Pain And Discomfort After Stoma Surgery

After recovering from stoma surgery, some people experience pain and discomfort in the rectal or perineal areas. The location, cause, and treatment will vary depending on the type of surgery performed. It also depends on whether or not the rectum was removed during surgery.

Stoma surgery in which the rectum is left intact

Surgeries that can leave the rectum intact include a loop ileostomy, loop colostomy, or Hartmann’s procedure. Following surgery, you may feel like your rectum is full, and that you need to open your bowels.

The bowel muscles propel digestive wastes through the intestinal tract by a process called peristalsis. Even though an ostomy puts your rectum out of function, those muscles still function to give you the feeling that you need to move your bowels.

Our bowels create a lubricant called mucus, which helps digestive wastes to pass through the tract. The rectum, even after getting disconnected from the rest of the digestive tract, produces mucus, which either passes out of the anus or dries up to become a ball. This ball is hard to pass out and causes pain.

Treatment options

First and foremost, you will have to cope with the situation through a few strategies. For instance, you can sit on the toilet and bear down as if you are passing stools. It will help you get rid of the mucus before it dries up and causes pain.

If you are unable to pass mucus, you may discuss your situation with an ostomy care nurse or your healthcare provider. They will most likely recommend using a mini-suppository or an enema at regular intervals. You can consider these options once a week or twice a month.

You may also consider taking hemorrhoid ointment to get relief from pain and discomfort. You may need to consult with a stoma care nurse to check whether or not this treatment is right for you.

Stoma surgery that results in the rectum removal

In some cases, your doctor may recommend the removal of the rectum and anus. After this surgery, the surgeon stitches the perineum, which makes it hard to sit for long periods until the wound heals. Healing time can differ from person to person. In some cases, the tissues beneath the surgery site may take too long to heal even though the surface looks fine.

This situation can result in pain and a sensation to need to pass out stools. Although these discomforts subside over time, they can be quite bothersome.

Treatment options

You can sit on the toilet and think as if you are passing out stools. It can help you find some relief. You can also consider the following strategies to reduce discomfort.

Taking a hot bath or sitting on an ice pack
Massaging the scar tissue with a moisturizing cream
Discuss with your doctor about exercises that you can engage in to reduce pain and discomfort
Taking over-the-counter pain mediation (be sure to discuss with your ostomy care nurse beforehand)

You can stay in touch with your doctor to get rid of such painful situations. There are too many ways to deal with these discomforts. All you have to do is to discover the one that fits your needs.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse