Sep
12
Colostomy
September 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Your doctor may recommend that you take a colostomy for your [tag-tec]colon cancer [/tag-tec]. A colostomy is an invasive surgical procedure, which involves removing the cancerous portion of the colon and also a portion of or even the whole rectum. With a shortened colon, the remaining colon is connected to a small opening in the abdomen to provide the opening to the surface outside. The end is folded back into the skin, like a turtleneck, and fixed firmly in place by a few stitches. The opening thus formed for the colon is called the stoma.
There are two types of colostomy for [tag-dtec]colon cancer[/tag-dtec]: temporary or permanent colostomy. Usually when the cancer is located near the rectum (towards the outer end of the colon), the doctors may consider that it warrants a permanent colostomy in order to ensure that all cancerous tissues are removed.
In less severe cases, a temporary colostomy for colon cancer may be constructed. The rectum and anus remain in the body but they are bypassed by a separate opening to the surface. This alternative might be taken in instances where an area of the colon needs to heal after colon cancer removal. Your doctor does not want it disturbed by stool or other traffic through the colon. When the affected area has healed, the colostomy is reversed, and stool movement follows normal channels again. This temporary colostomy can be made to last several years.
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Sep
10
Diet
September 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Mostly, normal foods would contain molecules that will be too complex to be usable by the body. They need to be broken down thoroughly, by chewing in the mouth or by the acids in the stomach, and transformed into simpler substances. The simpler nutrients then pass into the small and large intestines where they are absorbed into the body. When the eaten material reaches the colon, nothing much remains to be absorbed except water and minor minerals; by the time it reaches the lower portion it is pure waste ready to be stored and disposed of at the
proper time.
Your body will easily adjust after your digestive tract is shortened by a colostomy for [tag-tec] colon cancer[/tag-tec]. With colostomy, you lose essentially the storage and valve-release portion. The remaining intestine and the kidneys will handle the functions of absorbing the water and mineral salts.
The stoma that is constructed in a colostomy for [tag-ice]colon cancer[/tag-ice] will look essentially like the anus, red-pink in color and lined with smooth mucous membranes. It will stretch or contract when material moves through it but it does not have muscles to control that movement. This is the reason people with colostomies often have a bag attached to the body and covering the stoma; the bag serves as storage until it can be disposed.
The risks of colon cancer can be considerably reduced if you eat foods with plenty of fibre. It also helps to have a lifestyle that does not produce too many toxins that stay stored in your colon. Regular [tag-tec] colon cleansing [/tag-tec] can also help you reduce the risks of developing colon cancer.
