Your surgeon may want to put a bowel diversion to pull an end of the small intestine out through an incision in the belly. It will reroute the passage of bodily waste away from the colon. This diversion is known as an ileostomy. The end of the small bowel appears on the belly, creating a stoma to pass out the stool.
When do you need an ileostomy?
You may need to stop your bodily wastes from passing through the colon temporarily or permanently. There can be many reasons for it. We will discuss some of them below.
- Your colon may need to heal after surgery. For instance, your doctor may opt to remove a segment of your colon as a part of the cancer treatment. After the removal of the diseased part, the colon will need some time to be able to function again.
- You have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Such conditions result in inflammation, which can be quite painful.
- You need to undergo complex surgery that must be carried out on your rectum or anus.
The ileostomy procedure
Before ileostomy surgery, you will meet your stoma nurse, who will let you know about the options related to the location of the stoma placement. The nurse will also describe how to live with an ileostomy.
Generally, there are two types of ileostomy.
- Loop ileostomy: A loop ileostomy is when the surgeon pulls a loop of your small intestine out through a cut in the belly and makes an incision on the top of that loop. The edges of the rolled and stitched to the abdominal skin.
- End ileostomy: An end ileostomy is when the surgeon separates the small intestine from the colon and pulls the end of the small intestine through an incision in the tummy to create a stoma.
Your surgeon may also opt to create an internal pouch by folding the small intestine at its end. He then connects this pouch to the anus. This way, you pass out stool just as a normal person does with an intact GI tract. This internal pouch is also known as an ileo-anal pouch.
Most end ileostomies and ileo-anal pouches are permanent. Loop ileostomies, however, are generally temporary.
After surgery
You may have to stay in the hospital 1-2 weeks after surgery. It is generally the initial recovery phase, in which your GI tract is in its most vulnerable state. The doctor and the surgical staff will want to monitor how well you are doing during this recovery phase.
During your hospital stay, an ostomy care nurse will visit you regularly to take care of your stoma and to teach you about the use of ostomy appliances.
The overall recovery after surgery takes 6-8 weeks. Many people suffer from psychological and physical complications during this phase. Taking good care of stoma and thinking of your ileostomy as a positive thing in your life can help you regain your physical and mental strength.
