I hope I manage to explain this clearly for anyone who knows little about anatomy;
Technically it is a challenge for surgeons because they believe you can live a more than normal life with a Continent Ileostoma.
Practically I can give you loads of examples why you should NOT opt for this "optical solution".
What is it?
Part of your small intestine will be cut into strips. We are going to sew a pouch out of these strips.
But, our intestine moves like a worm into ONE direction. We don't want this pouch to expel its contents, so we have to cancel this one way traffic effect.
How can we do this? Simple: by turning around every second strip which results in one movement up and one movement down. If you step forward and backward one step. you don't advance. The same thing will happen with our new pouch. Nothing will come out by itself.
Result: we are no longer incontinent.
From your abdominal skin the surgeon will construct a little tunnel into your belly.
This tunnel will be your "valve" to empty the internal pouch.
So you will no longer have a baggy and you will be very sexy again (?)
If you need to "go", you will have to stick a tube into your belly to let the contents out.
Sounds very simple and neat tidy. Wonderful solution for who feels frustrated about his/her looks.
RESTRICTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, if you want to be sexy, not have a noisy plastic baggy, you will have to pay a price for this.
What is the price?
A lot!!!!!! You can no longer accidentally swallow a peanut, or not chew your food sufficiently, because IT WILL NOT COME OUT THROUGH THE TUBE.
There you go. Can you feel the anxiety building up? Great opportunity for attention seekers, but believe me, you don't want to go there.
I will not list all the other things you can no longer eat, or what happens to you if you forget to bring your bloody tube (and your pouch keeps growing and growing inside your sexy belly)
COMPLICATIONS
Many continent internal pouches fail for various reasons. Leaking stitches, infections, ulcers, Crohn's or UC induced inflammations, etc.
Many people who seem to have CU, continue with problems in the small intestine despite not being diagnosed with Crohn's. Specialist notoriously want to separate both IBD's.
The MAJORITY of these procedures FAIL !!!!!!!!! But your surgeon will not tell you about all the failures. He needs to operate, to pay for his 2 or 3 mansions and 4 luxury cars. I may sound cynical, but sadly enough surgeons are very economical with the truth to protect their salary (wouldn't you?)
If I would be your surgeon, I would only offer you this option if the rest of your intestine is 100% healthy, and if you have 100% healthy teeth, and if you are willing to eat semi liquidated food (put your 3 course meal in a blender).
Did you ever eat a dish of mashed potatoes without drinking? You have to squeeze it out of your baggy. How are you going to squeeze this out of your belly through a narrow tube?
When it fails, you basically loose a lot of your small intestine, and you will get a new permanent ileostomy with a baggy.
AND you are at risk for Short Bowel Syndrome.
Of course, there is always someone who has nooooooooo problems at all.
Like my grandfather who started smoking when he was only 13 years old and he died of exhaustion when he was 93, while most of us die of lung cancer or cardiovascular disease.
So, listen to the figures, which are bad.
Try to avoid it. We will love you just the same when you have a baggy.
And those who don't are not worth crossing your path.
Live your life to the max.
me, Richard