Ileostomy - Living With An Ileostomy

Living With An Ileostomy

People with ileostomies must use an ostomy pouch to collect intestinal waste. People with ileostomies typically use an open-end, or "drainable" one or two-piece pouch that is secured at the lower end with a leakproof clip, or velcro fastening, rather than a closed-end pouch that must be thrown away when full. Ordinarily the pouch must be emptied several times a day (many ostomates find it convenient to do this whenever they make a trip to the bathroom to urinate) and changed every 2–5 days for two-piece pouches when the base wafer begins to deteriorate, changed every twenty-four hours for one piece pouches. Ostomy pouches fit close to the body and are usually not visible under regular clothing unless the wearer allows the pouch to become too full. It is essential to have the stoma measured regularly as it changes in shape after the initial surgery. The Stomal or Colorectal nurse should be able to do this for a patient and advise on the exact size required for the bag(pouch)'s opening.

Some people find they must make adjustments to their diet after having an ileostomy. Tough or high-fiber foods (including, for example, potato skins, tomato skins, and raw vegetables) are hard to digest in the small intestine and may cause blockages or discomfort when passing through the stoma. Chewing food thoroughly can help to minimize such problems. Some people also find that certain foods cause annoying gas or diarrhea. Many foods can change the colour of the output, causing alarm - Beetroot produces a red output that may appear to be blood. This is a discoloration only. Nevertheless, people who have an ileostomy as treatment for inflammatory bowel disease typically find they can enjoy a more "normal" diet than they could before surgery. Correct dietary advice is essential in combination with the patient's gastroenterologist and hospital approved dietician. Supplementary foods may be prescribed and liquid intake and output monitored to correct and control output. If output does contain blood at any time, an ileostomate is advised to visit the emergency department.

Other complications can include kidney stones, gallstones, and post-surgical adhesions. A 5-year study of patients who had ileostomy surgery in 1997 found the risk of adhesion-related hospital readmission to be 11%