Unfortunately, constipation is a common side effect of surgery. It can happen for a few different reasons: the anesthesia used during the procedure, pain medications you’re taking or how much and what you’re eating and drinking.
Opioid medications are often used to manage pain after surgery, but they commonly cause constipation. Studies show that 40 to 95% of patients taking these medications will experience this side effect. To minimize it, anesthesiologists at HSS carefully construct a pain medication plan using different types of drugs, including acetaminophen (Tylenol), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen), opioids, anesthetic medications and medications for nerve pain. This is done to maximize pain relief and minimize the use of opioids, as well as their side effects.
Steps to Take Before Surgery
If you have concerns before your surgery about constipation, the best thing to do is to ask your surgeon or care team about it. Some other things to try:
- If you suffer from chronic constipation and have a special medication that works particularly well for you, tell both your doctor and the medical provider who is reviewing your medications with you before surgery, so that they can make a note in your chart.
- Before surgery, reach out to one of your hospital’s pharmacists to discuss any medication-related concerns. After the surgery, at HSS, you can request that a clinical pharmacist visit you at your bedside.
- If you have specific concerns regarding anesthesia causing constipation and wish to discuss them with the anesthesiologist, you may request a consultation before surgery.
Steps to Take After Surgery
At HSS, we conduct a thorough medication education session when preparing to send patients home. A nurse goes over all prescriptions, explaining how to take each medication to effectively manage constipation at home. Wherever you have your surgery, be sure you know how to properly take your medications to avoid this side effect before you go home.
If additional questions arise, at HSS, our clinical pharmacists are available to come to patients’ rooms to give further explanation. During follow-up phone calls at home, patients can speak with the nurse and bring up any additional concerns or questions.
At home, there are a couple of general rules to follow to help prevent or manage constipation:
- Don’t take fiber supplements. While it’s true that that having enough fiber in your diet helps maintain proper bowel function, taking bulk fiber supplements after surgery poses a danger of actually making constipation worse if you don’t drink enough water.
- Focus on a gradual approach. Start gently with laxatives and then move on to using additional medications as needed. At HSS, we usually start with a combination of a stool softener and a gentle plant-derived laxative that contains an ingredient called sennosides, which come from the leaves of the senna tree. Additional over-the-counter medications may be used as needed.
- Be flexible. Keep in mind that different laxatives work differently, and the effects of each laxative vary among patients.
Bloating in the belly after surgery is quite common and could be a result of trapped gas or excess fluids. The fluids will leave your body naturally within a few days; trapped gas may resolve as you have a bowel movement. There are techniques to relieve this discomfort, including simethicone; ask your care team about this if you need additional help.
FAQs
What Helps
- Drink more. Dehydration makes constipation more likely. ...
- Avoid caffeine. It's dehydrating, which can make matters worse. ...
- Add fiber. It helps you pass stools and stay regular. ...
- Get moving. As soon as your doctor says it's OK, get up and move around as much as possible.
If you do not have a bowel movement for more than two days, you become constipated, or your stools remain hard, you should stop taking the Colace and begin taking Peri-Colace a stool softener with a mild laxative. Take two Peri-Colace the first day then take one or two pills a day to keep your stools soft.
What simple trick empties your bowels? ›
Olive oil – consuming a teaspoon of olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach can encourage stool to flow through the gut. The oil acts as a lubricant in the digestive system, meaning it's easier for solids to slide through. It also softens up the stool, making it easier to empty your bowels completely.
What is the protocol for post op constipation? ›
Drink plenty of water (8 glasses daily is recommended) but drink as much as your mobility permits given you will have to get up to urinate more often. Increase your dietary fiber such as fruits, vegetables, salads, oats, and bran. Prunes can be especially helpful producing bowel movements.
Should I keep eating if constipated? ›
Eating When you Have Constipation. Try these things to relieve your constipation: Do not skip meals. Avoid processed or fast foods, such as white breads, pastries, doughnuts, sausage, fast-food burgers, potato chips, and French fries.
How do I pass hard stool without straining? ›
How to empty your bowels without straining
- Sit on the toilet properly: ...
- Brace – allow your stomach muscles to push forwards. ...
- With each urge to empty your bowels, repeat the brace.
- Keep your mouth slightly open and breathe out. ...
- As you finish, pull up your anorectal muscles (the muscles that control your bottom).
Sitting a certain way for seven seconds is not proven to help constipation. However, changing your body posture while on the toilet can make things easier. Place your feet on a stool to place your knees higher than your hips.
How can I trigger a bowel movement? ›
Try These Tricks for Quick Bowel Movement Stimulation
- Drink coffee. Regarding drinks that make you poop, coffee is probably the first that comes to mind. ...
- Squat when you poop. ...
- Use a fiber supplement. ...
- Take a stimulant laxative. ...
- Take an osmotic laxative. ...
- Take a lubricant laxative. ...
- Try a stool softener. ...
- Use a suppository.
Eat a yellow banana after your last meal of the day.
The soluble fiber from the banana will accompany your meal while it digests, making it easier to pass that night or in the morning.
How do you unblock your bowels after surgery? ›
If you have severe constipation, you may need stimulant laxatives, suppositories, or enemas to produce a bowel movement. If over-the-counter laxatives don't work, your doctor may prescribe prescription drugs that draw water into your intestines to stimulate a bowel movement.
Depending on which body part or parts the surgery involved, straining to have a bowel movement could compromise stitches or affect the body's healing processes. As the body is likely to be more sensitive or prone to damage than usual, it is best to use gentle constipation relief after an operation.
How to quickly cure constipation? ›
5 Home Remedies for Constipation
- Eat enough fiber. "The No. 1 thing I recommend is altering your diet," says Dr. Kalakota. ...
- Drink plenty of water. ...
- Exercise regularly. ...
- Use an osmotic laxative to help soften stool. ...
- Take a stimulant laxative for quicker relief. ...
- The signs it's time to see your doctor about constipation.
Ileus is a temporary lack of movement in the intestines that can lead to pain, nausea, bloating, and other symptoms. Risk factors include surgery and opioid use. Without treatment, ileus can be life-threatening. If ileus persists, it can cut off blood supply to the intestines and cause tissue death.
How long does it take for bowel function to return after surgery? ›
The stress of surgery and direct bowel manipulation cause a surge in sympathetic stimulation, overriding parasympathetic stimulation and slowing bowel function. The effects of this are most pronounced in the colon, where it may take 2 to 3 days for normal peristalsis to return in the postoperative period.
How long without a bowel movement should I be concerned? ›
Doctors may diagnose constipation when a person has fewer than three bowel movements per week. If a person has not pooped for more than a week, they may need treatment for constipation, even if they feel fine. Going too long without pooping can be a sign of an underlying health condition.
How long can you survive without a bowel movement? ›
While there isn't an exact amount of time that you can safely go without pooping, you should generally seek medical attention after about a week of not going to the bathroom or sooner if you have symptoms.
