Imagine a person suffering from agonizing pain in the abdominal region. It happens to almost everyone. But for some, its reason can be more complicated than what you may think. For instance, illnesses such as Crohn’s Disease and diverticulitis require more than just a pain-relieving treatment. A colonoscopy revealing colorectal cancer is also bad news for a person. And in several cases, motility issues make the bowel to stop functioning. These factors can lead to a person requiring either a colostomy or ileostomy surgery. Depending on the case, the doctor may promise the patient an ostomy reversal, which is another surgical process aimed at restoring the function of the natural excretory pathway. The patients who are eligible for ostomy reversal are the ones with temporary ostomies. While it entirely depends on how long the colon will take to heal, doctors commonly perform reversal procedures after six months.
Reversal procedure, after the colon fully heals, is meant to be a smooth process. However, it is not in many cases. Several people lose functionality of their colon, or a part of it, in 6-12 months due to the colon’s inactivity, only to not get it back again. For instance, in many cases, the sphincter muscles of the rectum lose their function, leading the patient needing to be highly attentive to the bowel movements. In some cases, the connection becomes too narrow to allow smooth passage of the stool along the colon. That can result in bowel obstructions due to the backup of stool. And in several cases, the surgeon may opt for an ostomy reversal out of good intentions, but the patient is not the right candidate due to the illness or overall weak state of health. The reason I am talking on this unpleasant subject is that you need to be prepared for anything if you have a colostomy or ileostomy. Even if your doctor tells you that your ostomy would be a temporary one, you need to be good at making assessments about your health. Of course, your doctor will run tests to determine if you are eligible for reversal. But you are going to have to make sure that your GI tract, particularly at the location of rectum and anus, is ready to handle frequent bowel movements. That said, it is necessary to discuss with your doctor whether a reversal procedure will put your life back on track. You will also need to discuss the possibility of your GI tract failing to respond to the reversal procedure the way you expect. And if such a thing happens, how long will it take for your GI tract to regain its normal function? Finding answers to these questions will be plenty helpful.
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