The Stoma For A Colostomy

Certain conditions result in your rectum or anus or both losing functionality. Your doctor may choose to give you a colostomy to reroute the stool to an opening in the abdominal wall, diverting it away from the rectum or anus. The opening in the abdomen is known as a stoma.

The aftermath of a health condition like IBD or colon cancer may result in the doctor choosing to surgically remove the diseased part of your colon, or disconnect it from the healthy segment to allow it to heal. During the same surgical procedure, the surgeon will bring the end of the colon out through an incision in the abdominal wall and suture its edges to the abdominal skin to form a stoma. It means that a stoma is essentially a part of your intestine.

A significant part of your ostomy care is about how to take care of your stoma and the skin around it. It will depend on the type of ostomy supplies and skincare products that you will use. You can get the guidance related to this care from your doctor or ostomy care nurse.

When do you need surgery to get a stoma?

Possible reasons for you to require undergoing colostomy surgery include the following.

Blockage in the bowel
Cancer
Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Injury to the colon
Diverticulitis

In many cases, the doctor will recommend a colostomy to give your bowel some time to rest and heal. This process of healing will require the diseased part of your bowel to be relieved of its function. When the healing completes, the doctor will reconnect the now-healed part of the colon to the functioning segment and close the incision in the belly.

How to care for your stoma?

Depending on the type of ostomy pouch you use, you are going to need to change or empty it a few times a day. Make sure that you are doing it when your pouch is one-third to half full.

When you need to change the pouch, make sure that you have everything ready on the shelf in the washroom. You are going to have to remove the sticky skin barrier from the skin around the stoma. After removing the skin barrier, clean the peristomal skin thoroughly. Plain water would do, but if you want to use soap, make sure that the one you have doesn’t contain any oil or perfume because it can cause a residue left on the peristomal skin. This residue compromises the seal between the new skin barrier and the skin around the stoma. After washing, pat that skin area dry. Avoid rubbing it because it can cause injury.

Life with a stoma

Your colostomy’s stoma should not stop you from living an active life. You can go to work, go on a long drive, travel, play sports, and eat your favorite foods pretty much the same way as you would do without a stoma. There are going to be some limitations during the first few weeks after colostomy surgery, but you will be able to resume everything once your bowel adapts to the newly created diversion.

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