Otherwise, their lives will be perfectly normal. Their sexual and social activities are unaffected. None of the procedures affects a man's ability to father children nor a woman's ability to have a normal pregnancy. However, the way in which a baby is delivered may be affected by the type of surgery and should be discussed with the surgeon. While surgery is most common for treating the colon polyps, it does not cure the disease.
Polyps continue to form in the pouch, rectum or small intestine.
The first medication that was found to shrink colon polyps in patients with FAP was an anti-inflammatory medicine called sulindac. While it is not FDA approved for the treatment of FAP, it has been used in pill form in the United States and as an enema in Europe by many gastroenterologists with success. Unfortunately, many patients experience side effects from sulindac and cannot continue to take it. The majority of the side effects are related the stomach, including discomfort and ulcer. Some of our patients have been on the medication for more than four years, are tolerating it well and are now clinically polyp free.