Hernia After Ileostomy
People who undergo abdominal surgery are more at risk of developing abdominal hernias, including those who have a permanent or temporary ileostomy.
What is a hernia?
A hernia is when internal body parts (such as organs) push through a weakness in the muscle or tissue wall. The hernia will often result in a noticeable lump that can be felt on the surface of the skin. However, this is not always the case as hernias can occur throughout the body. Some cannot be felt externally because the bulge is deep within body – for example, in the diaphragm.
Anyone can get a hernia, although people who have undergone complex abdominal surgery will be more at risk. This includes people who have been fitted with an ileostomy.
What is an ileostomy?
An ileostomy is when the small intestine is diverted through a hole on the surface of the abdomen. A bag is placed over the hole to collect waste products. The hole is called a stoma, and the bag is called a stoma bag. An ileostomy is similar to a colostomy, whereby the large intestine is diverted through a stoma.
Hernia after ileostomy
Because an ileostomy will weaken the abdomen, the patient will be at risk of developing abdominal wall hernias.
Some patients may be advised not to have a surgical hernia repair because there is an unacceptably high risk of complications. If so, the patient will need to control their hernia symptoms by means of support corsets.
Nevertheless, the patient is still vulnerable to suffering complications from the hernia, such as strangulation. This requires emergency surgery and can carry considerable risk.
Living with a hernia
If a patient is advised against hernia surgery, he/she will have to live with their symptoms. A hernia can cause significant problems and can substantially restrict the individual's life.
It may be impossible to lift any heavy objects, limiting the patient's ability to perform domestic tasks or participate in sporting activities. There will be difficulty with any task that involves using the abdominal wall muscles, including getting out of bed, getting up out of a chair or getting out the bath.
There may also be a greater chance of the patient suffering intra-abdominal adhesions. This would manifest as episodes of small bowel obstruction. The patient would develop colicky central abdominal pain, vomiting and a lack of bowel function. He/she would require admission to hospital and treatment conservatively by means of intravenous fluids and nasogastric suction.
The majority of adhesion-related episodes of obstruction will settle with conservative treatment, although around 10% to 15% require surgical treatment.
Compensation for your injuries
If you have been left with a permanent hernia because of substandard medical care, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact us today for more information.
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