Things You May Want To Know About Colostomy Reversal

Colostomy reversal is a possibility in some cases. Doctors recommend colostomy surgery in case of severe intestinal disorders such as cancer or diverticulitis. This way, they can treat the condition and help improve the quality of the patient’s life. Some colostomies are permanent, while others can be reversed after the infected part of the colon heals.

The reversible colostomies are known as temporary colostomies. One of the types of temporary colostomy is the loop colostomy, which the surgeon creates by making an incision on a side of the colon and then connecting that incised portion to the stoma. A colostomy bag connects the stoma to collect the stool. The best thing about a loop colostomy is that it can be easily reversed after the lower part of the colon heals.

The reversibility of a colostomy depends on several factors. A colostomy and its reversal entail two major surgeries. So, the patient needs to be healthy enough to endure both of these surgical procedures. The patient shouldn’t have any major health condition that might prove to be a source of further complications after the colostomy reversal procedure. If a part of your colon was removed at the type of colostomy surgery, the reversal procedure will depend on how much of the colon is left. Moreover, your bowel and anal sphincter muscles should strong enough to handle bowel movements properly.

Generally, you will have to wait at least twelve months before the surgeon reverses your colostomy. If colostomy surgery was a part of the removal of cancer from your colon, you are going to have to wait until the cancer treatment completes.

Colostomy reversal process

With the use of flexible sigmoidoscopy, doctors examine the bowel to check whether the colon has healed enough to handle normal bowel movements. They may also use an enema to make sure there are no leaks.

Although this surgical process is not as intensive as the colostomy surgery, patients need to remain hospitalized for a few days after the surgery. They need to have just the liquid diet in the first few days.

At first, the passing of stool through the colon may result in pain or discomfort. That’s because the colon has been inactive for months. Eventually, patients gain control over their bowel functions with pelvic muscles regaining strength. These painful symptoms should subside within a few months.

Although the colon gets back to its function within a few days after the reversal surgery, patients should avoid the intake of large meals. They need to stick to the intake of low-fiber foods and more liquids.

Even if your reversal surgery has been successful and you are on the right track of getting back to your normal life, you need to be in regular contact with your ostomy care nurse to get proper guidance on how and when to bring changes to your lifestyle.

Adapting To The Post Ostomy Surgery Life

Adjusting to life after an ostomy surgery seems a difficult affair, mainly because this change tends to seem affecting the normal way of life. An ostomy indeed is not an easy adjustment, but it is crucial to understand that an ostomy surgery aims at saving a person’s life.

Now, feeling depressed and lonely after ostomy surgery is perfectly normal for new ostomates. And getting out of this situation may seem like an uphill task. As we said, an ostomy is not an easy adjustment. However, once you aim for a life full of charms and remain committed to it, nothing can stop you from achieving that goal.

That said, you are going to need to follow a few simple tips that may help to embrace life after ostomy surgery.

Give yourself some time

Your urge to be up and running just a few days after the surgery is understandable if you have been an active person throughout your previous life. But remember, it’s different this time. You need proper rest to accelerate the healing process. Perhaps, it is one of the rare occasions in your life when you get a recommendation not to get out of your comfort zone.

After a few weeks, you will realize that life goes on. You will be very concerned about the new change that mainly involves taking care of an ostomy bag just like a body organ. But what may come as good news is that this bag won’t prove to be a hurdle in your routine life, even if you engage in physical workouts. However, you need to be wary about engaging in contact sports.

Ostomy support groups

Finding people who know what an ostomate goes through can help you get the right suggestions when you share your thoughts. The best way is to find people who already have ostomies. You can talk to them about your concerns and listen to their concerns as well. For this purpose, you are going to have to find ostomy support groups. You can easily find such groups in your town or locality.

The best thing coming out of joining an ostomy support group is that you will be able to make new friends. You will be able to know different ways of taking care of your ostomy. Similarly, if you know something better about ostomy management, you can share it with other ostomates in your group.

Learn about your condition

If you know how severe your condition was before the surgery and how this surgery has helped you get out of that condition, you will find enough motivation to embrace your post-ostomy surgery life. Moreover, you are going to have to learn about how ostomy management works. For this purpose, you can talk to your doctor or ostomy care nurse.