I had my second resection in 2015, 25 years after my first, which i think is decent, i can go with quarter centuries! Because they didn't have lap my first go around, so they couldn't do it this time with all the scarring. He tried and couldn't do it, so they reopened the same area. Honestly wasn't so terrible, when you live with Crohn's a few days with drug-dulled pain is actually a relief, and I tell my stepkids my scar is a zipper to hide snacks from their mom.
Really not much to tell, they'll put you under, do their business, and you'll be home in a few days. Just need to eat a bit, pee and poop, and you are good to go. After the surgery I had a nice on-demand morphine drip. If not lap you'll be home about 3 weeks before going back to work if in an office, 6 weeks if you do physical labor. I made sure to bring plenty of books, my laptop, etc, as it can be a longish stay. Try to relax, there is no reason to be terrified. Think of it as much needed downtime, no stress, not responsibilities. Get super friendly with the staff, interact a lot, I was one of their favorite patients in the ward because I was determined to be lighthearted, friendly, and positive. It paid off handsomely after the procedure because I was well liked and cared for by all. I also used that surgery as my opportunity to quit smoking for good.
For me, the first year afterwards was great. I was not on anything but Pentasa and close to remission. It did creep back, but this time I'm trying to be more proactive about it and now on anti-spas and biologics.
If your hospital has them, tell them you want the hospital pajamas, not the gown! It made me feel much more human to wear those. Bottom line is you're going in, so own it! You get to lay in bed all day, watch TV, surf the web, ride the fridge for ice cream, and take some good drugs!