This topic is about a person who has been in the hospital for 8 days due to a bowel perforation. They are on a low-fiber diet to reduce the amount of stool and pressure on their bowel. They usually irrigate their colostomy and are wondering if it's safe to continue doing so while their perforation heals, as they want to avoid adding any extra pressure.

Here are some helpful insights and advice:

1. Irrigation is often seen as a helpful way to manage colostomy output, but it's not absolutely necessary. Many people who have been using a colostomy for a long time have not had issues with perforations from irrigating.

2. Once the colon is well-regulated through irrigation, some people choose to wear a small "security pouch" instead of a full appliance.

3. It's generally advised to stop irrigating for a while after any bowel surgery or trauma, usually for about 6 weeks, to prevent putting pressure on the healing tissue.

4. Since irrigation can cause temporary internal pressure, it's best to seek professional advice. A stoma or ostomy nurse is often more knowledgeable about post-operative irrigation practices than a surgeon.

5. If the perforation had been caused by diverticulitis (which is not the case here), the colostomy might be temporary, but this can vary depending on individual circumstances.