Hi, I have been in the hospital for 8 days with a perforated bowel. I am on a low-fiber diet to control the flow of feces; this is to keep pressure off the bowel. I normally do irrigation. Can I continue with this or not? I don't want any unnecessary pressure on the bowel. Can anyone help me?
coldfinger
Feb 02, 2023 9:42 am
gentlejohn
Feb 02, 2023 2:53 pm
Irrigation is a good way to regulate your bowel. It is not necessary but useful. I do not have any person who has had problems irrigating. Most people, once their colon is regulated, only wear a security pouch and not a formal barrier. Those of us with ileostomies do not have that option. If your perforation was from diverticulitis, your colostomy is likely to be temporary.
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Bill
Feb 02, 2023 7:34 pm
Hello coldfinger.
You pose an interesting question, which raises other questions:
Did your bowel perforate because of hardened faeces, or was it for some other reason? I can understand the concept of a low-fibre diet to keep pressure off the bowel, and irrigation would certainly fit with the idea of keeping the faeces watery and free-flowing. However, the process of irrigation can build up its own internal pressure. I have not heard that it has ever been responsible for perforation of the bowel, but I feel that it would be wise to discuss the concept with a medic who knows about these things. Surgeons often know little or nothing about aftercare or irrigation, so I would suggest a stoma nurse for this sort of question.
There is a period immediately after surgery (in my case 6 weeks) when we are advised not to undertake irrigation because of the dangers involved. however, after that I was told that the healing process should have developed sufficiently to get the irrigation process underway.
As with most things stoma related, it is often the way that we need to experiment for ourselves to find out what works and what doesn't (for us).
Best wishes
Bill
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coldfinger
Feb 02, 2023 8:14 pm
Hello Bill, thank you for your interest. I have a suprapubic catheter; this has to be changed every month. It goes through the stomach into the bladder. My bowel
was perforated during this procedure. Such bad luck. Best regards, Coldfinger
coldfinger
Feb 02, 2023 8:24 pm
Hello gentle John, my perforation happened during the change of my suprapubic catheter. I have had my stoma since 2006 ("17 years"). Thank you for your interest. Best regards, coldfinger
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