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Do you have to have a colostomy bag for all uc surgerys?

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Posted 7/24/2012 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
I am not planning on having surgery but I talked to my GI about it and i was just wondering if there are any surgerys out there that you dont have to have a bag! Thanks!
Posted 7/24/2012 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
I read you can have a jpouch created in one operation bypassing having a bag, but it's ultra rare. My surgeon told me it's possible but he doesn't do it.
Posted 7/25/2012 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
With J pouch surgery the bag is only temporary. As Somedude mentioned, the surgery can be and has been done in all one step therefor not needing to have the ileostomy. Not a lot of surgeons do a one step procedure. It's best to have it done in two or three steps to ensure proper healing. If it's done in two steps then the ileo is in place for about 6 to 8 weeks and more like 6 months or longer if having the 3 step procedure.
Posted 7/25/2012 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks very much! Is it a problem when trying to play sports?.. Basketball, football, etc..
Posted 7/25/2012 1:59 AM (GMT 0)
No, you can do whatever you like with a j pouch or an ostomy bag. No limitations!
Posted 7/25/2012 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
Sweet! No danger of it busting or something?
Posted 7/25/2012 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
You can do anything with an ostomy pouch. Mine is permanent and I snowboard, backpack, bike, swim, run, do yoga and aerobics, and rock climb with mine no problem.
Posted 7/25/2012 6:20 AM (GMT 0)
You can also get a partial colectomy were they remove only the uc part of your colon. The hard part is finding a doctor that will do it.
Posted 7/25/2012 10:39 AM (GMT 0)

Shan2012 said...
You can also get a partial colectomy were they remove only the uc part of your colon. The hard part is finding a doctor that will do it.

They do not perform partial colon removal for UC because it will just come back in the remaining colon. If a surgeon says they would do that, you should run far away from them. It's done for other circumstances but not for UC.
Posted 7/25/2012 11:23 AM (GMT 0)
I agree Shan2012, run far away if they say they'll only remove part of your colon. It's just not practical for UC.
Posted 7/25/2012 1:19 PM (GMT 0)
Exactly! Partial surgery for UC will only guarantee future surgery! Run from any surgeon who recommends this. BTW, if you are looking at jpouch surgery find a very capable CR surgeon with lots of experience. This type of surgeon might not be at your local hospital.

Sue
Posted 7/25/2012 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
Probably wouldn't want to play a sport that would involve getting hit, tackled, or kicked in the gut if you get a bag.
Posted 7/26/2012 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
first, please don't let the fact that you have to have a bag for a while keep you from having surgery. I CHOSE a bag and it's awesome!

Also, you can play a sport where you get hit in the stomach, just pad your bag with an extra shirt or something. It's not gonna bust unless it's all the way full when you get hit in the stomach. The only concern is after a stomach surgery of any kind the area is a little more tender, you would need to wait a few months for sure. I don't do any sports like that, but i have a 7 year old who tackles me plenty! And I spend a lot of time at his school where the kids seem to think its a great idea to give me hugs by grabbing me as hard as possible and they are just about waist high! So i get lots of stuff going on there, lol.

And i agree with the partial statements, do not allow someone to do that to you!
Posted 7/26/2012 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for the comments!
Posted 7/26/2012 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
People play football with ostomies too. Including professionally. Check out the story of Rolf Benirschke.

http://www.greatcomebacks.com/StoryDetail.aspx?item_id=89
Posted 7/26/2012 12:27 PM (GMT 0)
If I ever resort to surgery it will be to try a jpouch, i.e. Temporary bag only, but I do notice that most jpouchers (maybe again a function of forums being populated mostly by those who have trouble) seem to have a rough time with their time on a bag- is this mostly because of lack of experience with the mechanics of attaching/cleaning the appliance when changing it? I also recall reading a veteran post on the jpouch forum that some people are unlucky enough to end up allergic (rashes) to all the adbesives out there for attacing the bag- that prospect I find terrifying, because if one is unlucky enough to not get good jpouch function one would only have the choice of misery even if one reversed to a permanent ostomy bag... But I dont mean to sound negative; I just wonder why so many of the stories I hear of temporary bags sound so awful (I have a friend andone relative who had temporary bags due to non UC surgeries).

Post Edited (Probiotic) : 7/26/2012 6:33:10 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/26/2012 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
I'm pretty sure the temporary ostomy is harder to manage, in terms of getting a good seal and all that stuff, than a permanent ostomy, due to how it's made or something. I might be wrong about that, though.
Posted 7/26/2012 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
Very true Fruitgirl. Temporary ostomies are difficult to manage but they are TEMPORARY. I had lots of skin issues with mine, but I only had it for 8 weeks so I would say in the grand scheme of things, it was manageable.

Sue
Posted 7/26/2012 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
Suebear,

Can you explain the difference between a temporary bag or a permanent in terms of management?! What's the difference. A bag stuck to your stomach is the same in both cases?
Posted 7/26/2012 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
The stomas are made differently for a permanent ileo than for a temporary one. And it does take some time for the stoma to quit changing size, usually 6 to 8 weeks, which is about how long between surgeries. Plus, its a learning curve it can take a few weeks to find something that works for you and figure out the right way to do it. Also there are some diet restrictions right at first and people often get dehydrated before they get the hang of things. I think its more that people who have the temp ones don't have enough time to get used to it and get things together, and also that the know its temporary and don't "accept" it the way those of us we permanent ones do. Someone posted a link to an article about that a long time ago.
Posted 7/26/2012 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
My surgeon said it was difficult for him to predict how much each loop ileo will protrude after the first j-pouch surgery. He has done thousands of ostomy and j-pouch surgeries. I ended up with an ileo that did not protrude very much so it was hard to keep the body waste from eating away at the wafer seals. It was a matter of physical fact not inexperience. I had a temp ileo for a year before the loop ileo. It was easy to take care of the temp ileo.
I am allergic to a lot of adhesives but found a company that made an adhesive from pectin which does not bother me.
I would not have a problem going back to a temp. Ileo or to a permanent ostomy. Ostomy life was not that bad just very expensive because my insurance company did not pay for supplies. Supplies ranged between $150 and $250 per month.
My biggest expense with a j-pouch is the cost of Immodium with every meal.
Posted 7/26/2012 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
Picture a garden hose, cut it half way through and bend it. This is what a temp ostomy is like, half of the intestine will protrude through the belly, the other half will continue downward to the new jpouch. Because the 'cut' intestine, does not sit flush on the belly, there is leakage. Not much, but enough to burn the skin and be uncomfortable. I hope this helps to describe a temporary ostomy.

Sue
Posted 7/26/2012 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
The temporary loop ileostomy is a bear to deal with. I absolutley hated mine. Its pretty much a very short, direct route from your stomach out into the bag. But, it was only for 8 weeks. So looking at the whole picture, 8 weeks is nothing. I said it before and I'll say it again....I'd do it all over again in a second!
Posted 7/27/2012 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys this is some really good advice!.. And thanks blueheron that was awesome!
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