An ileostomy is a way to divert the flow of stool and remove waste from the body when you cannot have a bowel movement in the typical manner. An ileostomy is a type of ostomy made from a portion of your ileum (the last part of the small intestine). Creation of an ileostomy involves bringing a portion of the small bowel through the abdominal wall so that waste can be evacuated from the body. The waste goes into a pouch once it leaves the body and is then emptied as needed. These can be created either laparoscopically or during an open surgery. Ileostomies can be permanent or temporary.
The content that drains into your external pouch from an ileostomy can be very liquid or watery. This is because it comes from the small intestine, which receives nine to ten liters of fluid from various sources every day. When you have an ileostomy, your colon cannot help reabsorb this fluid, so it becomes waste. Therefore, you can easily become dehydrated if you don’t monitor your daily fluid levels and quickly seek assistance for any discrepancies. Our surgical staff and ostomy nurses will provide education on this as you recover in the hospital after your ileostomy surgery.
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