Ileostomy Recovery: What To Expect

An ileostomy helps you regain your health and strength, and it is your right such expectations. Your body might not be in an ideal condition after surgery, and it will remain like this until you recover from surgery. Fortunately, the recovery phase lasts no more than just a few weeks. After that, you will be able to live your life pretty much the way you like. You will have to adapt to an ostomy care regimen, but it will not be bothersome once you get used to it.

The good news is that you will no longer have to deal with the life-threatening condition that led you to the surgery room, which means that your quality of life maybe even more improved as compared to before surgery.

An ileostomy refers to a bowel diversion to allow bodily wastes to pass out of an opening (stoma) in the abdomen, bypassing the entire colon. The surgeon will create this diversion as a part of the treatment of a severe bowel illness. He will pull the end of the small intestine out through an incision in the belly. The colon will be either removed or rested.

After surgery, you are going to have to manage your stool evacuations using ostomy bags. Because there are no sphincters in the abdominal opening (stoma), you will have no control over when to pass out the stool. It will necessitate you to wear an ostomy bag the entire time. Alternatively, you can have a continent pouch, which is generally a j-pouch in case of an ileostomy. It allows you to pass out stools through the anus.

Recovering from ileostomy surgery

The pace of recovery varies from person to person, but healthcare specialists recommend a hospital stay of 3-7 days. During this stay, you will have a diet consisting mostly of liquids. You can introduce solid foods in your diet as you recover.

During the entire recovery period, which may last 6-8 weeks, you will need to avoid foods that are high in fiber. Eating high-fiber foods in this duration can lead to obstruction, which can be quite painful. Moreover, you will need to drink a lot of water, because the surgical process to create an ileostomy involves the removal or bypassing of the colon, which is much like a re-hydrator for the body. With this water tank gone, you will need to have more fluids to keep your body well-hydrated.

Your stoma care nurse is your first point of contact when it comes to understanding anything about ileostomy care. During the hospital stay, your nurse will teach you the basics of ostomy care, which would involve applying, emptying, and changing an ostomy pouch. They will also tell you how to take care of your peristomal skin, which holds vital importance in an ideal ostomy care routine. If you have an internal or continent pouch, your nurse will teach you how to manage your bowel movements. Learning how to manage your continent pouch is crucial because you are going to have frequent bowel movements during the first few days after surgery.

After your bowel recovers fully, you can live a life without any restrictions and limitations. There will be a few things to consider related to your digestion, and you will have to manage an ostomy bag the entire time, but these factors will not stop you from living a healthy and active life.