Caring for an ileostomy is different than caring for a person with Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. A person with one of these disorders does not have the typical bowel movements.
Therefore, they do not produce the same amount of waste as someone with a normal healthy colon. When dealing with someone with one of these ailments, you need to consider their symptoms and what their colon is like. This can help you determine if you should be performing the surgery or not.
An ileostomy is a medical term meaning "at the opening." It is a permanent affliction where part of the small intestine is removed from the body. The pouching system that functions to keep bacteria and other toxins out of the body's large intestine is located here. The pouch is attached to the abdominal wall via the skin. When undergoing surgery, the doctor will cut a small hole in this area. They then connect this hole to a smaller opening on the abdominal wall to remove the pouch.
When a patient has an ileostomy due to Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, their doctor may recommend removing part of the small intestine so that bowel movements can be more frequent. When dealing with a patient with one of these diseases, it is important to note that bowel movements can become very painful during this surgery. This pain usually comes from the area that is being removed. For this reason, a doctor may recommend surgery, even though it is not necessary. In addition, if the patient's condition worsens or does not improve after three to six months of the healing process, then surgery may be recommended.
Patients that have undergone a Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis procedure usually suffer from diarrhea, abdominal bloating, and/or constipation. Because of the nature of these diseases, it is possible to develop an intestinal obstruction (enteritis) after surgery. The area causes this intestinal obstruction that the intestines are attached to (the ileum). An ileostomy will make it possible for the doctor to create a large enough opening to remove the stools without the risk of infection easily. A large opening is also created so that the doctor can remove the stool from the small intestine.
After the colon is opened up via an ileostomy, the surgeon will use drainage techniques to clear the colon of feces. If these methods do not work, then the surgeon will make a small incision in the abdomen and insert a long tube (that looks like a small camera) that has a camera on the other end. This tube is hooked up to special tubing that empties the waste material from the colon via the ileum. This process happens very quickly, so the patient needs to follow the surgeon's instructions regarding bowel frequency after the surgery.
Suppose the patient feels any pain while passing bowel movements, or if there is something inside the anus that they are unsure about, they may need to have a colonoscopy. The colonoscopy is a non-invasive test that allows the surgeon to look inside the rectum to see any abnormal material present. An ileostomy nurse will be present during the trial to assist the surgeon with whatever they are doing. They may also be asked to empty the bowels while they are on the toilet.
