Ileostomy - What to Expect After the Ileostomy Procedure

Ileostomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in the world, used particularly for treating serious gastrointestinal tract problems, such as colon cancer, chronic ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Each year, almost 75.000 people suffer from an ileostomy surgery, that number coming from the United States of America alone. Gastrointestinal issues are tightly connected to the age of the patient, being more common in patients under thirty and between fifty and seventy.

The younger ones have a chaotic diet that leads to all sorts of digestive troubles, like bowel obstruction, while the older patients have a less and less efficient digestive system. After the increase in popularity of fast food chains, about one million Americans are diagnosed with digestive problems every year. While it is true that less than one percent of them ever get to the rather radical solution presented by ileostomy, it does not mean that this trend should be encouraged.

But have you ever wondered what does the ileostomy procedure really do to your body? Well, the textbook answer is pretty complicated and filled with big words, but the down - to - earth explanation sounds like this: most patients suffer from a removal of the colon (colonectomy) or the colon and the rectum (protocolectomy) before the ileostomy surgery begins.

The purpose of these surgeries is to remove the damaged part of the colon and stop the spreading of the disease. After that has been accomplished, the ileostomy is ready to begin. In plain words, a stoma is created in the abdominal wall and the ileum (the portion of the large intestine that empties into the colon) is pulled to it. A pouch is placed on top of the stoma, so that the wastes are sent directly to it. The aftercare is very pretentious, the pouch needing to be changed multiple times a day and monitored constantly.

Right after the surgery, you will spend some time in the hospital. This is necessary for the physicians to verify the effect the medical procedure had on you as well as to avoid any further complications. Of course, the risks involved with the surgery range from the obvious ones, that are inherent to every surgery out there, like infection and excessive bleeding, but ileostomy has some risks that belong only to this type of procedure: stomal blockage, ileum inflammation, etc. Unfortunately, none of these can be predicted and only a few of them can be prevented. Fortunately, they are rarely dangerous enough to pose a real threat to a patients' health.
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What to expect after the ileostomy procedure
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Like it has been stated above, the aftercare is not as easy as it is for other health problems out there. There are a few things a patient should always keep in mind. For example, due to the fact that the large intestine has been eliminated from the patients' digestive process, the fluids that the patient ingests are no longer assimilated properly. Therefore, constant hydration should be on the mind of every ileostomy sufferer out there.

Another advice would be for the patient and the person taking care of him or her to join a support group. It is said that problems are better dealt with if you have a shoulder to cry on. This is what a support group would be for the patient. Usually, people with permanent stomas can go down the road of depression and they need specialized help. Your attending physician can certainly recommend a good psychologist and psychiatrist for that problem.

A change in lifestyle is usually required, however small it may be. If your ileostomy is temporary, during that time your diet should take a turn towards the really healthy: vegetables, white meat and lots of natural ingredients. Also, remember to keep hydrated since your body cannot process liquids as well as before. After the pouch is removed and the small intestine is reattached to the large intestine, your diet can resume its natural course.