“What pop in of surgery have you had on your left side?”
“If you don’t have acolonanymore, how do you poop?”
Let’s get down to some more specifics on the differences between these two types of surgeries.
Анатолий Тушенцов / Getty Images
Colostomy Surgery:In colostomy surgery, part of the colon is removed, and a stoma is created.
Only a small part of the intestine is actually outside the body.
The stoma doesn’t have any nerve endings, so it doesn’t feel painful.
The stool is emptied into the toilet when it’s necessary.
The output is typically a little more watery than the output from a colostomy.
People who have undergone ostomy surgery live full lives.
This delay between the surgeries gives the internal pouch made from the small intestine time to heal.
This surgery is usually only done for IBD patients with ulcerative colitis, but there are some exceptions.
American Cancer Society.What Is an Ileostomy?Revised October 16, 2019.
United Ostomy Associations of America.What is an Ostomy?
United Ostomy Associations of America.Ostomy Surgery Is a Life-Saving Procedure.
CROHN’S & COLITIS FOUNDATION.J-Pouch Surgery.
“Ileal Pouches.”
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
“Ostomy Surgery of the Bowel.”
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
