Hi gbug,
I gave to my brother in December, and we have both done really well.
The best advice I can give is to exercise as much as possible before surgery, even if it is just walking, and go into the surgery with a clean, empty colon...at UCLA, we were even told not to drink anything carbonated for 2 weeks prior.
My surgeon told me the morning after surgery, when he had to track me down doing laps in the hallway, that the patients who do the best are the ones who walk and do stairs, and transition to extra strength tylenol as soon as possible. Narcotics make the constipation even worse.
Best of luck to you and your brother!
Regards,
jatopa