Matt and Kathy Wentz always looked forward to the days they spent with their grandchildren.

They had driven from their home in Le Mars, Iowa, the night before to spend the weekend at their daughter and son-in-law's home in Bellevue, Nebraska, to get some kid time in.

By lunchtime, Matt's stomach had started to feel uneasy. After dinner, the nausea grew worse. His abdominal area became extremely painful to the touch.

Matt and Kathy headed to the Emergency Department at Bellevue Medical Center, where it was determined that Matt had diverticulitis with a perforated bowel. Bacteria from his bowel had passed into his abdominal cavity, creating a toxic and potentially life threatening situation.

Matt had been diagnosed a few years ago with diverticulosis, a disease of the digestive tract that causes inflammation in the lining of the intestine that can cause the development of pouches. The inflamed pouches can cause increased pressure on the lining, causing weakness, and can occasionally rupture, which was probably the case for Matt, says Robert Taylor, MD, Bellevue Medical Center surgeon.

Dr. Taylor removed about 8 inches of the diseased colon using laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive technique that involves making several small incisions into which surgical tools and a tiny camera are inserted.

Several days after surgery, Matt began to experience abdominal pain again. Dr. Taylor scheduled a second surgery to remove a kink in the bowel that was causing an obstruction in the small bowel.

"Dr. Taylor was great," says Matt. "He really put me at ease and made me feel very comfortable. I was really impressed with how closely he monitored me after surgery and was able to figure out right away that something else was wrong. He stayed on top of everything from the day we arrived until we left."

Matt was back at work full time within six weeks and on the floor playing with the grandkids soon after with little or no residual effects from the surgery.

"I'm very grateful for the care I received," says Matt. "I'm not sure what would have happened had I not been at the Bellevue Medical Center, but I'm so glad we were there. I guess you could say that we were in the right place at the right time."

Seek help for stomach pain if you have severe stomach pain that starts suddenly or severe stomach pain accompanied by these conditions:

• Sensitivity to touch
• Nausea
• Severe bloating
• Chills or fever
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding