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A surgically created diversion in either of the intestinal or urinary tract is known as an ostomy. An ostomy in the intestinal tract is either a colostomy or ileostomy, whereas an ostomy in the urinary tract is known as a urostomy.
The end of the intestine that sticks out on the abdominal wall is a stoma. It is the opening that allows bodily waste to leave the body. The stoma is red or pink, moist, and it doesn’t have a nerve ending, which means that you are not going to feel any pain in it. This opening doesn’t have any sphincters either, which means that you will not have any control over the waste excretion when you have a bowel movement. You can manage your bodily waste by wearing an ostomy pouch over the stoma. The stool or urine will collect into the bag. You will have to empty or change the bag when it is full.
Why would you need an ostomy?
You may need an ostomy if you have an underlying condition that necessitates the removal or bypassing of a part of the excretory tract. You will retain the healthy segment of the tract.
The conditions that may lead you to require an ostomy include the following.
You may need an ostomy if you have an underlying condition that necessitates the removal or bypassing of a part of the excretory tract. You will retain the healthy segment of the tract.
The conditions that may lead you to require an ostomy include the following.
- Cancer in the colon, rectum, or bladder
- Trauma or injury to the bowel or bladder
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Blockage of the bowel
- Diverticulitis
- Infection
Types of ostomies
Two of the three types of ostomies help remove feces, while one removes urine.
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Surgery
Stoma surgery is performed under the influence of general anesthesia, which puts the patient to sleep during the entire procedure. The surgeon disconnects the healthy part of the excretory tract from the diseased segment and pulls it through an incision in the abdominal wall to create a stoma.
The patient has to stay in the hospital for 3-5 days. During this hospital stay, doctors monitor the patient’s recovery very closely. In the meantime, the ostomy care nurse teaches the patient the necessary skill for ostomy management. The patient receives ostomy supplies for the first few days before leaving the hospital.
Stoma surgery is performed under the influence of general anesthesia, which puts the patient to sleep during the entire procedure. The surgeon disconnects the healthy part of the excretory tract from the diseased segment and pulls it through an incision in the abdominal wall to create a stoma.
The patient has to stay in the hospital for 3-5 days. During this hospital stay, doctors monitor the patient’s recovery very closely. In the meantime, the ostomy care nurse teaches the patient the necessary skill for ostomy management. The patient receives ostomy supplies for the first few days before leaving the hospital.
Living with an ostomy
An ostomy brings a drastic change of lifestyle, but it doesn’t mean that the change leaves a negative impact. The fact of the matter is that an ostomy is there to help a patient spend an active and healthy life. It undoubtedly results in a diversion in the natural excretory pathway, but advancements in the ostomy care industry have allowed manufacturers to prepare supplies that eliminate trouble from ostomy care routines.
An ostomy brings a drastic change of lifestyle, but it doesn’t mean that the change leaves a negative impact. The fact of the matter is that an ostomy is there to help a patient spend an active and healthy life. It undoubtedly results in a diversion in the natural excretory pathway, but advancements in the ostomy care industry have allowed manufacturers to prepare supplies that eliminate trouble from ostomy care routines.