A surgically created diversion that allows your bodily waste to leave your body through an opening (stoma) in the abdomen is known as an ostomy. Ostomy surgery involves bringing an end of the intestine through an incision in the abdominal wall. The end is sutured with the abdominal skin to form a stoma.
An ileostomy or colostomy diverts the stool away from colon, rectum, or anus. Both the ileostomy and colostomy can be temporary or permanent. It all depends on the severity or nature of the underlying condition.
Types of intestinal ostomies
There are two types of intestinal ostomies: ileostomy and colostomy. An ileostomy is when the surgeon brings out an end of the small intestine through the abdominal wall, bypassing the entire colon. This ostomy results in the passing out of the stool that is loose or watery.
A colostomy is when the surgeon brings the large intestine out through the abdominal wall. The surgical process of the creation of a colostomy typically involves cutting of the colon to separate the healthy segment from the diseased one. The healthy segment is part of the active gastrointestinal tract. The remaining diseased segment is either removed or left to heal. A colostomy, too, results in the premature evacuation of the bodily waste. The four types of colostomy are ascending colostomy, descending colostomy, transverse colostomy, and sigmoid colostomy. Each of these types is defined by the location of the stoma on the colon.
Learning to care for your ostomy
Your nurse will teach you about how to care for your ostomy during your hospital stay. With the help of that initial training, you will be able to learn the basic skills of applying, emptying, and changing an ostomy pouch. Before you will leave the hospital, the ostomy care staff will provide you with the basic supplies to help you care for your ostomy for the first few days at home.
Now, let’s talk about the basics of ostomy care.
- The first thing to know about is your ostomy bag. It is a plastic, leak-proof bag that comes with a flange, also known as a skin barrier. The flange has an opening that allows the stoma to open into the ostomy bag. It has an adhesive side that goes against the peristomal skin. The skin barrier fits over the stoma, and its adhesive side makes a seal with the skin. This seal is ideally leak-proof to make sure that no waste seeps under the barrier.
- Emptying an ostomy bag is one of the basic skills that you will learn during your stay at the hospital. You will need this skill in case you intend to use a drainable pouch. A drainable pouch comes with an open-end bottom that is secured with a clip. To empty the bag, you will need to remove the clip and squeeze the bag. Make sure that the pouch’s contents fall into the toilet. Once the bag is empty, clean the open end, and secure the bottom using that clip.
- The change of pouch typically involves the removal of the skin barrier. You should change a pouch once or twice a week. The changing first involves the removal of the barrier. To remove this barrier, you have to push the skin away from it using your fingers. You have to pull the skin barrier using the other hand. Make sure that you are proceeding with this entire procedure gently.
Ostomy care may also involve the use of several other products that ensure the health of your peristomal skin. Generally, you don’t need to use any product if the basic supplies are working fine. If your skin is vulnerable or irritated, you can consider using those products, but you should do it after consulting with your ostomy care nurse.
