20 new cases of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis are diagnosed every day in France. These two chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by inflammation of the wall of part of the digestive tract. But they cannot heal for the moment and the patients alternate between the phases of their illness (crises) and the phases of remission.
When the attacks are very close together and painful, a surgical operation which consists of removing part of the digestive tract is indicated. This is called a stoma.
What is a stoma?
The stoma is the surgical opening created on the abdomen to allow the evacuation of stool and urine in patients with IBD. This temporary or permanent operation requires the placement of what is called an “ostomy pouch”. Other diseases, such as cancer, endometriosis, ulcerative colitis may also require the placement of a stoma.
“We don’t talk about it much, yet the number of cases is far from derisory: in France, it is estimated that nearly 130,000 people have a temporary (majority) or permanent stoma” explains the Afa (association of ostomates) .
It exists three types of stoma :
- the colostomy (colon bypass)
- urostomy (urinary diversion), practiced when the bladder or the urinary tract is damaged and does not allow the normal evacuation of urine.
- the ileostomy (small intestine diversion), usually performed in cases where the terminal part of the small intestine is affected, or when the colon is completely removed.
World Ostomy Day 2020
On the occasion of World Day, October 3, the Association of Mici patients and relatives (Afa Crohn RCH France) offers an exceptional interactive webinar dedicated to “Living well with your ostomy”, Tuesday, October 6. This live will answer the questions of ostomates and their relatives, live from the ICM – Regional Cancer Institute and in partnership with the Montpellier University Hospital, the Union of Ostomy in the Great South and the League against Cancer. Information on www.afa.assos.fr/stomie2020
Read also :
- Is there a link between junk food and IBD?
- IBD: 10 million patients worldwide
