Reasons You May Need A Colostomy
Colostomies are temporary in most cases, meaning that your surgeon may want to reverse it when your bowel recovers from the illness.
That said, now we will discuss the reasons why you may need a colostomy.
Your doctor may opt to give you a colostomy due to an illness or injury in your colon or large intestine. This intestinal diversion aims at disconnecting the healthy part of the colon from its diseased or injured segment and pulling it out through a cut in the belly to create a stoma, which is an opening to expel bodily wastes.
That said, now we will discuss the reasons why you may need a colostomy.
Your doctor may opt to give you a colostomy due to an illness or injury in your colon or large intestine. This intestinal diversion aims at disconnecting the healthy part of the colon from its diseased or injured segment and pulling it out through a cut in the belly to create a stoma, which is an opening to expel bodily wastes.
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis refers to the formation of small sacs in the colon. These sacs result in inflammation and infection in the area. The most notable symptoms of this disorder are fever, pain, and vomiting. Doctors prioritize mild treatment strategy, which includes dietary adjustment and antibiotics, to manage this condition. If these measures do not work, the doctor refers the patient to a surgeon for colostomy surgery.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease can either be Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. These diseases result in symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and fatigue. These symptoms and the condition itself are manageable through dietary adjustments and antibiotics during the first stages. The doctor, however, may have to refer the patient to a surgeon for colostomy surgery if his or her bowel fails to respond to a mild treatment strategy.
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is a progressive disorder that generally needs an invasive treatment procedure. Its symptoms may include abdominal pain, change in bowel habits, and rectal bleeding. The surgical option to treat this disorder mostly involves the removal of the affected part of the colon. The surgeon will then reconnect the healthy ends. In some cases, the patient needs to have his or her rectum, along with a part of the colon, removed. In that case, the surgeon will pull the end of the large bowel out through a cut in the belly to create a colostomy. After the procedure, you may still have to go for regular cancer screenings.
Bowel obstruction
A bowel obstruction is a blockage that prevents the passage of digestive wastes. There are several reasons for a bowel obstruction to occur. These reasons include adhesions, severe constipation, tumor, hernia, complications resulting from previous abdominal surgeries, and paralysis. Symptoms of this disorder may include abdominal pain, swelling, and fever. Bowel obstruction can be fatal, so it needs emergency treatment, which might be colostomy surgery.
Injury
An injury to the colon, rectum, or anus can be life-threatening. If that injury has caused a puncture in the colon or rectum, the resulting incontinence can prove to be quite fatal. Such situations necessitate a patient to follow emergency treatment protocols, which may include removing or disconnecting the affected part of the colon. He will then bring the end of the healthy section of the colon out through a cut in the belly to allow waste materials to leave the body without proceeding to the injured segment of the bowel.
An injury to the colon, rectum, or anus can be life-threatening. If that injury has caused a puncture in the colon or rectum, the resulting incontinence can prove to be quite fatal. Such situations necessitate a patient to follow emergency treatment protocols, which may include removing or disconnecting the affected part of the colon. He will then bring the end of the healthy section of the colon out through a cut in the belly to allow waste materials to leave the body without proceeding to the injured segment of the bowel.