Is it normal to have a bowel movement 9 months after a stoma?

I had my operation around 9 months ago and have had around 4 barium enemas to see if I had healed enough for a reversal. It has been around 3 months since my last test.

Yesterday I had an actual bowl movement and since then my abdomen has been quite painful. I have tried contacting my stoma nurse but have not yet heard anything and last time I spoke to my doctor about my stoma I had to explain to him how it worked so he is not much use.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal or offer any advice?

[worried878]

did you have the reversal done?  Are you saying you had a BM from ur rectum while your stoma is still present and working?

[zariel09]

I havnt had the reversal yet.  I had a portion of my bowl removed during an op for endometriosis and yes I had a BM while my stoma is still there and working fine, it was confusing to say the least.

I have strong pain killers at home for the endometriosis symptoms (mefenemic acid and co-codamol 30/500) which I usually only need during my period but am having to take now

[PennythePearl]

Hello...I can't speak for how normal it is to have a bowel movement thru rectum but I can say that I know it happens. My mother turned 85 today. She had her temporary colostomy done  2/10 due to diverticulitis resulting in bowel obstruction. After agonizing for almost a yr whether she wanted to undergo surgery to take it down she started experiencing bowel movement thru rectum. Naturally it was disconcerting and she went back to the surgeon who put it in place. I wasnt there on the visit but she says he told her that he had left part of the colon connected and that explained the bowel coming thru. She had been upset so its possible she misunderstood but it didnt make sense to me and why it didnt explain why it happened after 11 mos??. This was the deciding factor to have the colostomy taken down and also the fact that my mother had never comes to terms with the whole process and at 84 she was starting to have problems maintaining the colostomy. It wasnt meant to be. We all thought we were home free and that she could regain her self confidence and colostomy-free quality of life when 3 days later she became sepsis. She had a leak from small intestine and the colotstomy was put back in place. What was temporary is now permanent. I believe it was put back in error because the leak was suspected to be at the hand sutured surgical site, but it was not. The surgeon told us after surgery that he had to pull and manipulate her colon to match the 2 parts together. I believe the perforation was caused from the pulling of  thin tissue from yrs of problematic bowel movement and diverticulitis added with a lot adhesions. I dont know if this is a case of medical mistake or just risky surgery gone bad. Thats my yr long saga but thankfully my mother has returned home somewhat less capable from the whole medical nightmare but not defeated. I truly witnessed the "power of love" and "will to live", I am on this site for the 1st time because I am seeking WOC nursing assistance for my mother. I just finding out about WOC nurses cuz my mother never had one. Not even in the hospital. The regular Techs would just wipe her clean with a wet washcloth and put a 1 piece drainable pouch on her. She learned from watching them. There is so much more to know especially when things go wrong. I am astounded at how little information and training is provided to ostomates with such a life altering procedure.

[eminio]

This is news to me. The only one who can give you better explanations is the surgeon that performed the surgery.

[katie1976westgate]

no its not normal  

[tired_daughter]

My mother has MS, a suprapubic catheter and an ileostomy. I currently live with her since my father passed away and she needs full time care. Im reading all these posts and cant believe the troubles people with ostomies go through. She really needs to be in a nursing home as its getting to be too much for me (im also a single mom of two year old) but no one can manage her care well enough. Everytime I have put her somewhere for respite or convalescent care they cost us a bloody fortune in supplies and then she usually ends up in hospital with an infection. No one seems to want or know how to properly care for these things. It is so frustrating. Tonight she called (she is in convalescent care right now for a broken leg) to tell me she had a bowel movement from her rectum, she is upset and in a mess and no one there knows what to do. She has had the ileostomy for several years and it is permanent. What in the world would cause this? I think I need to get her back to the hospital as I am thinking it must be some kind of leak and she could become septic. I am so tired and frustrated. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Im glad I found this site. Just reading some of your stories makes me feel less alone in my struggles.

[ET1980]

I am an ET nurse and yes it can be normal to have a BM through your anus if you have a  Loop colostomy or Loop ileosotomy. This means that the ostomy is temporary in most cases and there will be a reversal where the loop of bowel is sewn up and placed back in the abdomen.

[Duzluvxist]

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. Dealing with a chronic illness can be stressful and frustrating.  I have had my ileostomy since I was 16yrs old, I'm now 46 yrs old and have experinced and learned many things.  Not everyone responds to treatments the same way. I had my rectum for many years with my first bowel movement about ten years after my initial ostomy placement. My physician stated this was normal since the rectum continues to produce mucus and builds up over time until evacuated. Confusing when you have become use to the ileostomy. The added cause for myself is that I had ulcerative colitis and had inflammation in the rectum (which I did not feel) and the rectum was producing mucus at a faster rate than normal. So, I would not be too concerned unless there was visible blood, a fever or pain. Though, she should follow up with a GI doctor and possibly have a sigmoid done of the area if there is concern.
  I just wanted to share my experience along with the great advice the ET nurse offered.  Good luck

[donna107222]

Sounds like you need a certified colorectal surgeon to review your mom's case and offer expert advice.  You might also need an attorney.  The statute of limitations is up 2 years after the problematic surgery.  Sepsis is no joke. I had it too because of a minimally competent surgeon, almost died.  Alas, I could not sue him. My ileostomy should not been permanent.

Good luck.

[worried878]

True, only problem with sueing one doctor is finding another who will operate when you need it.  Doctors tend to stick together and malpractice lawsuits are not looked upon kindly.  Also, there has to be some sort of significant long term damage to make a case.  I stopped doing surgeries with a gastro surgeon due to the amount of law suits flooding the market 15 years ago, laws have restricted them somewhat since then.  I was an ET nurse who assisted but in the law suits they came after me as well.  I dont carry the amount of insurance a surgeon does because I do not make near the money.  Hence, education post op is lacking and law suits can be a part of the reason for some being afraid to be involved.  Now I do home teaching where law suits are less common. .  As stated above, BMs through the recturm do occur after a colostomy...permanent or non-permanent....often it may be mucus only which is normal as the colon continues to produce mucus as always to propel stool through the colon...but in some cases, bowel effluent can be expelled through the rectum...and may or may not be any complication at all.  Speaking with your surgeon post op and informing him or her of any occurences is important as only he knows what exactly went on during the surgery.

[Dav_MD]

I am a 40 year old physician and a ileostomy patient.  Depending on the food I eat and even with a virus causing diarrhea I will have mucus filled  bowel movements.  Trust me the first one was 8 months after surgery and I was just as scared as any one else, even knowing it was  possible.  And as a doctor I can assure you that it was not malpractice, the bowel often does not come together and complications can and will arise.  My good friend did my emergency surgery after some diverticulii ruptured while I was at work.  I coded twice during surgery (flat line-dead) and spent a week in ICU in coma.  I also developed a rare and dangerous bacteria that causes me to take heavy antibiotics daily.  If it is going to happen it will happen to those of us in the medical field.  I wish all of you the best.   Doc