What Is A Colostomy?

A colostomy refers to a surgically-created opening in the belly to allow an individual to get rid of bodily wastes. You might need it when there is a problem causing your colon to stop functioning. It may be a disease or injury. Your doctor will refer you to a surgeon for a colostomy when he finds out that a part of your colon needs to be removed or rested.

During surgery, the surgeon brings a part of the colon out through a cut in the belly. The edges of this part are turned back and sutured with the abdominal skin, forming a stoma. A stoma is where bodily wastes pass out from.

A colostomy can be temporary or permanent, depending on the underlying condition. A short-term or temporary colostomy remains on the belly for three to six months before the surgeon chooses to reverse it. The reversal procedure involved the reconnection of the bowel, allowing the patient to expel bodily wastes through the anus afterward.

The location of the stoma on your abdomen will depend on the affected part of the colon. Sometimes, it also depends on the patient’s preferences. A Wound Ostomy Continence nurse will figure out the best location for your stoma.

When you look at the stoma, you are looking at the mucosa, or lining, of the intestine. Due to the mucous membrane, it looks pretty much like the inside of your mouth. The stoma appears pink or red. It is moist and soft to touch. It usually secretes a small amount of mucus.

The type of your colostomy also dictates how your stoma will look. Initially, it may look quite large. However, it shrinks to a permanent shape and size a few weeks after surgery. Its shape is usually round or oval. It may protrude less or more from the surface of your abdomen.

The function of a colostomy

A colostomy changes the way you get rid of bodily wastes. The function of your intestines doesn’t change after colostomy surgery. Nonetheless, you will no longer be able to expel bodily wastes through your anus.

Since a majority of nutrients get absorbed in the small intestine, there will not be much impact on how your body uses foods after surgery. The primary function of your colon is to absorb water from digestive wastes. That function will be affected to an extent depending on how much of your colon has been removed. Your colostomy may produce watery stools if a significant part of your colon has been removed. Some people can pass out stools at a specific time of the day. Those people can benefit from colostomy irrigation, which is a process to instill water into the stoma to trigger the urge to move bowels. This process can eliminate the need to wear an ostomy pouch. You may need to speak to your nurse regarding whether you are the right candidate for this procedure.

You will have to be on the top of your ostomy pouch management regimen to keep your colostomy from becoming an obstacle in your routine life. You can discuss all your options with a nurse or healthcare provider.