Following bowel surgery, it is normal to experience a change in bowel habit. This can be due to a combination of factors, including having less bowel remaining, a change in diet, and receiving other treatment such as antibiotics, pain relief medications and chemotherapy. Most often, once the bowels start to work after surgery, patients find that they use their bowels more often, but it will gradually return to normal with some time.
The Department of Health and Ageing have developed a useful handout on improving bowel function after bowel surgery.
Please click here to access it.