Is diarrhea normal after colon surgery?

Colon surgery patients may experience diarrhea after the procedure, states MedlinePlus. Other common conditions during recovery include hard stools or no bowel movement at all, pain when coughing, sneezing or with sudden movement, and problems with the colostomy.

After colon surgery, patients may reduce adverse bowel issues by eating small amounts of food five to eight times a day at regular intervals and adding new foods back into the diet slowly, states MedlinePlus. Patients should not lift anything over 10 pounds for six weeks and ease into exercise by taking short walks. Using prescribed pain medication at the same time each day and moving around helps control pain in the belly.