Yakima woman finds relief after diverticulitis surgery

Yakima resident Paula Andrew, 70, leads an active life and stays involved in her community. She swims five days a week, teaches MultiCare’s diabetes prevention program and volunteers as a chef at Yakima Woman’s Century Club.

“I’m very active person — not a lot slows me down,” Andrew says.

Despite her active lifestyle, Andrew suffered intermittent bouts of severe abdominal pain for several years. She had diverticulosis — a condition where small pouches develop in the lining of the colon. When the pouches become inflamed or infected, it’s called diverticulitis, which is what caused her pain.

“I would have episodes that were really painful. They’d last anywhere from 12 to 48 hours, and I would just power through them,” she explains. “But then I’d go months with no pain at all.”

Considering surgery for diverticulitis

Andrew’s gastroenterologist suggested meeting with a surgeon to discuss treatment options.

“I thought that was really drastic, but he said I didn’t have to schedule surgery — he just wanted me to get the surgeon’s perspective about my condition,” she says. “I reluctantly agreed, and the appointment was scheduled.”

But to her surprise, her appointment with Jessica Blumhagen, MD, of MultiCare General Surgery – Cascade, went better than expected.

“I felt totally comfortable with Dr. Blumhagen after the first five minutes of chatting with her; we developed a rapport right away,” Andrew recalls. “She was really easy to talk to, and she listened to me well.”

At the end of the conversation, she asked for Dr. Blumhagen’s recommendation.

“She said, ‘I can’t tell you whether or not you should have surgery — that’s totally your decision — but I can tell you your quality of life will improve if you do,’” Andrew says.

How robotic surgery helps with recovery

Andrew decided to have surgery, which removed the part of her colon damaged by diverticulitis.

She underwent a robotic-assisted surgery called a sigmoidectomy to remove the damaged part of the colon through the anus rather than a large abdominal incision.

“At my two-week follow-up appointment, Dr. Blumhagen said I was cleared to go back to swimming — I wasn’t expecting that!” she says. “But because of the equipment they used, my healing time was cut way, way down.”

Dr. Blumhagen had told her the surgery would be done with robotic assistance, but Andrew didn’t know how big of a role that would play in her recovery.

“You hear the word ‘robotic’ and you think, ‘OK, cool,’ but I was amazed how well I felt two weeks after having undergone what I did. I had five small incisions, but I couldn’t even tell where they were. I had no pain.”

Dr. Blumhagen confirms Andrew benefitted from minimally invasive robotic surgery versus an open surgery that requires a large incision. She says open surgeries require about a six-week recovery and have a higher risk of hernia.

“Paula is a rock-star patient; she was ready to go get stuff done,” Dr. Blumhagen adds. “She’s a mover and shaker at baseline — those who move more will recover faster.”

Andrew is relieved she no longer has to endure the painful diverticulitis episodes.

“Dr. Blumhagen reassured me after surgery that I didn’t have to worry about that anymore. That was very comforting,” she says. “She and her staff and everyone at the hospital were just so wonderful. It was a great experience — as great as a surgery can be.”