i am having an operation to have a stoma?

Question

can anyone tell me if its a big operation.and how long of stay in hospital.and how do feel after it.and are u completely put 2 sleep.thanks

Answer 1

A Stoma is an opening, usually unnatural or surgically created, which connects a portion of the body cavity to the outside environment. Surgical procedures in which stomata are created are ended in the suffix '-ostomy' and begun with a prefix denoting the organ or area being operated on. There are many types of stomas like the undernoted -

* Dacryocystorhinostomy
* Enterostomy
o Cecostomy
o Colostomy
o Duodenostomy
o Ileostomy
o Jejunostomy
* Esophagostomy
* Gastrostomy (also see percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy)
* Cholecystostomy
* Choledochostomy
* Sclerostomy
* Thoracostomy
* Tracheostomy
* Urostomy (also see Ileal conduit urinary diversion)
o Nephrostomy
o Ureterostomy
o Vesicostomy (cystostomy)

Mostly Colostomy is performed for the patients with colon cancer or with acute hemorrhoids, in which case the stoma would be made at the left side of the abdomen and the bowel movement will be made through it. Another popular one is Ureterstomy for diversion of urine for problems in Urinary problems.

In any case the patient will be given full anesthesia and the surgery will be done in couple of hours time. It is not a very Big operation and it is done often to patients. But healing of the stoma and and getting accustomed will take time and the patient may have to stay in the hospital for about 7 to 10 days. For one of my known person colostomy was done and he had to stay for 10 days in the hospital.

Had you given the details and requirement of the surgery I would have given more correct answer to your question. -

Answer 2

If you're talking about ileostomy, colostomy or urostomy surgery, I can help you out :)

It is a major operation, no doubt about that one. How long you stay in hospital depends on how soon your guts wake up after the op and how your surgeon thinks you're doing. Usual stay is between 5 - 14 days. If it's done laproscopically, the stay is usually shorter. Are you having your rectum and anus removed as well?

Yes, you are put out completely to sleep and you will be given good pain killers once you wake up to manage your pain for a few weeks. Most people are given the choice of either an epidural or a PCP to control the immediate post op pain.

Most people who have either a colostomy or ileostomy due to IBD (ie Crohns or UC) say that they can feel immediately upon waking that the diseased part of them is gone.

Your nurse will get you up walking the day after the op probably and even though you won't feel like it, do it! Walking is the quickest way to get that gut moving again and those first gas sounds are music to the surgeon's ears. It tells them that everything is working as it should be. The sooner you get gas again, the sooner you get to go home :)

People are usually back at work or school within 6 - 8 weeks although, by no means, can they be said to be at full strength by that time. It will take several months to fully recover your strength, but each day you become a bit stronger. The vast majority of ostomates I know (and I've spoken to several hundred throughout the years) are soooooo glad they did the surgery.

There are several online ostomy forums plus a chat that you are more than welcome to join for support :)

Good luck.

Answer 3

It's not a big operation nor a long stay. You are asleep when you are put to sleep....how do you feel when you are asleep. The big challenge is using the ostomy bag after the surgery and the body issues. How you deal with that is the big test.

Answer 4

I had an Ileostomy operation 9 months ago, it took 9 hours and i was let out of hospital after a week and yes you are completely asleep, they might offer you a pre-med which just calms you down and it knocked me out before i got into theatre