Reversal Of A Temporary Ileostomy

You will need to undergo reversal surgery if you have a temporary ileostomy. Your doctor will recommend ileostomy reversal when you are healthy enough to undergo the surgical process involved and have recovered from the impact of the illness that had led you to have an ileostomy.

There is no time limit to when you should go for an ileostomy reversal. Some people live with an ileostomy for years before undergoing a reversal procedure. Generally, your surgeon will recommend you to come back for a medical exam after a few months to check if you are ready to have your ileostomy reversed.

The process of ileostomy reversal is comparatively straightforward, and the surgeon would perform it under general anesthesia. He or she will make an incision around the stoma and pull out a section of the small intestine. He will connect that segment to the stoma to make the GI tract whole again.

You are also a candidate for ileostomy reversal if you have had your large intestine sealed at the time of the ileostomy creation. This surgical procedure will involve a larger incision in the belly. Resultantly, the postoperative recovery will take more time.

Recovering from ileostomy reversal

In most cases of ileostomy reversal, people leave the hospital within 3-5 days after surgery. You will have diarrhea, and you may need to go to the toilet several times a day following surgery. The problems will subside in a few days. You, however, may not regain the functionality of your bowel to the fullest for the rest of your life. You may have to consult your ostomy care nurse to discuss medications to relieve the diarrhea situation.

After reversal surgery, your anus may become sore, but it should improve over time. The reason for this soreness is that you have not been passing stools through your natural excretory pathway for months. The anus will take a fair bit of time to adapt to passing out stools.

Choosing to live with an ileostomy

Any healthy person cannot imagine living with an altered excretory pathway for the rest of his life after ileostomy surgery, but it is also a fact that many ostomates have chosen live with their ileostomies, even though they are the perfect candidates for reversal. Living a healthy life with an ileostomy is all about adapting to an ostomy care regimen. Some people say that they had been depressed due to their bowel condition before surgery, and also that their ileostomies have given them a chance to live to the fullest.

It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider reversing your ostomy if you have a chance. You, however, need to be mindful of the possible impact of living with a cured but weakened bowel. The chances of developing future complications are significantly higher in such scenarios. But then, it is all about your overall health.

The best course of action is to consult with your doctor. If you wonder whether or not you need to go for the reversal of your surgery, you should talk about it with your doctor. Your doctor will tell if you are fit enough to recover well after ileostomy recovery.

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