Hi- My father had to be readmitted to the hospital a few days ago. It was approximately 5 weeks after his rectal cancer surgery and 3 weeks after his initial release. He was readmitted due to signs of dehydration and an alarming amount of bloating in his abdomen. After various tests, including a CAT scan, they confirmed that his abdomen was filled with lymphatic fluid--approximately 3 liters. They promptly removed 1 liter by "tapping" his stomach. They were hesitant to remove any more due to an increased risk of infection. Since this fluid was removed 3 days ago, even more fluid has returned. We are all alarmed by how much his abdomen has expanded. He looks 6-7 months pregnant. It is putting great pressure on his ribs and he is in constant discomfort. Has anyone experienced this during their recovery from surgery? My father is still under the care of his surgeon. He has explained how the release of lymphatic fluid is likely due to two suspicious nodes that were removed. The tissue has not healed yet and will continue to release fluid until it heals on its own. They can't give us a time frame. They have put a PIC line in his arm and have started to give him a special nutrition feed that will hopefully facilitate a reduction in the bloating. I am just wondering whether we should be seeking the advice of a specialist. If so, what kind of specialist? I can't help but wonder what effect this severe bloating might be having on his major organs (lungs, heart, kidney, etc.) I am desperate for help!!!

Update: I have since learned that his condition was diagnosed as "Chylous Ascites". It appears to be a very rare condition from what I have read on-line. Due to its rarity, very little information is available on-line. Probably no one from this board has experienced this, but perhaps? I would be grateful for any advice.

Hi Leslie,
I think the condition you are describing is very common in those patients who have major intestinal surgury, primarily if the rectum has been removed due to cancer. The body has undergone major trauma and this is part of the healing process. Concerns should be brought to the attention of your surgeon and that person is best equiped to provide you & your family with explanation of what is going on in the body of your family member. Surgury is usually ruffer for males because the size of hips for men are smaller than that of ladies and other organs d such as the bladder do get in the way and sometime the ureatha is disconnected in order to allow for a better cutting angle for the surgeon. It is good that you live in a fairly large city because you will find more specialists available to treat the problem if the need should arise, but in the meantime, let the healing process continue. Peace.

Hello Leslie,

My husband is experiencing something very similar. He had 12" of his sigmoid colon removed on 2/14. Fortunately, the cancer that was found in the polyp had not spread and my husband is now cured from what we're told. He was released one week later (2/21), only to be brought back to the ER the very same evening. He was admitted to the hospital and the NG tube was reinserted. They pulled it yesterday and he began to bloat up again. He's been on a nutrition bag (via pic line) since Friday night. The CT scan showed lots of fluid in his abdominal cavity, as well as a small leak that created a little gas bubble. The surgeon said the small leak (hole) will heal itself. Not sure I'm satisfied with that answer. He's had lots of diarreah and they sent a stool sample off today to test for bacteria. They now suspect a colon infection. Where does it end. I wish I could be of more help, but I'm super confused myself.

Hi Leslie,

Hopefully your dad has started to recover from this fluid issue. I know he must be so uncomfortable. I will say an extra prayer that he will start to get better really soon.:) dee

Thanks for the replies. I'm happy to report that my father was just released from the hospital yesterday after 11 days. It was a long journey filled with much stress and discomfort. We ended up bringing in a specialist (gastro't with liver specialty), but then were faced with disagreements between the surgeon and the specialist. We ended up following the specialist's advice. The condition that my father had/has is called "Chylous Ascites". His abdomen was filling with lymphatic fluid that had been converted to a substance called "chyle". The most difficult aspect of this condition is that they can never definitively state the cause. It's possible that it was brought on by the radiation that my father had before his surgery. It's also possible that the surgery itself caused the problem. Probably a combination of the two. While in the hospital, my father had to have his abdomen drained 3 times. The last time they actually drained 5 and a half liters! Also, his triglyceride level was actually as high as 2536! It is now down to 237. Since being released from the hospital, he was advised to stick to a low sodium, low/no fat, low sugar diet for at least a month. Not easy with all of his ileostomy restrictions. Does anyone have any diet suggestions?