even sight the specialist involved. I am on a fairly low residue diet, pretty uninteresting, but too much fibre unsets me no end.

Shirley, I know what you mean, this is one place that you can discuss these things because we understand what our friends are experiencing because we probably have been there ourselves. My GI said he thinks I need a gut transplant. I think he was joking.

I think it is just plumb tuckered out after 30 odd years of the big D.

Thought someone may have had experience with the procedure. Don't want to put myself through any more stuff if it is not really worthwhile

Love

Liz

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:02 am

Liz,
I'm really sorry you are going through all that. It certainly sounds as if you had some really horrible experiences. I wish you COULD get a "gut transplant".

:bigbighug:

Shirley

moremuscle · Post by **moremuscle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:27 am

Oh, Liz - It does sound like you have had your fair share of the big D; 30 years of it have probably had some impact on how the plumbing works. I wish someone here had some experience with the procedure you mentioned so you could get some advice that's more to the point.

Take good care of yourself and keep posting. It's so nice to have your company.

Love,
Karen

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 2:18 pm

Hello again

I expect I will just have to trust him and see what happens. To make matters worse, my GI doctor who I have been with for about 28 of those years has retired. I liked and trusted him so much. He was a very quiet and reserved man and I believe some did not like him much but to me he was a saviour.

Anyway I have a month or so to think about it.

Love

Liz

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:25 pm

Liz, I tried to send you an article on this procedure, but they wanted $39.90 for it and then I would have been able to look at it for only 48 hours. Anyway, apparently this silicon thing is being done quite successfully with people who are incontinent of urine. It is still in the experimental stages with fecal incontinence. The upshot of what I read was that the urethra is more resilient than the rectum and their major worry is nerve damage. It's mostly done on women who have difficulty during childbirth.

There IS some info on the Internet. I looked under silicon, rectal. That seemed to give me quite a few hits that weren't all about boobs.

Lots of love,

Sally

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:39 am

Thanks a lot Sally. That is what I was a bit afraid of. I had a suspicion that it was something fairly new that he wanted to try out. Not that keen on being a guinea pig. Wouldn't mind so much if I had not had so many problems last year. Just think I need a bit of a break to get myself together. I will do a search and see what I come up with.

Love

Liz