Hi all, I'm new to this site. I'm here trying to get other people's experiences that might be similar to my mom's. My mom is 78 and has been living with a colostomy bag for about six months now as a result of having a perforation in the distal sigmoid colon. We are discussing the possibility of reversing the bag. We just met with a colon and rectal surgeon to get a second opinion and she advised that sometimes during the colostomy reversal, if there is a lot of contamination/scarring, a second operation called an ileostomy is needed to help give the bowel time to heal. Has anyone on this site had a colostomy reversal and needed a temporary ileostomy bag? If so, what was your experience with the ileostomy bag and the surgery itself? Was the ileostomy different from having the colostomy bag? Was the output different? How often did you have to empty/change the ileostomy bag? Currently we are using a closed bag from Convatec and change it maybe twice a day, sometimes three. How long did you have the temporary ileostomy before that surgery was reversed? Was there any complications? Any information you might want to share would be helpful. Thank you.

Colostomy Reversal - Need For Temporary Ileostomy Bag

Daughter

Mar 04, 2023 1:25 pm

Hi Putt Putt,

Thank you for your response. I also read about your experience in the other thread in which you wrote about your situation. I am so glad to hear your recovery is going well following your ileostomy reversal. That's wonderful!

I had three pages of questions for the colorectal surgeon on my mom's 2nd consultation visit this past week. Most of our questions were regarding the temporary ileostomy and the risks for both reversals. She explained that we would plan for a laparoscopic and robotic colostomy reversal and she would only get the ileostomy if she is concerned something would not heal perfectly. We had extensive discussions about the risks for both reversals. She said the chance of a leak is pretty low. She said in her cases, the chance of a leak is less than the national average (3) but still there. She said if she does colostomy reversal and feels there is a 10% chance of a leak, she will perform the ileostomy. She said she would test the connection for ileostomy in about 6 weeks. As long as everything healed, they would reverse the ileostomy 2 weeks later. So, in 8 weeks, the ileostomy would be gone.

Surgeon said my mom's rectum is still relatively intact and she doesn't believe she will have trouble with control but cannot guarantee it. She recommended starting to do kegel exercises to strengthen those muscles when laying in bed. But my mom doesn't understand how to do them. Anyone have any advice? I tried to explain to my mom to go to pee, and hold it, and those are the muscles you need to use but she doesn't understand.

My mom still hasn't made a decision yet about the reversal.

TerryLT

Mar 04, 2023 11:35 pm

Hi daughter, I don't know about in the U.S., but here in Canada there are physiotherapists who specialize in pelvic floor issues and could teach this to your mom. You could ask your doctor or surgeon if this is available where you are.

Terry

Why Join MeetAnOstoMate?

This is a remarkable community of 40,871 members.

You will get real advice from fellow ostomates who truly understand you - things you won't find in the books.

And it's not all about ostomy - there is friendship and relationships too.

Privacy is very important - your profile is not visible to the outside world.

Join Us

iMacG5

When I found this web site, I didn't think its name had anything to do with actually meeting an ostomate but I later learned there were some folks who did meet and develop relationships. How good is that? That wasn't my intention. I definitely didn't want anyone to meet me. I felt broken and wasn't prepared to express those feelings. I thought it was a place where ostomates wrote about themselves, posed questions, shared thoughts, told jokes and, sometimes, just vented. I thought of it as a community of folks with similar interests and various degrees of experience. Mostly I found some of the most caring, selfless, wise and understanding people I ever imagined. I was so impressed with some of the writings; not because of their literary value but the way in which they addressed such a very complex environment. I read hundreds of exchanges and admired the way folks cared for each other. I became hopeful with my own situation and looked forward to the next day's offerings. Certainly some contributors stood out with their experience or particular skills in addressing some things but it seemed like a total effort with synergistic results. I felt blessed to have found this site. I still do.
Mike

Daughter

Mar 05, 2023 12:03 am

Thank you, Terry!! The surgeon did mention that if for some reason my mom did have issues with fecal incontinence post-op, there are physical therapists that can work with her on doing those exercises. So maybe I can ask if something is available pre-operative.

1 likes

5 Common Intimacy Concerns – And What To Do About Them

Hollister

It’s natural to feel stressed about possible relationship issues related to your ostomy.

Explore common concerns about new and existing relationships, and how to put your mind at ease.

Caros1

Mar 11, 2023 7:32 pm

Hi. I've been ostomy free since 07/21. I only had an ileostomy bag for just one month short of a year. But living with SBS (Short Bowel Syndrome) which leaves me staying close to home never knowing when or what might set off a rush of diarrhea. There are times when it's hard to determine which is the worst. At least with the bag, I didn't have to worry about having an accident.

I am in the process of starting a new medication, Dattex, to reduce the rush of bowel movement. Has anyone else used this med?

Colostomy Reversal - Need for Temporary Ileostomy Bag