Ileostomy

There are many reasons a person may need an ileostomy. This procedure is like a colostomy. The ileostomy procedure can be temporary or permanent, creating an opening in the abdomen called a stoma depending on the severity of internal damage based on an accident or disease. A stoma is a pathway from the opening in the stomach to the lower part of the small intestine called the ileum. This helps solid stools pass as well as gas without going through the colon or rectum. The waste is collected and stored in a pouch worn on the outside of the body over the stoma. 

One reason for needing an ileostomy would be because there is a blockage in the large intestine or has been severely damaged. A kind of example of an injury that will require an ileostomy procedure would be if you were to get hit in the stomach by something challenging and very fast like a boulder, as unlikely as it would be. This will without a doubt require an ileostomy as your internal organs would be a wreck. A kind of blockage would be if someone ate something really bad for them and they could not properly digest it, a blockage would form, leading to the need for this procedure.

Another common reason for needing this procedure is if a large part of the large intestine was removed during surgery. This is not uncommon as many people can have digestive issues leading to worse outcomes than just a minor blockage in the intestines, as mentioned before. If this were the case, then that person would see a doctor about their digestive problems. After an evaluation, the doctor would determine if the digestive system problem is severe enough to require a large intestine removal. This removal of the large intestine would also lead to the need for an ileostomy procedure as you are now missing a big part of your large intestine.

A ruptured colon is also another reason for needing an ileostomy procedure. Believe it or not, a ruptured colon happened many years ago during the medieval times. A poor man was invited to dine with the king of his region. The poor man accepted the king’s request for dinner. When he got there, he used the bathroom before seeing the king as it was inappropriate to leave for the bathroom during dinner with a king back then. After dinner was finished, the food was digested and needed to come out. The poor man knew he could not get up as it would possibly lead to death. After a while, the pain set in. Shortly after that, his colon ruptured, and he passes a few weeks later. If ileostomy was around back, then that man could have lived a long and prosperous life, maybe even become something to the king. 

An ileostomy procedure is a life-saving procedure and a life-changing procedure all in one. The need for this procedure can vary in reasons, but in the end, the person is living a better life and not in pain. I know I personally would not want to experience the pain of a ruptured colon or a big hit to my stomach. Ileostomy procedures are a lot like colostomy procedures, and the end result is relatively the same accept the internal connection and location of the stoma and bag.