A qualitative study exploring what it takes to be physically active with a stoma after surgery for rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Many adults must cope with the adverse effects of cancer and adjuvant therapies, which may limit their engagement in health-enhancing behaviors such as physical activity (PA). Furthermore, the placement of a stoma during surgery for rectal cancer may cause additional challenges to being physically active. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of rectal cancer survivors who were living with a stoma and the impact on their engagement in PA. METHODS: Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used as the approach for this qualitative study. Fifteen rectal cancer survivors took part in a semi-structured interview post-chemotherapy, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes within their accounts. RESULTS: Three themes captured participants' personal lived experience: (1) reasons for engaging in PA, (2) deterrents to engaging in PA, and (3) practical implications. CONCLUSIONS: Participants' accounts offered insight into both their cancer and stoma-related experiences, highlighting both reasons for and deterrents to engaging in PA. Further, findings helped to identify tangible strategies that those learning to be physically active with a stoma may find useful.

Home visits as part of a new care pathway (iAID) to improve quality of care and quality of life in ostomy patients: a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge trial.

AIM: Morbidity in patients with an ostomy is high. A new care pathway, including perioperative home visits by enterostomal therapists, was studied to assess whether more elaborate education and closer guidance could reduce stoma-related complications and improve quality of life (QoL), at acceptable cost. METHOD: Patients requiring an ileostomy or colostomy, for any inflammatory or malignant bowel disease, were included in a 15-centre cluster-randomized 'stepped-wedge' study. Primary outcomes were stoma-related complications and QoL, measured using the Stoma-QOL, 3 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included costs of care. RESULTS: The standard pathway (SP) was followed by 113 patients and the new pathway (NP) by 105 patients. Although the overall number of stoma-related complications was similar in both groups (SP 156, NP 150), the proportion of patients experiencing one or more stoma-related complications was significantly higher in the NP (72% vs 84%, risk difference 12%; 95% CI: 0.3-23.3%). Although in the NP more patients had stoma-related complications, QoL scores were significantly better (P < 0.001). In the SP more patients required extra care at home for their ostomy than in the NP (60.6% vs 33.7%, respectively; risk difference 26.9%, 95% CI: 13.5-40.4%). Stoma revision was done more often in the SP (n = 11) than in the NP (n = 2). Total costs in the SP did not differ significantly from the NP. CONCLUSION: The NP did not reduce the number of stoma-related complications but did lead to improved quality of care and life, against similar costs. Based on these results the NP, including perioperative home visits by an enterostomal therapist, can be recommended.

Relative Tranquility in Ostomy Patients' Social Life: A Qualitative Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ostomy significantly alters one's elimination pattern and can affect the individual in physiological, psychosocial and spiritual aspects. Over time, the ostomy patient's experience changes and they develop coping strategies to handle the new reality. The aims of this study sought Iranian ostomy patients' main problem, how they deal and the outcome of their efforts to manage that problem in their daily lives. METHOD: A qualitative content analysis was conducted involving twenty-seven ostomy patients that were chosen by purposeful sampling and referred to the Iranian Ostomy Association from October 2015 to June 2016. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 55 years, 15 were males, the major cause of ostomy was colorectal cancer and the colostomy was the most common type of ostomy, and nineteen of them between one and twenty years lived with an ostomy. Most of them were married, had bachelor degree and received adjuvant therapy, and few were employed. Guarantee indecisive to maintain a stable life with an ostomy and the possibility of ostomy disclosure unpredictability show relative tranquility in patients' social life. CONCLUSION: Because of the ostomy nature, there is not the possibility of full control over life with an ostomy and this issue is causing concerns in their family and social life.

Executive Summary: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Best Practice Guideline for Care of Patients With a Fecal Diversion.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal program developed to decrease postoperative complications, improve patient safety and satisfaction, and promote early discharge. In the province of Ontario, Canada, a standardized approach to the care of adult patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery (including benign and malignant diseases) was adopted by 15 hospitals in March 2013. All colorectal surgery patients with or without an ostomy were included in the ERAS program targeting a length of stay of 3 days for colon surgery and 4 days for rectal surgery. To ensure the individual needs of patients requiring an ostomy in an ERAS program were being met, a Provincial ERAS Enterostomal Therapy Nurse Network was established. Our goal was to develop and implement an evidence-based, ostomy-specific best practice guideline addressing the preoperative, postoperative, and discharge phases of care. The guideline was developed over a 3-year period. It is based on existing literature, guidelines, and expert opinion. This article serves as an executive summary for this clinical resource; the full guideline is available as Supplemental Digital Content 1 (available at: http://links.lww.com/JWOCN/A36) to this executive summary.

