About

Crohn’s disease refers to a condition characterized by inflammation of the GI tract. This condition can be quite painful. One of the ways to treat this condition is ileostomy surgery, which disconnects the healthy part of the bowel from the diseased section.

The area that Crohn’s disease affects is the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. It can cause a variety of symptoms, such as diarrhea, persistent vomiting, rectal bleeding, sudden weight loss, abdominal pain, and low energy.

Crohn’s disease is not only painful, but it can be quite damaging to the colon. That is why your doctor may recommend a permanent or temporary ileostomy to fix this issue.

What is an ileostomy?

A form of the ostomy to bring the end of the small intestine through a small cut in the belly to create a stoma is known as ileostomy surgery. The stoma becomes the point that the intestinal diversion uses to expel bodily wastes.

There can be three different types of ileostomies.

• Traditional ostomy: A traditional or Brooke ileostomy is the one that uses a stoma in the abdomen to evacuate bodily wastes. With this ileostomy, you are going to have to use an ostomy bag to manage your stool evacuations.
• BCIR: A Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir, or BCIR, procedure refers to the creation of an internal reservoir that collects bodily wastes. This reservoir is connected to an opening in the abdomen through a valve. This reservoir allows you to prevent the stool from leaking out of the opening. You can manually remove wastes by using a catheter.
• J-Pouch surgery: A J-pouch is also an internal pouch that connects to the anus, bypassing the colon and rectum. Before connecting to the anus, the surgeon folds the end of the small intestine into itself to create a reservoir. The best thing about this reservoir is that it gives you control over bowel movements.

An ileostomy to treat Crohn’s disease

The intestinal damage necessitates 50% of Crohn’s disease patients to undergo resection surgery. During surgery, the surgeon removes the diseased sections and connects two healthy ends.

A temporary ileostomy allows the patient to wait for the diseased part of the bowel to recover fully. After recovery, the surgeon will reconnect the now-healed section with the healthy segment of the tract. This ileostomy requires the patient to manage stool evacuations with the help of an ostomy bag. In some cases, the colon becomes too diseased to recover. The surgeon will opt for a permanent ileostomy in such cases.

Another way an ileostomy can save your life is that it alleviates the risk of colon cancer. Leaving the Crohn’s disease untreated can put a patient at the risk of developing cancer in the diseased section of the bowel. A timely removal or resting of the diseased section eliminates the cancer risk.

After ileostomy surgery, you are going to have to manage your stool evacuations for your life, or at least until your bowel recovers, and the surgeon opts to reconnect it with the healthy part of the bowel. You can discuss it in detail with an ostomy care nurse or doctor.