What Is a Stoma Reversal?

A Stoma is a way to connect part of your colon or small bowel to make either a colostomy or an ileostomy. In other words, it allows you to vacate bowel movements or urine into a bag rather than through the usual method. It's actually possible to make either permanent or temporary versions of stomas.

The temporary ones can actually be reversed if your normal bowel can heal and go back to normal. This way, by reversing a Stoma in situations where it's possible, you can go back to vacating bowel movements and urinating in the usual way. 

Surgery

The surgery required for reversing a stoma is mostly a reversal of what was done the first time. Essentially, the surgeon needs to take the bit of bowel that comprises your stoma, and then reconnecting it to the place where it came from originally, which is either the color or the small bowel depending on the type of surgery that was performed. 

Your surgeon will only tell you that a reversal is an option if they are confident that it will mean that you'll go back to regular bowel control once the surgery is completed. In many cases, they may have to test this before it's officially scheduled.

These tests could include checking to make sure there are no leaks, checking to make sure your bowel has healed from a camera put down there, examinations to make sure the muscles you need to vacate are still working, and even a CT scan to make sure that there are no potential diseases that could lead to complications during the reversal.

How Do You Know Surgery Is Possible?

A lot of factors go into whether a reversal is possible, but a big one is a time. It should be performed within 3 months and a year of surgery. It's important for the surgeon to make sure your muscles are strong enough and that the site is in good enough order to get through the surgery smoothly. 

The surgery is usually easier to get through than the original one, but it depends on complications. If the surgery goes smoothly, it should only take an hour or two.

Recovering

A full day after surgery, the recommendation is to drink nothing but liquids. After a day or two, you can go to soft foods. Doctors usually advise you to be active at this point to encourage your bowel to begin functioning normally again. You should be at the hospital no more than around 5 days. You shouldn't drive until you can do stops reliably, and you shouldn't lift anything heavy for around 2 months.

You may not fully recover bowel use for a few months afterward.

Drinking enough liquid is important for recovery. Anything with too much fiber should be avoided, as well as caffeine, soda, and more. Peppermint tea can help with discomfort. Additionally, you should make sure you clean up every time you have a less than solid movement.

There are potential side effects from surgery, so it's important to regularly check in with your doctor after the surgery for reversal is done. This could include the bowel temporarily failing to work, dangerous leaks into your abdomen, infections, clots, urinary tract infection specifically, obstructions to the bowel, and more. You will want to report any abnormalities right away.