What pain can be expected after the operation?
After the operation, the pain is treated with painkillers. Individually, however, people respond differently to pain medication. The pain and impairment after the operation naturally depends on the size of the operation and the individual constitution. The bowel may be irritated after an operation, leading to abdominal pain and discomfort. In the first weeks after the operation it is important to listen to the dietary instructions of the doctors to support the recovery of the intestine.
How much can be removed from the colon?
Only small, but also large parts of the colon can be removed. Since the body is able to live completely without the colon, it is also possible to remove the entire colon. A complete removal of the large intestine is of course a major procedure and is usually performed in two operations.
However, it is only indicated in a few cases, such as ulcerative colitis (a chronic inflammatory bowel disease) or familial adenomatous polyposis (a hereditary disease with many polyps in the bowel). However, if large parts of the colon have been removed, the stool is not thickened as much and a lot of water may be lost through the stool. If necessary, eating habits may have to be adjusted after the procedure.
The artificial bowel outlet
The artificial outlet of the intestine is called anus praeter or stoma in Latin, which in Greek means opening. The rectum can also be affected by diseases such as colon cancer or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, especially ulcerative colitis. If it has to be removed, the corresponding sphincter muscle is also removed.
Without this, however, a controlled bowel movement does not function. If it is not possible to build up a new rectum from remaining sections of the intestine, an artificial bowel outlet is created.A part of the intestine is connected to the abdominal wall and the open tube is covered from the outside with a bag. This bag is odour-tight and catches the intestinal contents.
It is also possible to close the opening with a flap. In this case, a colonic irrigation is performed once a day to empty the bowel. After some time most people get used to the situation and learn to live with it without any problems.
Not in all cases an artificial bowel outlet has to be final. In an emergency like a bowel rupture or if only part of the rectum is diseased and therefore a suture has to be made on the sphincter, an artificial outlet is often created for about six weeks. This allows the suture to heal in peace and is not irritated by the bowel movement. In a second small operation, the normal outlet is then reconnected to the rest of the intestine.