Rehabilitation of individuals with intestinal ostomy.

This article will discuss an ethnographic study interpreting the rehabilitation experience of 15 individuals with an intestinal ostomy in Brazil, analysed using thematic analysis from the perspective of the sociology of health. The decoded meanings included: 'dealing with treatment and intestinal ostomy', and led to the theme 'the rehabilitation experience of patients with intestinal ostomy due to chronic illness', which addressed normality of life before intestinal illness, defining oneself and life, considering personal, family, social and therapeutic difficulties, and preparing to live with an intestinal ostomy, considering both the private and public spheres. This study will contribute to the specialised care provided in the various contexts of healthcare delivery, especially in relation to the humanisation of care of patients and implementation of appropriate strategies to meet the needs of patients.

[Damage of reconstructive operations in patients after urgent obstructive resection of colon].

It was performed comparative analysis of results of reconstructive operations in 116 patients with terminal colostomy after urgent obstructive resection of colon. Damage of reconstructive operations which differ by only access was estimated. Midline access was used in 49 patients, parastomal - in 51 cases. Laparoscopic operation was applied in 16 patients. The most traumatic method was middle laparotomy for restoration of colonic integrity. Laparoscopic operations and parastomal access are less invasive. Laparoscopic operations are accompanied by longer duration, greater blood loss and later restoration of intestinal motility pattern in comparison with surgery through parastomal access. It is associated with duration and damage of adhesiotomy stage.

Caregivers as healthcare managers: health management activities, needs, and caregiving relationships for colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies.

PURPOSE: While the burdens and rewards of cancer caregiving are well-documented, few studies describe the activities involved in cancer caregiving. We employed a social-ecological perspective to explore the work of cancer caregiving for long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors with ostomies. We focused on healthcare management, defined here as the ways in which informal caregivers participate in healthcare-related activities such as managing medical appointments and information, obtaining prescriptions and supplies, and providing transportation to obtain healthcare services. METHODS: This ethnographic study included 31 dyads consisting of long-term CRC survivors (>5 years postsurgery) and their primary informal caregivers. Survivors were members of integrated healthcare delivery systems. We interviewed participants using in-depth interviews and followed a subset using ethnographic methods. Medical record data ascertained survivors' cancer and medical history. RESULTS: We classified families into a matrix of healthcare management resources (high vs. low) and survivors' healthcare needs (high vs. low). We found that patients' healthcare needs did not always correspond to their caregivers' management activities. CRC survivors with high needs had more unmet needs when caregivers and survivors differed in the level of caregiver involvement they desired or regarded as optimal. This discrepancy was particularly evident in nonmarital relationships. CONCLUSIONS: As cancer survivors age and grow in number, it becomes increasingly important to understand how informal caregivers support survivors' well-being. Framing healthcare management as a component of caregiving provides a useful perspective that could facilitate future research and interventions to support survivors, particularly those with significant sequelae from their cancer treatment.

Patient education has a positive effect in patients with a stoma: a systematic review.

AIM: A systematic review was performed to assess whether education of patients having stoma formation improves quality of life and whether it is cost effective. METHOD: A literature search was performed to identify studies on the structured education of ostomates and outcome using the following databases: MEDLINE, Cinahl, Embase, Cochrane and PsycInfo. Inclusion criteria were: clinical studies reporting effects of educational interventions in relation to patients with a stoma. Commentaries or studies not testing an intervention were excluded. RESULTS: Seven articles met the inclusion criteria of having rigorously evaluated an educational programme related to living with a stoma. The programmes were organized in different ways and had explored various interventions. The results showed an increase in health-related quality of life, as measured using a stoma quality of life instrument (P = 0.00001) and with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) (P = 0.000-0.006), an increase in proficiency in management of the stoma (P = 0.0005), two studies pointed to a reduction in postoperative hospital stay (8 days vs 10 days, P = 0.029; and 8 days vs 14 days, P = 0.17), a significant reduction in cost in the intervention group ($US 8570.54) compared with the control group ($US 7396.90) as well as higher effectiveness scores in the intervention group (166.89) compared with the control group (110.98), a significant rise in stoma-related knowledge (P = 0.0000) and an increase in psychosocial adjustment (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Structured patient education aimed at patients' psychosocial needs seems to have a positive effect on quality of life as well as on cost. The interventions may be performed before, during or after hospital stay. However, the available data come from few studies with differences in interventions and in study design, and further studies are therefore needed before a final conclusion can be drawn.

