There comes a time when a percentage of colitis sufferers reach the point when they are faced with the prospect of surgery to remove the large intestine. Whatever the varying reasons for this, the prospect of having a major organ taken out of the body is both alarming and anxiety ridden for the patient.



Often, colitis surgery is undertaken due to the symptoms having reached an uncontrolled state. The patient will by then have been admitted to hospital and will be administered high dosages of powerful steroids which will not have the desired effect of bringing under control the diarrhoea and blood being passed.

The operation that will be performed is complex and will last approximately four to five hours. The patient will require the formation of an ileostomy which shall be used as the end point of the bowel to evacuate waste. The end of the ileostomy is in fact the end of the small bowel which is brought through a hole formed on the abdominal wall. It pokes out by approximately two to four centimetres and a bag is attached to the surrounding skin to catch and store the body's waste.

After the surgery is completed, the patient will feel sore from both the large surgical wound and internally. As the small bowel will have been handled and inspected it will feel quite raw though the bonus is that it will not be in an operative state. As a result of undergoing major surgery, the small intestine enters a period of abeyance which can last for a few days before it reawakens and begins to function again.

The ilesotomy will remain for a period of time to let the body heal before further surgery is undertaken. The length of this period will be determined having regard to the health of the patient when they were first admitted to hospital. Some patients, often older, prefer to keep the ileostomy but this is not the only option available. Many decide to have further operations to form what is known as a j pouch which is an internal area formed from the small intestine and used to store the waste until evacuation and does away with the need for an ilesotomy.

Colitis surgery can take the form of one or several operations including the formation of an illeostomy which can either be temporary or permanent. This is a time of major anxiety not just about the surgical procedure itself but also how to cope in the days after and in the long term. Questions such as what does it feel like not to have a large colon, how is the diet affected, how is daily life affected by wearing a bag are commonly asked. By finding practical answers to problems, the patient will be able to ensure that their immediate post surgery period and living with an ileostomy or j pouch is made much easier and the anxieties that are present can be addressed.