An ostomy created on the large intestine is known as a colostomy. It is usually present on the left-hand side of the navel. It results in the evacuation of the feces that are more firm and formed.

After surgery, your stoma will be swollen, but the swelling will subside over time. It generally takes six to eight weeks for the swelling to vanish and the bowel to recover from the impact of surgery.

The color of the stoma is red due to the mucous membrane it has. This mucous membrane is similar to that of inside the mouth. Because it doesn’t have any nerve ending, you won’t feel any sensation in your stoma. Cleaning the stoma may result in a bit of bleeding, but it doesn’t continue for an extended duration.

Stomas can be of different types. Some stomas remain flat against the belly, while some are a little protruded.

During colostomy surgery, the surgeon brings a part of the large intestine to the abdominal wall and pulls it out through an incision in the belly. The end of the large intestine sticks out on the abdominal skin, forming a stoma. The stoma doesn’t have any sphincter muscles, meaning that you will not have any control when to evacuate stool. You will need to wear an ostomy bag over the stoma to manage your stool evacuations.

Colostomies are of two types: end colostomy and loop colostomy.

End colostomy

You will get an end colostomy if your surgeon removes a part of your large intestine. He will bring the part of the colon out through the abdominal wall to form a stoma. This colostomy can be permanent or temporary. A temporary colostomy is when the separated part of the colon remains inside the abdomen and heals. The surgeon reconnects both parts after that. A permanent colostomy, on the other hand, is when the separated part of the colon is removed from the abdomen entirely, and the patient has to live with the stoma for the rest of life.

Loop colostomy

A loop colostomy is when the surgeon pulls a segment of the bowel out through the abdomen. He then makes an incision on the top of the lifted bowel to form a stoma. A loop colostomy has technically two stomas. This colostomy is generally temporary, as the surgeon will suture the incised portion of the bowel to close the stoma, and put the bowel back into its natural arrangement when the diseased part of the bowel recovers.

Managing a colostomy

The colostomy management has almost everything to do with the ostomy supplies you are using. Firstly, you have to make sure that you are using the right ostomy pouch for your colostomy. Depending on the consistency of your stool, you can use a one-piece or two-piece colostomy bag. Other factors to consider may include the type of your skin, your activity level, and your preferences. If your skin is vulnerable to complications, you may want to use other products that prevent those complications.

You may want to talk to your doctor or ostomy care nurse to get suggestions about the products that you can use to manage your colostomy.