Time to readiness for discharge is a valid and reliable measure of short-term recovery after colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Short-term recovery after colorectal surgery has been traditionally investigated through length of stay (LOS). However, this measure is influenced by several confounding factors. This study aimed to investigate the construct validity and reliability of assessing the time to achieve standardized discharge criteria (time to readiness for discharge, or TRD) as a measure of short-term recovery. In a secondary analysis, we compared sample size requirements for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using TRD or LOS as outcome measures. METHODS: Seventy patients participated in the construct validity study and 21 patients participated in the reliability study. TRD was defined as the number of days to achieve discharge criteria previously defined by consensus. Construct validity was investigated by testing six hypothesis based on the assumption that TRD measures short-term recovery. Reliability was calculated by comparing measures of TRD by two independent assessors. Variability estimates (standard deviations) of LOS and TRD were used for sample size calculations. RESULTS: Five of the six hypotheses were supported by the data (p < 0.05). Interobserver reliability was excellent (ICC2.1 = 0.99). Sample size estimations showed that RCTs using TRD as an outcome measure require approximately 23 % less participants compared to RCTs using LOS. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research support the construct-validity and reliability of TRD as a measure of short-term recovery. Using TRD as an alternative to LOS may reduce sample size requirements in future RCTs.

[Results of surgical rehabilitation of patients in the presence of external colonic fistula in conditions of district hospital].

Results of treatment of 102 patients for a variety of injuries and surgical diseases of the colon, who performed the intervention, culminating in the formation of the external colonic fistula (ECF) were analyzed. After reconstructive and restorative surgery for ECF, all patients were alive. Postoperative complications occurred in 15 (20.8%) patients, including intraabdominale--in 2 (2.8%). The optimal timing of surgical rehabilitation and volume reduction or reconstructive surgery in patients over the ECF should be determined strictly individual basis, taking into account the severity and nature of the illness or injury, which required imposition of an stoma, the severity of postoperative scar and local inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity, in laparotomic wound and fistula. Performing simultaneous operations in the surgical rehabilitation of patients with ECF practically does not increase the risk of postoperative complications.

A cross-sectional survey of quality of life in colostomates: a report from Iran.

BACKGROUND: Considering the complications that colostomies may cause, patient self-assessments of their social, emotional, physical, sexual and functional conditions may help their surgeons to evaluate the impact of their interventions or use supplementary methods to maintain patient functional status or decrease its loss to the minimum level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Quality of Life in Iranian patients with colostomies and to compare the age and gender differences among them. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2009 to 2010 to evaluate the quality of life of 96 patients who had undergone surgery for rectal cancer and had permanent colostomies. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancers Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-C30 and the EORTC QLQ-CR38 were used to assess patient Quality of Life. RESULTS: The mean scores for the functional subscales were as follows: Physical Function, 70.9 (±2.2); Role Function, 68.4 (±2.6); Emotional Function, 56.9 (±2.7); Cognitive Function, 68.7 (± 2.6); and Social Function, 64.2 (±3.3). The EORTC questionnaires showed significant differences between males and females. Males had better body image scores. Sexual Function and Sexual Enjoyment were impaired in both males and females, but males had significantly higher scores and better roles in Physical and Sexual Functions. More sexual enjoyment problems in older ages were observed in both males and females. CONCLUSION: Having a colostomy was associated with a high level of emotional and sexual function impairment. The differing challenges between males and females should encourage us to design sex-specific interventions that improve the quality of life in this group of patients.

