Urostomy: A Common Surgery
Urostomy is a commonly performed surgery. A surgeon will make a permanent opening in a stoma. The stoma is the path from a bladder to to the outside of the abdomen. This is done to help the urine to leave the body and avoid passing through the bladder. The urine will be collected in a pouch. It is worn outside of the body after the surgery. The pouch will need to be manually emptied.
About the Bladder
The bladder is an organ. It is a balloon-shaped organ and it is located in the lower abdomen. Urine is filtered through the kidneys. This is done through tubes. The tubes are ureters (a duct) to the bladder. When someone urinates, the bladder muscles will push the urine out of the body. This will be pushed through a tube called the urethra.
Reasons for Urostomy
A person who is diagnosed with bladder cancer may need to have their bladder removed or part of it removed. It would be part of their medical treatment. It is not uncommon for women, being treated for cervical or uterine cancer, to need urostomy surgery. Serious bladder issues may be caused by various birth defects, surgeries and other injuries may need urostomy. This is a permanent surgery and it cannot be reversed.
Urostomy: Two Types
There are two different types of urostomy procedures:
* Standard and conventional urostomy; with this procedure, the surgeon will remove a piece of the small intestine. It will then be used to connect the ureters and the outside of the abdomen. This will allow the urine to flow through the path. This is called an ileal conduit. The urine will flow through the stoma and it will all be collected by the external pouch
* Continent urostomy; this is the same as the standard urostomy procedure. The difference is that the surgeon will create a pouch to hold urine. The pouch will have valves on each end. This is to keep the urine from flowing back into the kidneys. It will prevent any leaking into the stoma in order to drain the urine. There are different continent urostomies (the connection). It is part of the bowel that the pouch is made from
The Surgery: What to Expect
Any person who is scheduled to have this surgery, can expect to have anesthesia prior to the start of the procedure. This will put a person completely out and will not feel any part of the procedure. The surgeon, once the person is under, will use a sterile surgery knife to make a small incision or cut. This is done in the lower abdomen. The surgeon will remove six or eight inches of the small intestine. It will be taken from the bottom of it. The small piece of the intestine will be used to connect the ureter tubes. It will be visible and attached outside of the abdomen. The surgery will last from three to five hours. A person will need much sleep after the surgery because the anesthesia will make them feel groggy for a period of time after the surgery.
Surgery: Possible Risks
Every type of surgery poses some risks to health. When a person is scheduled for urostomy, they will be informed about the possible risks that are involved with this procedure:
* an infection could result
* there could be issues or reactions with the anesthesia
* some bleeding or clots
* intestinal blockage may occur due to scar tissue
Surgery: Recovery Time
It is common for people to remain in the hospital for one week after the urostomy is completed. It is common to be fed through a tube in the vein. This is intravenously and will provide needed nutrients and any needed medications to the body.
After Recovery: Urostomy Medical Care
After the surgery, the urostomy bag will be attached and it will need to be emptied throughout the day. It should be emptied whenever the bag is half full. It is common to empty it every two to three hours. There are two different types of bags:
* one-piece pouch; they attach directly on or to the skin barrier
* two-piece pouches; these include a skin barrier and can be detached from the body
Most pouches will need to be drained through the opening at the bottom. The actual draining of it will be dependent on the actual type of catheter. There may be some bleeding around the skin for a short period of time afterward. The pouch will need to be placed on the body correctly and should be checked periodically to ensure that it is in the correct position. Bacteria can get into various areas. Urinary tract infections can occur. Hands must be washed before and after the pouch is emptied.
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