An ileostomy is a surgical procedure designed to allow for effective management of bodily waste to help treat digestive conditions such as colon cancer, Crohn's disease and colitis. As with any surgery, complications can arise. While some weight loss is to be expected, most individuals are back on their proverbial feet in no time.
Ilestomy
According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of American, Ilestomy surgery consists of a procedure to attach the final portion of the small intestine to a hole created in the abdominal wall. This procedure circumvents the role of the large intestine and rectum in the digestive process, allowing waste to escape into a bag worn outside of the body.
Ilestomy Complications
According to IleostomyReversal.com, a site dedicated to helping individuals cope with life post-Ileostomy, weight loss is not a common complication of the procedure itself. The most likely complications include blockage of the Ileostomy, leaking of the pouch, skin irritation at the site of the hole and odor.
Weight Loss
According to the American Cancer Foundation, while not an expected complication of the procedure itself, voluntary or involuntary weight loss following an Ileostomy can raise issues of its own. Where your abdominal shape changes due to weight loss, the pouch system must also be changed.
Solution
The easiest solution to this problem, allowing you to avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor, is to simply reach a healthy weight prior to your surgery and maintain it as long as possible through consumption of a healthy and well-rounded diet. This will not only avoid the need to refit your Ileostomy system, but it will also insulate you against a variety of other diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
Considerations
Where an Ileostomy is performed while the patient is still growing, the option of merely maintaining weight is no longer a feasible option. In these cases, the only alternative is to come to grips with the fact that changes in body shape and size might result in the necessity of changing the components of your Ileostomy. Look for signs that you are outgrowing your old system so that you can schedule preemptive appointments with your physician before issues manifest.
