Ileostomy Surgery - Abdomen's Small Bowel Opening

Before my surgery, my doctor discussed with me all their plans and all the possible procedures they have to do for my case. One of those procedure is Ileostomy. Although my surgeon told me that there is a small chance that Ileostomy will be done on my case, I still need to learn about it so I will be prepared. They gave a small brochure about Ileostomy.

During the ileostomy, the end or a portion of the bowel (ileum) is brought through an opening on the surface of the abdomen called the STOMA. The stoma will stick out from the abdomen about 1 to 1 1/2 inches where the stool will pass from the body.

A color of a healthy stoma is red or pink and moist. There are no nerve ending in the stoma, so it shouldn't hurt when touched. It is normal for the stoma to be large and swollen after surgery, and it will shirk to a smaller size within a few months. The stoma will move slightly as a normal process that pushes the stool through the small intestine. If the stool is bloody, doctor must be contacted. Since the ileostomy has no sphincter muscles, bowel movement have no control that's why a pouch is neede to wear to collect stool.

I was glad that I didn't have to undergo an Ileostomy and I am very thankful to God about it.