Colostomy: Purpose, Procedure & Risks - Healthline

A colostomy is a surgical procedure that brings one end of the large intestine out through the abdominal wall. During this procedure, one end of the colon ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeColostomyMedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COI—WrittenbyBrianKrans—UpdatedonJuly8,2017UsesRisksPreparationProcedureFollow-UpWhatIsaColostomy?Acolostomyisasurgicalprocedurethatbringsoneendofthelargeintestineoutthroughtheabdominalwall.Duringthisprocedure,oneendofthecolonisdivertedthroughanincisionintheabdominalwalltocreateastoma.Astomaistheopeningintheskinwhereapouchforcollectingfecesisattached.Peoplewithtemporaryorlong-termcolostomieshavepouchesattachedtotheirsideswherefecescollectandcanbeeasilydisposedof.Colostomiesaren’talwayspermanent,especiallyinchildrenwithbirthdefects.Acolostomycanbetheresultofoneofseveralprocedurestocorrectproblemswiththelowerdigestivetract.Other“ostomies”includeileostomyandurostomy.Anileostomyisadiversionofthebottomofthesmallintestine.Aurostomyisadiversionofthetubesthatcarryurineoutofthebladder.Acolostomymayalsobereferredtoasboweldiversiontherapy.WhyaColostomyIsPerformedColostomiesareperformedbecauseofproblemswiththelowerbowel.Someproblemscanbecorrectedbytemporarilydivertingstoolawayfromthebowel.Thisiswhentemporarycolostomiesareusedtokeepstooloutofthecolon.Ifthecolonbecomesdiseased,asinthecaseofcoloncancer,permanentcolostomiesareperformedandthecolonmayberemovedcompletely.Conditionsinwhichyoumayneedapermanentcolostomyinclude:ablockageaninjuryCrohn’sdisease,whichisanautoimmuneformofinflammatoryboweldiseasecolorectalcancercolonicpolyps,whichisextratissuegrowinginsidethecolonthatmaybecancerormayturnintocancerdiverticulitis,whichoccurswhensmallpouchesinyourdigestivesystem,calleddiverticula,becomeinfectedorinflamedimperforateanusorotherbirthdefectsirritablebowelsyndrome,whichisaconditionaffectingthecolonthatcausesdiarrhea,bloating,constipation,andpainintheabdominalareaulcerativecolitis,whichisaninflammatoryboweldiseasethatcausesthelong-terminflammationofthedigestivetractRisksofaColostomyAcolostomyisamajorsurgery.Aswithanysurgery,therearerisksofallergicreactionstoanesthesiaandexcessivebleeding.Colostomyalsocarriestheseotherrisks:ablockageofthecolostomydamagetootherorgansahernia,whichoccurswhenaninternalorganpushesthroughaweakareaofmuscleaninfectioninternalbleedingproblemsfromscartissueaprolapseofthecolostomyawoundbreakingopenYourdoctorcanbestexplainyourpersonalrisks,therisksofthesurgery,thepotentialforcomplications,andtheadvantagesofthesurgery.HowtoPrepareforaColostomyBeforesurgery,yourdoctorwilltakebloodsamples,performaphysicalexamination,andreviewyourcompletemedicalhistory.Duringthesevisits,tellyourdoctoraboutanypriorsurgeriesyou’vehadandanymedicationsyou’retaking,includingover-the-countermedicinesandsupplements.Yourdoctorwilllikelyaskyoutofastforatleast12hoursbeforesurgery.Youmayalsobegivenalaxativeoranenematotakethenightbeforethesurgerytohelpcleanseyourbowels.Youshouldpreparetostayinthehospitalforthreetosevendays.Thisincludespackingtherightnecessities,arrangingcareforyourchildren,pets,orhome,andtakingtheappropriateamountoftimeoffofwork.HowaColostomyIsPerformedYou’llchangeintoahospitalgownbeforesurgery.Anursewillplaceintravenousaccess,oranIV,inyourarm.Thisallowsthehospitalstafftogiveyoufluidsandmedicationseasily,andit’salsohowyou’llbegivenyourgeneralanesthesia.Thiswillputyouintoadeep,painlesssleepduringtheoperation.Whileyou’reasleep,thehospitalstaffwillwheelyouintotheoperatingroomforyourcolostomy.Whenyou’vebeencleanedandprepared,yoursurgeonwillmakeanincisioninyourabdomen.Thisincisionmaybelarge,oritmaybeaseriesofsmallerincisions.Smallerincisionsareusedforalaparoscopy.Thistypeofsurgeryinvolvesusingsmalltoolsandacamerathat’sinsertedintoanincision.Thecamerawillbeusedtoguideyourdoctorduringthesurgery.Duringtheprocedure,yourdoctorwilllocatetheidealpartofthelargeintestinefortheopening,orstoma.Yourdoctorwillcuttheintestineintheappropriateareaandbringitthroughyourabdominalwall.Yourdoctorwillsurgicallyimplantaringontoyourabdominalwall.Thisringwillholdtheendoftheintestineinplace.Thisringmaybepermanent,oritmaybeplacedtemporarilytohelpyourskinhealaroundyourexposedintestine.Aftereverythingisinplace,yourdoctorwillcloseyourwoundwithstitchesandyou’llbebroughtintoarecoveryroom.Duringthattime,thestaffwillwaitforyoutowakeupandthey’llwatchyourvitalsignstoensureeverythinggoessmoothly.AfteraColostomyRecoveryinthehospitalinvolvesbeingslowlyreintroducedtoliquidsandfoodstoensuretherearenodigestiveproblems.Onthefirstday,you’llmostlikelybegivenonlyicechipstoeaseyourthirst.Afterward,you’llbegivenclearliquidsandeventuallysoftfoods.You’llalsobetaughthowtousecolostomybagscorrectly.Acolostomybagiswhereyourfeceswillcollectwhileyouhaveyourcolostomy.Hospitalstaffwillalsoinstructyouonyourdiet,activitylevel,andmore.It’simportanttofollowtheseinstructions.You’llhavefollow-upappointmentswithyourdoctortocheckonyourconditionandthecolostomy.LastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary8,2016MedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COI—WrittenbyBrianKrans—UpdatedonJuly8,2017ReadthisnextLargeBowelResectionMedicallyreviewedbyAndrewGonzalez,M.D.,J.D.,MPHDuringalargebowelresection,orcolectomy,yoursurgeonremovesdiseasedsectionsofyourlargebowel.READMORETesticularTorsionMedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.Testiculartorsionoccurswhenthespermaticcordbecomestwisted.Thiscausesarestrictioninbloodflowtothetestes,severepain,andpossibly…READMORESideEffectsoftheTetanusShotMedicallyreviewedbyLindsaySlowiczek,PharmDMosttetanusshotreactionsaresignsthatyourbodyisrespondingtobuildimmunityagainsttetanus.Tetanus,orlockjaw,isadiseasecausedbya…READMOREWhatIsBitterOrange,andDoesItAidWeightLoss?WrittenbyAmberCharlesAlexis,MSPH,RDNBitterorangeisacitrusfruitthat'softenprocessedintoanextract.Thisarticleexplainseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutbitterorange.READMORECanIShrinkAnAcousticNeuromaNaturally?MedicallyreviewedbyNicoleLeighAaronson,MD,MBA,CPE,FACS,FAAPAcousticneuromasarebenigntumorsthatcanformonthenervebetweenthebrainandinnerear.Theyrequireobservationandsometimesmedical…READMORESprintIntervalTraining:HowtoBurnFatandIncreaseSpeedSprintintervaltrainingisatime-efficientworkoutthatcombinesperiodsofmaximalworkwithlongerrestperiods.Herearethebenefits,downsides…READMORETheBestMattressesforPeoplewithShoulderPainMedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTIfyou'redealingwithshoulderpainatnight,findingthebestmattressforyouisonewaytowakeuppain-free.Tryoneofourtopninepicks.READMORE