This topic is about the safety of using a Fleet enema after having emergency ostomy surgery. The person who had the surgery is experiencing strong urges to go to the bathroom and sometimes passes foul-smelling mucus from the rectal stump. They are considering using a Fleet saline enema to help with this and are seeking advice on whether it is safe to do so.

Here are some helpful insights and advice:

1. The time since surgery is important. After a couple of years, the rectum is usually well-healed, which lowers the risk of complications. However, it is still recommended to seek professional guidance from a stoma nurse or surgeon.

2. It is normal to continue producing rectal mucus and to have evacuation urges after a colostomy or ileostomy. These symptoms alone do not necessarily require the use of an enema.

3. Exercise medical caution. Many people have been advised by ostomy nurses and doctors to never use enemas, including Fleet, in an ileostomy or without medical supervision. There have been reports of severe pain from self-administered enemas.

4. The benefit of using an enema is limited. Even if an enema is tolerated, it will not prevent future mucus build-up or urges. Only complete rectal removal, sometimes referred to as "Barbie butt" surgery, can eliminate the issue.

5. If you decide to try an enema, make sure to restrict irrigation to the rectal stump only and never the functioning bowel. Also, confirm how much of the stump remains, as it may not be able to hold all the fluid.

6. Consider a gentler alternative. Instead of using the caustic sodium phosphate solution found in Fleet enemas, you can use plain lukewarm water in the same squeeze bottle if cleansing is truly needed.