Hi guys, I have been reading this forum religiously ahead of my AST surgery and wanted to share my experience so far. This site has been invaluable so hoping I can give back! I am on day 5 post-op of having one large tag removed and having a very positive recovery.
Pre-op: 3 days before surgery I started on a low-residue diet. Super bland, not much fiber, and soft foods. I wanted to have as little in me as possible! The day before surgery, I stopped eating solid foods at 2pm. Surgery was scheduled for 8:30am, so the night before I did an enema, as the surgery center wasn’t going to give me one. Again, I wanted to be a cleared out as possible! Also, a month or so prior to the surgery, I started taking a stool softener and fiber supplements to get my system regular (had been pretty constipated before then).
Op: surgery scheduled for 8:30am and I was in the recovery room by 11:30am. Putting in the IV was probably the most painful part! This was my first time under anesthesia and I’m prone to nausea, so I asked them to add an anti-nausea line with the anesthesia. Doctor looked at my chart and must’ve seen that I take anti-depressant/anxiety meds, so he added some anti-anxiety meds as well! I spoke with the surgeon ahead of time and told her no matter what else she saw up there, ONLY remove the tag LOL. Waking up from anesthesia was probably the hardest part, as it triggered my asthma and I had trouble taking deep breaths. I was also super groggy and tired. Had some gauze stuffed in my bum and when I got off the bed, I saw blood on the sheets. Freaked me out! 25 min drive home was fine.
Day 1: home from surgery and feeling fine. No pain, but aware that I’m probably still numb. My surgeon said it would only last about 6 hours. I took a stool softener and laid on the couch for a few hours. Took a Meloxicam (prescription ibuprofen I think) and napped for 5-6 hours. Still no pain, but made sure I stayed on top of my meds. Meloxicam is once daily so I took Tylenol every 6 hours as well. Skipped the laxative because I didn’t want to have a BM for another day. Made sure to use my handheld bidet/peri bottle every time I peed just to keep the area clean. I think I had some pasta with a bit of butter and cheese for dinner, but kept it to soft foods. Surprisingly hungry! Was able to take my dog around the block very slowly. Iced on and off to keep the swelling down. Took another stool softener before bed along with a low dose of Gabapentin.
Day 2: woke up and still no pain, just more of an awareness of the surgical site. I made sure to set an alarm while I slept so I could take the next dose of Tylenol. Slept with a giant overnight pad in case of leakage but didn’t notice any. Pretty gassy but no BM yet, which I started to get nervous about even though I wanted to give it a day or so. Drank some prune juice, had a stool softener, and made oatmeal for breakfast. Didn’t nap today but laid around on the couch and took a couple short, slow walks. Still just taking Meloxicam. More pasta for dinner with a fiber supplement. Shocked I’m still not in pain! There’s a tiny, tiny bit of discomfort but just enough to remind me there was a procedure. Still icing on and off, even though I hear it can slow healing. No bath yet but showering. Aware that I still haven’t had a BM so might still be in the honeymoon phase!
Day 3: slept through my medicine alarm but didn’t need it. Was a little achey at the site but still no pain. Just took Tylenol today and skipped the Meloxicam as I heard it might be constipating and I didn’t need it. Definitely wanted to poop today so I had some prune juice and caffeine to get things moving. Finally!! I could tell I needed to go but my nerves kept “sucking” everything back in. I had to push a little just to relax my bottom but then something came out! No pain! Hopped in the shower to clean off and applied some Lidocaine just to keep things feeling good. Had a couple more bigger BMs over the next few hours but no pain. Continued to rest and take slow walks. Had a 4th BM at night and was starting to get annoyed. Fortunately all were very soft (looser than the first 2 actually) and not much pain. A small bit of stinging that quickly went away. Skipped the stool softener and laxative as I didn’t want to have a ton of BMs the next day.
Day 4: woke up a little achey and had a tiny bit of discharge. Haven’t seen any blood since post-op, really. No weird smells either! Had a large BM right away that made me feel a little sick, but I think it was because I had a lot to let go of. Have stopped icing, but shower after BMs and put on Lidocaine. I also use a hair dryer to dry the area after getting it wet. Had some Tylenol and breakfast. Since yesterday was pretty active in the bowels, I wanted to keep things light on fiber to stop me up a bit (without getting constipated). At this point, I have a big appetite and I’ve just kind of eaten when I want without getting too crazy. Nothing heavy or super greasy. Still resting and walking! Feeling itchy today so I took some Benadryl. I’ve had a couple baths today to keep things clean even though I didn’t need them for pain. Took a 20 min walk and felt itchy/irritated at the site, but not painful. My mom has been in town to take care of me and she wanted to go out to dinner on her last night. I had a lot of bread, chicken Caesar salad, and half a cheesecake. I was really nervous for how my BM was gonna be after eating a bit indulgently! Got home and felt weirdly dizzy and bloated, but no idea why. I’m starting my period any day now so it could’ve been that. I think it was also a lot of anxiety about what the next BM would bring! Had some prune juice before bed to prepare for tomorrow. Finally fell asleep and prayed all would be well in the AM.
Day 5: woke up to no ache at all. A tiny bit of discharge but feeling good. Popped a stool softener but skipped any pain meds. No BM for a few hours and no urgency. Dropped my mom off at the airport and came home to have my daily cocktail of Emergen-C and pre-workout (for caffeine). Had a large but loose BM shortly after and was pain-free! Used my squirt bottle and some hem wipes to clean things up and letting it air dry. Laying around on the couch but feeling great today.
I’m hoping since it’s been an upward trajectory so far that things continue to improve! It’s crazy how some AST surgeries are brutal and some are a short walk in the park. Right before surgery, I told my surgeon I was going to try to skip the narcotics and just use the ibuprofen and Tylenol, and she all but laughed! In fact, she said I would probably need the Vicodin and that I could even take 2 at a time. I was preparing for a tough time and even psyched my friends up about it for about a month ahead of time. They are all laughing now that I’ve been totally fine! I’m sure I’ve just gotten lucky and probably the AST was in a good spot (about the 12 o clock position and the “stem” of it right in the opening) but also glad I took a lot of precautions ahead of time. I have a pretty low pain tolerance so I don’t think that had anything to do with it. Also want to note that there is no bulge so far, but when I gently prod the area, I think I feel a bit of inflammation in my hole, though not the outside.
Hoping this very long account of my recovery is helpful to someone! It’s so hit or miss, so if you’re thinking about it, do it! I panicked for a few months and had a big cry at one point because I was terrified of the recovery, but I’m glad I did it. My tag removal was mostly for aesthetic and hygienic purposes and it really only hurt when I wiped. I knew I couldn’t live with it forever, especially since I’ve had it for 8 years and it kept getting bigger!
Wishing anyone else a speedy and easy recovery 🙏🏼 Going to be VERY careful from now on as to not need a more invasive surgery in the future!