A few days after ostomy surgery, Marjorie Wassermann realized that living with a plastic bag attached to her abdomen is not something she could live with for the rest of her life. According to her, waking up in the morning to find that the ostomy bag hasn’t been doing its job overnight was quite frustrating.
She was diagnosed with a large tumor in the lower part of her rectum. After undergoing sphincter-sparing surgery, she had to get an ostomy to control stool evacuations until the recovery of her bowel. The type of surgery she had allowed her to retain strength in anal sphincters, meaning that she could squeeze and hold stools.
The purpose of an ostomy is to allow bodily wastes to leave the body without passing out of the anus. This bowel diversion results in an opening in the abdomen that connects the bowel to the outside of the body, bypassing the diseased part of the GI tract. The patient then has to wear an ostomy body over the stoma – the opening on the abdomen – to manage waste evacuations.
Patients with colorectal cancer may have to live with a colostomy after surgery to remove cancer. A colostomy refers to a bowel diversion that connects a part of the large intestine to the outside of the body through a cut in the belly. An ileostomy, on the other hand, is an intestinal ostomy that brings a part of the small intestine out through a cut in the belly.
Although doctors try their best to preserve the intestines during colorectal cancer surgery, an ostomy may just be inevitable. Sometimes, a patient may need to go for a permanent ostomy. People living with an ostomy may have to face challenges such as odor control, body image, depression, and sexual ability. In recent years, however, the use of neoadjuvant radiation and chemo has allowed surgeons and doctors to make sure that anal sphincters are not damaged during the surgical procedure.
Standard treatment
According to an estimate, about 135,000 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2016. About 50,000 people died from this condition. The probability of the success of colorectal cancer treatment depends on how early the condition is diagnosed. Chances of survival are more than 90% if the disease is diagnosed during its first stage. Chances of success decrease to 71% when cancer spread to lymph nodes. The diagnosis and subsequent treatment during the fourth stage have only 13% chances of success.
The most common treatment for colorectal cancer is surgical resection. This treatment involves the removal of the tumor along with some healthy tissues and surrounding lymph nodes.
A study published in 2004 suggested that people undergoing surgery to treat rectal cancer did well when they were given a mix of radiation and chemo. This treatment also lowered the long-term risk of cancer recurring.
Sphincter-sparing surgery is a part of colorectal cancer treatment to allow patients to live without having to use an ostomy bag. However, it is crucial to discuss your situation with your doctor to determine whether or not you are the right candidate for this procedure.
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