The Reversal Of A Colostomy Or Ileostomy

Many patients get an ileostomy or colostomy for the rest of their lives. Others may have a temporary ostomy that allows their bowel to recover from the root cause of their stoma.

The thought of going for ostomy reversal after the bowel recovery is quite pleasant for people with an ileostomy or colostomy.

Is reversal an option?

You need to be in good health for your ostomy to be undone. It also depends on how much of your rectum was left after ostomy surgery. Moreover, you must have enough muscle strength to push out your bodily waste out through your anus. You are going to have to talk to your doctor, who will examine your bottom to check the necessary muscle strength to evacuate your stool.

The minimum amount of time required for a person to be able to go for an ostomy reversal procedure is three to twelve months after ostomy surgery. If you have had chemotherapy, make sure that you no longer need it. You may also wait for some years to go for a reversal procedure.

Complications

A colostomy or ileostomy reversal is a fairly simple procedure, but not when much of your colon is gone or not working. Possible complications that may arise as a result of an ostomy reversal procedure may include the following.

Temporary bowel paralysis
Leakage of stool inside your belly
Scar tissue completely or significantly obstructing your excretory pathway
Hernia
Bladder infection
Nerve damage

Recovery

You are going to have to stay at the hospital during the initial recovery phase. You may leave the hospital when your bowel movements start with no complications.

It is going to take some time for you to be able to excrete your feces normally. During the first few days, you may face the following issues.

Loose or watery stools
Frequent stools
Feeling that your bowels are not adequately empty after going to the toilet
Leak stool

Here are a few things that you can consider to start having normal bowel movements and satisfying stool evacuations.

You are going to have to stay away from fatty or spicy foods for at least a few months.
Instead of having larger meals, have smaller meals throughout the day. Make sure that you are having a low-fiber diet.
Drink plenty of water.
Avoid foods that cause gas.
Quit smoking and alcohol consumption.

You may not be able to exercise during the first few days, but as soon as your bowel starts to normalize, you can start engaging in physical activity. You may want to talk about it with your doctor.

Colostomy: An Overview

Colostomy surgery is a procedure aimed at removing a part of the colon and bringing out the end of the healthy GI tract through an incision in the abdominal wall. This end of the colon sticking out on the belly is known as a stoma, and it serves as the excretory point to expel bodily wastes after surgery.

Most of the colostomies are temporary, which means that surgeons create those to give some time to the diseased bowel to heal. Once that portion of the bowel heals, the surgeon reconnects it with the healthy GI tract. Some colostomies, however, are permanent. It is up to the surgeon to decide whether to give you a permanent colostomy or a temporary colostomy.

Types of colostomy

Three types of colostomy are the following.

Descending colostomy
Sigmoid colostomy
Transverse colostomy

Reasons you may need a colostomy

Your doctor will perform colostomy surgery if a part of your colon has an illness or injury and, therefore, is unable to eliminate stools. He will first check if your problem is treatable through dietary adjustments and the use of antibiotics. If these options seem ineffective, he will refer you to a surgeon who will remove the diseased part of your colon and bring the end of the functional GI tract out through a cut in the belly to create a stoma.

Conditions that may necessitate you to undergo colostomy surgery include the following.

Bowel obstruction
Abdominal abscess
Colon cancer
Injury
Diverticulitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, which may be ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease

The colostomy surgical procedure

The procedure starts with a colonoscopy, which helps the surgical team determine whether you need open surgery or minimally invasive surgery. After making an incision in your belly, the surgeon will cut the colon to separate the diseased section from the healthy GI tract. He will then pull the end of the healthy GI tract out through a cut in the abdominal wall to create a stoma.

The location of your stoma will vary depending on the location of the bowel diversion. It can be on either side of your abdomen or the upper abdominal section.

You will undergo this surgical process under the influence of anesthesia. The type of anesthesia used for this process and other similar procedures is general anesthesia, which puts the patient to sleep. It means that you will not remember anything regarding the surgical process. This procedure will be entirely painless for you.

If you have any questions regarding colostomy surgery, you may want to put them forward before your doctor or surgeon.

Recovering after surgery

Right after surgery, the staff will shift you to the recovery room. You will remain in that room until the influence of the anesthesia wears off. Depending on your condition, you may or may not be shifted to the intensive care unit.

Your hospital stay can extend to more than seven days. During this time, your doctor and surgical staff will monitor your recovery and make sure that you are not developing any complications. Once they are confident that you are doing fine, they will allow you to leave the hospital.

During the hospital stay, you will also learn about managing your ostomy. You will learn about the ostomy bags and supplies that can help you manage stool evacuations. You will be able to ask your doctor or nurse if you have any concerns.

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