Is post-colostomy or illeostomy care and management a concern?
Then let the trained medical professionals at Universal Home Care give you a hand. We understand the processes that are going on in patients that have had these procedures performed and know how to properly care for the sites after the operation.
Both a colostomy and an illeostomy involve bringing part of the intestine to the surface in order to externally remove waste from the body. A colostomy involves bringing the end of the large intestine or the colon to the surface of the body, while an illeostomy deals with the small intestine.
In both cases, there is a point where the organ is connected to an external drainage system in order to remove the waste material from the patient's body. These systems need to be emptied or drained up to several times a day depending on the patient's diet and other health conditions that may affect the digestive process.
There is some stigma attached to the use of ostomy bags. People fear the smell or perceived un-cleanliness of the application. However, the truth is that a trained professional can quickly, cleanly and safely maintain such sites.
This type of care can be very important in a number of situations. For instance, when a patient is recovering from surgery they may undergo a temporary colostomy. This may be done in order to give the operated upon part of the body a chance to heal without passing digested food through it for a time. In other cases, disease or a procedure could require that the site be a permanent solution. Long term home care can be a comfort in such a situation, where a trained professional can keep an eye on the site to detect if everything is working properly and without complications.
