About

A colostomy and ileostomy are surgical procedures aimed at creating intestinal stomas. Both these ostomies result in the intestine being pulled out though and incision in the belly to allow the patient to manage stool evacuations. The patient has to wear an ostomy bag over the stoma to collect waste materials.

An ileostomy brings the end of the small intestine out through a cut in the belly. A colostomy, however, involves the end of the colon pulled out through that incision. The edge of that intestinal end sticks out on the abdominal skin, forming a stoma.

Why might you need an ileostomy or colostomy?

Various conditions may necessitate a person to have a colostomy or ileostomy. Those conditions might include the following.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Tumors in the colon or rectum
Diverticulitis – a condition referring to the swelling and irritation in the lining of the intestine
Damage to the intestine due to trauma, bleeding, or infection

A colostomy or ileostomy can be short-term, long-term, or lifelong, depending on the underlying reason. In most cases, the surgeon will want to rest your small or large bowel by diverting the passage of waste materials away from it.

How to prepare for this procedure

The preparation for ostomy surgery starts with a healthcare professional explaining to you the surgical process and its impact on your life. You will also get firsthand information related to how to manage your ostomy. He or she will also give you an overview of the types of ostomy bags. You may want one of your family members to accompany you during this meeting.
Some medications, such as aspirin or other blood thinners may result in excessive bleeding during the procedure. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking these medications for the time being.
You will need to stop smoking and consuming alcohol before surgery because both of these can be highly dangerous.
Before surgery, your doctor may instruct you to clear your bowel. You can do this by taking laxatives.
The doctor will also tell you when to stop eating or drinking before the procedure.
Be sure to follow every instruction from your doctor.

What happens during the procedure?

The surgeon will give you anesthesia to put you to sleep during the procedure. It means that you won’t feel and remember anything related to the procedure.

During the procedure, your surgeon will make an incision in your belly to access the infected segment of your bowel. He will then disconnect thing segment from the healthy part of the colon and pull the end of the healthy GI tract through a small cut in the belly to create a stoma. He will either remove or rest the diseased part of the bowel.

After surgery

There will be a lot of tubes attached to your body. These tubes are going to remain there for at least a couple of days. After the surgeon removes these tubes, you will get your first diet in the form of liquids. You may start eating foods of a bit thicker consistency in a few days.

Your stoma will start functioning in a few days after surgery. Initially, the output from the stoma will be more liquid, but the consistency of it will thicken over time. If you have an ileostomy, the stools you pass out will be more watery. With a colostomy, however, the fecal content you pass out will be more hardened.

You will get plenty of time to speak to your doctor and ostomy care nurse, so be sure to ask them when you may be able to return to your active life.

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