About

The surgical procedure that connects the colon to the surface of the abdomen o allow the stool to pass out into a bag is known as colostomy surgery. The surgical procedure that involves the removal or disconnection of the rectum or anus from the remaining part of the colon is the reason you will need a colostomy.

During the same surgical procedure, the active and healthy part of the colon is diverted away from the diseased part towards a surgically created opening in the abdomen. The end of the active colon is sutured with the skin of the abdomen to create a stoma. This opening becomes the new point to evacuate feces from the excretory tract.

It may be worth mentioning that having a colostomy doesn’t affect your body’s ability to digest foods. The consistency of your stool may vary depending on the location of your stoma along the colon.

A colostomy can be temporary or permanent. You can talk to your ostomy care nurse about it in detail. It usually depends on the reason you need a colostomy. Some of the top reasons for a colostomy may include:

• Cancer in the colon
• Rectal cancer
• Familial disorders
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Diverticulitis
• Injury to the colon or rectum
• Bowel obstruction

There are different types of colostomy. Each of these types is different from the others based on the location of its stoma along the colon.

• The colostomy on the upper-middle or right abdomen is the transverse colostomy. This colostomy can be temporary or permanent, depending on the reason.
• The stoma created on the ascending part of the colon is called the ascending colostomy. The stool passing out through this colostomy is more liquid and is filled with digestive enzymes.
• The last two types of colostomy are the descending colostomy and sigmoid colostomy. The stool passing out through these colostomies is more firm and controllable.

Recovery after colostomy surgery

You will not be able to go home straight from the surgery bed. Your doctor and surgical team will want to monitor your situation for a few days after surgery. They will make sure that you are doing well with the recovery process. That’s why a patient has to stay in the hospital for 3-10 days after surgery.

During this time, the ostomy care nurse will teach you the skills to manage your ostomy. They will tell you about the importance of your peristomal skin, and also about how to prevent and treat complications in this area. They will tell you about the colostomy bags that you are going to need. You will get ostomy supplies for a few days when you will come back home from the hospital.

During the first few days after coming back from the hospital, you might find it difficult to manage your colostomy. Difficulty using the ostomy supplies and the psychological impact of surgery could give you a tough time, but it gets better with time. You can stay in touch with the ostomy care nurse to get guidance regarding how to take care of your ostomy properly.