A colostomy requires a hospital stay of about 3 days to a week. Your stay will probably be longer if the colostomy was performed for an emergency. During your hospital stay, you'll learn to care for your colostomy and the appliance or pouch that collects your stool.
Most people stay in the hospital for 4 to 7 days on average after the procedure. But the time you spend in the hospital will depend on why you needed the colostomy. Complete recovery from a colostomy may take up to 2 months. During this time, you will have limits on what you can eat while the colon heals.
Most people are well enough to leave hospital 3 to 10 days after having a colostomy. Once home, avoid strenuous activities that could place a strain on your abdomen, such as lifting heavy objects. Your stoma nurse will give you advice about how soon you can go back to normal activities.
The surgery itself will last several hours. Upon awakening in recovery, a colostomy bag will be attached to the abdomen over a new stoma and there may be one or more drainage tubes. Once vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, respiration) are stable, it will be time to move to a hospital room.
Getting a colostomy marks a big change in your life, but the surgery itself is uncomplicated. It will be performed under general anesthesia, so you will be unconscious and feel no pain. A colostomy may be done as open surgery, or laparoscopically, via several tiny cuts.
If you allow it to get too full, the weight of the stool may pull the pouch away from the skin. A person with an ileostomy will need to empty the pouch about five or six times in a 24-hour period. If you have a colostomy, you will need to empty the pouch two or three times in a 24-hour period.
Issues or problems with the skin around the stoma is probably the most common complication for ostomates. Not only is having sore skin extremely uncomfortable for the patient but it can also compromise the attachment of the bag to the skin causing leaks and leading to further skin damage.
After colostomy surgery you may feel very tired at first. Your belly may be sore, and you will probably need pain medicine for a week or two. This is all very normal and side effects will start to improve day by day.
Avoid applying products that contain alcohol as they can cause dry skin. Do not use skin products made with oil. They will make it difficult for the pouch to stay attached. If you have hair on the skin surrounding the ostomy, you may need to keep it shaved so the pouch will stick.
In some cases, after the surgeon removes a portion of the colon, it may be necessary to attach the remaining colon to the outside of the body in a procedure called colostomy. Creating a hole (stoma) in the abdominal wall allows waste to leave the body. A colostomy bag attaches to the stoma to collect the waste.
You can normally start bathing or showering two to three days after your operation, but your Stoma Care Nurse or ward staff will give you more specific advice.
You can bathe or shower with or without wearing your pouching system. Normal exposure to air or water will not harm or enter your stoma. If you're showering without your pouch, remove the skin barrier too. Try to create a routine that coincides with when you're due for a pouch change.
It's always a good idea to empty or change your stoma bag before you go to bed as it will help to prevent your bag from filling up too much overnight and disturbing your sleep. A full stoma bag is always at risk of leaking and that's not something you want to experience during the night.
You may feel tired after the operation but you could try gentle exercise, such as a short walk, when you feel ready. Wait until you've recovered from the operation to drive again, usually at least 6 weeks.
If you're having trouble sleeping after your ostomy surgery due to worries about leakage or rolling over on your pouch, that's completely normal. But some options will help you relax and get back to a restful sleep schedule. Here are our top tips for improving your sleep after ostomy surgery.
Tight high-waisted shirts made of thick material are perfect. If worn with leggings or tights underneath, there is an added layer of clothing to smooth out your ostomy pouch, but these skirts are also able do the trick on their own.
Complications of ileostomy and colostomy may include stoma or skin complications, dehydration, problems absorbing nutrients, and intestinal obstruction.
The best position to sleep in when you have a stoma is on your back, or on your side. If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, this will be fine at the beginning of the night but increases the chances of leaks as the night progresses and your bag fills.
Some common complications of stoma include poor siting, parastomal hernia (PH), prolapse, retraction, ischemia/necrosis, peristomal dermatologic problems, mucocutaneous separation, and pyoderma gangrenosum. Each will be discussed separately in further detail.
Common early complications include leakage and skin irritations, high output resulting in fluid and electrolyte imbalances, or stoma necrosis; late complications include parastomal hernia, stoma prolapse, and stoma stenosis [7].
Stool and gas will leave your body through your anus, as they did before surgery. At first, you will have more frequent bowel movements, up to 15 per day. You may have mild bowel control problems and may need to wake up from sleep to pass stool.
You can swim or be in the water while wearing your pouching system. Remember, your pouching system is water-resistant and is designed not to leak with the proper seal. Water will not harm or enter your stoma. Prior to swimming, make sure your seal is secure.
Goal ostomy output is less than 1,500 milliliters, or 1.5 liters in a 24-hour period.