PLEASE HELP Should I be worried about this hospital referral?

[Anonymous1234321]

Not sure if it’s ok to post questions like this but I’m a bit worried and can’t sleep

I was referred to the hospital for ongoing IBS symptoms last year. Because it had gone on for so long and wasn’t getting better, I was referred for further tests (I think it was for be a colonoscopy)

whilst waiting for the referral I had a particularly bad flare up of symptoms and ended up staying in hospital where I got an ultrasound and colonoscopy as an inpatient. The US was fine and the colonoscopy was fine- I think they took some biopsies but I’m not 100% certain as I was sedated and don’t really remember, but I didn’t hear anything back in the weeks after it so I assumed it was all clear and just IBS thankfully

but I’ve now just received a hospital letter. It’s for an outpatient appointment at the ‘general surgery’ clinic and is with a colorectal surgeon. Obviously I was confused getting this letter as it was out of the blue. When I was previously referred to the hospital it was to the gastro department not general surgery and was for a gastro consultant not a surgeon (that was years ago, they said likely IBS but go back to the GP if not improving)

is this general surgery appointment likely just the original referral appointment from before Christmas? I assumed it would have been cancelled after I had the colonoscopy urgently as an inpatient as it was with the same department I was referred to (gastro) but I’m guessing they’ve just forgotten to take me off the list? But the thing that’s confusing me is I was referred to the gastro department not the general surgery department, so if this is just the original referral why is it to this appointment? Is it because the referral was for more investigations and the colonoscopy?

i just started getting myself worried that this
‘general surgery’ appointment with the colorectal surgeon is something related to what they found during the colonoscopy or from the biopsy. I know this isn’t the case and I’m worried about nothing- they said the colonoscopy was fine and I didn’t hear back from the biopsies which means it’s fine, so I know there’s nothing wrong and it’s just IBS so it’s probably just the original referral which hadn’t been cancelled, but I just got myself worried and wondered if anyone else knew anything about this? I know that they would have contacted me with next steps if anything was found in the biopsy and I didn’t hear anything and it was 6+ weeks ago now so it’s fine but just started overworrying about it!

hope this makes sense and someone knows more than me about it 🥺

Call your gp and ask them, they should help to clarify it for you.
Try not to worry

I agree with pp about speaking to your GP, but just to say you’re giving the hospital system WAY too much credit for organisation assuming they would cancel your future appointment because you had a colonoscopy. They are nowhere near that efficient and there really aren’t the systems in place to do it. So it is quite likely your original appointment has just come through.

Thanks!

I was 99.99999% sure I was worrying about nothing and that this was just the original referral but I just started getting worried about it. Yeah, I’ll phone the gp tomorrow when they open and check with them, just got to get through today first and stop worrying myself about nothing!

The GP isn’t really going to know to be honest and will likely tell you to attend your appointment.

The colorectal surgeon will have access to your records and the what the colonoscopy found which also could be nothing.
He will ask you about your symptoms and medical history and make suggestions for treatment if necessary or may refer you back to the gastroenterologist.
If your symptoms flare up again and you don’t attend, you will be back in the queue awaiting an appointment.

Hope it goes well for you.

But the gp will find out - its either the gp finding out or you and in this instance I'd say let the gp handle it to minimise the opportunity for further confusion.

This 100% from someone who works in a hospital! Much better to attend and then everything will come together. Your GP really doesn't have time to spend sorting this out.

There is no need to worry here at all . I am a hospital consultant. Colonoscopy lists are done by both surgeons and gastroenterologists and if you were an inpatient , you would have been put on the first available list. Acute flares are often admitted under a surgical team anyway for investigation.

This is simply follow up from whoever was involved in your care. It needs no GP chat or investigation . Take a deep breath and go to the appointment .

Great thanks for the help. There’s a number on the appointment letter for more information so I’ll just give it a call in the morning to check what this appointment is for

if it’s just the original referral from the gp from before xmas then I can just cancel it as it was a referral for a colonoscopy to confirm IBS which I ended up having sooner when I had to stay as an inpatient. They’ve done every test and confirmed IBS or lactose problems so there’s no need for me to keep this appointment if it’s just that original referral because it’s all been done already

I just suddenly started panicking this was a follow up or something to do with the colonoscopy results or biopsies- I knew deep down it wouldn’t be this as the colonoscopy was clear and I was told if I didn’t hear back it meant the biopsies were fine, but I suddenly started over worrying about nothing!

It might be that they found a couple of polyps that aren’t worrying but they think would be better to get rid of. A friend had that.

I got sent to the colorectal surgeon after my colonoscopy too. It was nothing to worry about. I had had sustained bleeding from my bum and he wanted to tell me they found some troublesome piles and during the colonoscopy they had injected them with something (sorry non technical explanation lol!).

Fingers crossed it's nothing for you!

Don’t think that because it’s a colorectal surgeon it’s a anything dreadful. It could be polyps they want to keep an eye on with follow up colonoscopies or have you ever considered you might have IBD?

Oh hope you’re feeling a lot better now! Were you told at the time of the colonoscopy or after it that there was polyps or was the referral to the colorectal surgeon a surprise?

I was told at the time of the colonoscopy that it was fine and I didn’t hear anything about the biopsy results so I presumed it was fine. I’m hoping this appointment with the colorectal surgeon is just for the colonoscopy I was originally referred for from the GP and they just haven’t realised I had it as an inpatient when I was unwell. It’s all so confusing isn’t it! x

Thankfully they ruled out IBD because I didn’t have a high result for it in my stool sample (not sure what they were testing for but they said it was fine and ruled out IBD) and at the time of my colonoscopy they said it was fine and no IBD so just IBS which is a relief x

It sounds like it might be the initial appointment that was already booked for you.

I was told I would get a follow up one.

Might it be worth keeping it if you've got symptoms you still want to discuss etc?

Fingers crossed you can sort it all tomorrow.

My sister and I have regular colonoscopies. We now find we sometimes have polyps removed but are never given the results so we have to chase up the results with the colonoscopy people ourselves. Don't assume that because you have heard nothing it is fine . Quite often no-one has looked for the histology result so if it hasn't come through, they haven't chased it up. If I were you I would keep the appointment you have been given.