TIRUCHY: An exclusive Stoma Care Clinic and OPD were inaugurated at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital's Department of Surgical Gastroenterology on Tuesday. Dean Dr K Vanitha inaugurated the clinic along with Dr RR Kannan, Head of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology.
"The aim of this clinic is to provide protective care and early identification of complications. It will have all appliances and offer pre-operative and post-operative counselling to patients to prevent psychological trauma due to social stigma. It will also offer advice regarding lifestyle modification," said Dr. Kannan.
The Stoma Care OPD will function at room no. 504, 5th floor of the hospital, from 9 am to 11 am on Wednesdays and Fridays every week.
Doctors said that stool, bile and urine are diverted temporarily or permanently at the base of the abdomen during life-saving surgeries on rectal cancer, bladder cancer, intestinal obstruction, injury to the intestines due to accidents, etc. This depends on the nature of the disease, and are disposed with a stoma bag with appropriate equipment.
The patient is trained to maintain them well. Speaking on the stoma surgery, Dr Kannan said, "Ostomy is a life-saving operation creating an opening (stoma) in the abdominal wall through faecal material or bile or urine that are securely collected and disposed."
"The three types of stoma are Colostomy (solid feces), Ileostomy (liquid feces), and Urostomy (Urine), which may be temporary or permanent. Ostomy surgeries are frequently done for cancer rectum, bladder, inflammatory bowel diseases and in emergencies like intestinal obstruction and injuries to bowel," Dr Kannan added.
Stoma appliance consists of skin films, adhesive paste and base plate, which is tightly adherent to the abdominal wall and a collection bag that is air and water tight. Poorly managed stoma can cause leakage of content, skin irritation, bad smell and complications like hernia, prolapse, loose stool and social stigma.
As the stoma bag has to be replaced once in 15 to 20 days, arrangements have been made to provide it free of cost through the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The patient is also trained on what to do in the event waste leakage, skin irritation, bad odour, etc.
The patient is advised to be free of any fear and stress before and after the surgery. In the coming days, a special meeting will be organised once in three months for the ostomates and it is planned to provide them with continuous monitoring and care, added Dr Kannan.
The event was attended by Hospital Superintendent Dr E Arun Raj, RMO Chitra Thiruvalluvan, Head of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology Dr RR Kannan, Professor M Malarvizhi of the department of Medical Gastroenterology, Doctors S Shankar, K Rajasekaran, M Karthikeyan, Radhakrishnan and other doctors.