About

Coming to know that you or a loved one needs a colostomy can give birth to a lot of anxious thoughts and feelings. You may not like the idea of having to use the toilet in a completely different way. And you might also be worried about the possible impact of this procedure on your routine life. In this article, we will discuss a few things about colostomy to help you clear confusion.

The first thing that you are going to have to keep in mind is that a colostomy is aimed at improving your life, which means that you may be able to return to a more active and healthier routine than before surgery.

What is a colostomy?

A colostomy is a surgical procedure that allows you to expel body wastes through an abdominal opening, called a stoma, after your surgeon removes or rests the lower GI tract. During the surgical procedure to create a colostomy, the surgeon disconnects the healthy part of the colon from the diseased section and pulls it out through a cut in the belly. A stoma is red, moist, soft, and a bud-like structure that opens the active GI tract to the outside of the body.

You are going to have to wear an ostomy bag over the stoma to manage your stool evacuations. It means that whenever you have a bowel movement, the stool will pass out of the stoma and fall into an ostomy bag fitted over the stoma. The good thing is that these bags are not noticeable from underneath the clothes.

Why might you need a colostomy?

A properly functioning GI tract releases stools without any problem. It does so to avoid stools from building up and causing a blockage.

A problem in the GI tract may cause it to lose the ability to push stools properly, leading to a blockage ultimately. A colostomy may be the last resort to treat such an issue.

Conditions in which a colostomy can be quite helpful include the following.

• You need the removal of a part of a colon due to any underlying disease, such as cancer.
• A part of your colon needs to rest and heal from the impact of a disease or injury.
• Your colon is affected by an inflammatory disorder, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
• There is a blockage in the lower part of your bowel.
• You cannot control your bowel.

Is a colostomy permanent?

Not necessarily. Sometimes, you may need a colostomy for your bowel to recover from an underlying illness or injury. In that case, your surgeon will give you a temporary colostomy. After your bowel recovers, you will have to undergo another surgery to get your stoma reversed.

Sometimes, you may need to have a colostomy permanently. The reasons for this colostomy may include cancer or other advanced inflammatory disorders. During surgery to create a permanent colostomy, the surgeon will remove the diseased part of the colon.

Living with a colostomy

You may wonder whether or not a colostomy will impact your lifestyle in a bad way. The fact of the matter is that a colostomy tends to bring improvement. Having a colostomy will only change the way you go to the toilet. For more information in this regard, you may want to speak to your doctor.