Everything You Need To Know About Colostomy Treatment

Following a colectomy, which removes all or part of your colon, a colostomy is frequently required. You could need to stop using your colon for good, either permanently or temporarily, depending on other conditions. Your newly rerouted colon is also referred to as a "colostomy" after the procedure. Your doctor will tell you how to take care of and live with your colostomy with you.

Why may you need a colostomy?

If your medical condition prevents you from using your colon or anus properly, a colostomy may be necessary. It may be a brief intervention to allow your body to recuperate, or it could be a long-term fix for an incurable ailment.

A temporary colostomy may be necessary for the following conditions:

• Severe infection, like diverticulitis.
• Chronic inflammation brought on by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• Severe colon damage.
• Blockage or obstruction in your colon or anus.
• Anal fistula (a tunnel leading from your anal cavity through to your skin or another organ).
• Partial colectomies (when the remaining ends of the bowels can be reattached later).

The following conditions might need a permanent colostomy:

• Faecal incontinence that is incurable.
• Colon cancer that has spread.
• Removal of the anus and/or rectum permanently.

Options for Colostomy Surgery

Both open surgery and laparoscopic surgery are options for colostomies:

Open surgery

Your abdominal cavity is exposed during an open surgery through a single, lengthy incision made by the physician. This is the conventional approach to reaching your abdominal organs, and it provides better access, which is occasionally necessary. However, because it is a big operation, the recovery period is lengthier. The ailment you are treating and what else the physician has to do during the operation in addition to the colostomy may determine whether you get an open or a laparoscopic colostomy. Most of the time, you'll be able to prepare appropriately because you'll know in advance which type you'll have.

Laparoscopic procedure

In comparison to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery is more recent and minimally intrusive. A laparoscope, a small lighted camera, is used for the procedure. The laparoscope, which displays your abdominal organs on a screen, is inserted into your belly by your surgeon through a tiny incision. After gaining access to your organs with one or more minor incisions, your surgeon can finish the procedure. Laparoscopic surgery has fewer risks, less discomfort, and a quicker recovery period since the incisions are smaller. However, not all surgeries can be done in this manner with success. On occasion, a challenging case may call for a scheduled laparoscopic conversion to open surgery.

Types of colostomy operations

There are two general types of colostomy operations performed:

Loop colostomy

When a colostomy is intended to be temporary, the method of choice is frequently a loop colostomy since it is simpler to reverse. During this surgery, your surgeon finds the portion of your colon that needs to become a colostomy and pulls it as a loop through an abdominal incision. The surgeon then cuts the loop, positioning the two open ends side by side in the abdominal entrance to form the stoma's two ends. One is the area of your colon where your poop will exit through the still-active portion. The second one connects to the last portion of your intestine which is dormant and leads to your anus. Mucus can exit through this opening.

End colostomy

When the colostomy is intended to be permanent, an end colostomy is frequently performed. After your bowel is cut, the process involves stitching the end of your remaining active intestine to the hole in your abdominal wall and sealing the end of your remaining inactive bowel. You will only have one stoma for poop to exit, and if your anus is still intact, you will release mucus via it rather than a stoma.