Prospective longitudinal evaluation of quality of life in patients with permanent colostomy after curative resection for rectal cancer: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life in patients with a colostomy immediately before and during the first year after surgery. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Patients (aged ≥20 years) who were diagnosed with rectal cancer and scheduled to undergo curative surgery with a permanent colostomy were recruited for this study. Data were collected at 2 university hospitals in Tokyo. METHODS: Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire regarding health-related quality of life before surgery and a mailed or hand delivered questionnaire to evaluate quality of life at 2, 6, and 12 months after surgery using the Short Form-36 version 2. For patients who responded at all 4 time points, the scores at each time point were compared using paired t tests to examine longitudinal changes in quality of life after surgery. RESULTS: Mean quality-of-life scores in most domains before surgery and during the first year after surgery were lower than the normal control in the norm-based scoring method. Scores at 2 months after surgery were lower than those before surgery. At 12 months after surgery, however, quality-of-life scores improved almost to the level observed before surgery, with the exception of the score in the social functioning domain. Statistical differences in scores between the time points of the survey were observed in the role-physical, bodily pain, and mental health domains. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that patients with permanent colostomy after curative resection for rectal cancer need additional medical support and care before surgery and during the first year after surgery.

Traditional nurse instruction versus 2 session nurse instruction plus DVD for teaching ostomy care: a multisite randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This randomized controlled trial compared 2 methods of ostomy care instruction to determine their effect on patients' knowledge, skills, and confidence related to postoperative ostomy care. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Eighty-eight adults with newly created ostomies were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Of the 88 enrolled patients, 68 completed the study: 10 patients were discharged from the hospital prior to completion of the study interventions; 10 others were withdrawn because they no longer met study inclusion criteria. The remaining subjects, who were equally split between men and women, ranged in age from 23 to 84 years. There were 23 colostomy and 45 ileostomy patients in our sample. The study setting was 2 acute care hospitals within a large tertiary health care system in the midwestern United States. METHODS: We used a posttest-only experimental design to compare 2 methods of postoperative ostomy education. Traditional education comprised 3 WOC nurse-led instruction sessions and the experimental intervention comprised 2 nurse-led instruction sessions plus DVD instruction that could be accessed in between nurse-led sessions. All patients received one-on-one instruction from certified WOC nurse at their bedside. Patients completed a written test of ostomy knowledge, a self-care skills demonstration, and a Visual Analog Scale rating their confidence with ostomy self-care. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 2 teaching methods or type of ostomy with regard to knowledge of ostomy care (F3,64 5 1.308, P 5 0.28), ostomy care skills (F3,64 5 0.163, P 5 0.92), or confidence in performing ostomy self-care (F3,64 5 0.629, P 5 0.59). Differences between the study groups' self-reported learning style, education level, age, room type, and gender also did not significantly impact their knowledge, skills, or confidence. CONCLUSION: When teaching first-time ostomy patients postoperative self-care, a Nurse Instruction plus DVD method is as effective as Nurse Instruction alone.

The relationship between spiritual well-being and psychosocial adjustment in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer and a colostomy.

PURPOSE: We examined relationships among demographic and clinical characteristics, spiritual well-being, and psychosocial adjustment in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer and a colostomy. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory study design was used to answer research questions. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Participants were recruited from the outpatient ambulatory clinic in the gastrointestinal surgical department at the medical center of National Taiwan University. Forty-five Taiwanese patients aged 42 to 83 years who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and underwent colostomy surgery participated in the study. METHODS: Participants completed a personal data questionnaire designed for this study, along with 2 validated instruments, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report. FINDINGS: Forty-five persons participated in the study; 69% reported a moderate level of spiritual well-being. Participants reported strong adjustment to extended family relationships, but poor adjustment in sexual relationships. Spiritual well-being was significantly associated with psychosocial adjustment (r = -0.52, P < .01), and 4 predictors (income change after surgery, self-rated disease severity, time since surgery, and spiritual well-being) accounted for 53% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Spiritual well-being plays an important role for Taiwanese patients when faced with psychosocial adjustment related to life with colorectal cancer and a colostomy.

[A quality of life evaluation in patients with a surgically formed large bowel stoma].

The investigation objective was estimation of the patients quality of life (QL), in whom a large intestine stoma was formed. Presence of colostoma constitutes a traumatizing factor, which reduce significantly the level of the patients social adaptation and QL. Most significant desadaptation was noted after formation of colostoma in patients, suffering trauma and nontumoral diseases of large intestine. The indices dynamics for the patients QL in presence of large intestine stoma reflects the sanogenesis processes and may serve as an indicator of clinical effectiveness of the conducted treatment.

International study of a continence device with 12-hour wear times.

This international, phase III, 215-day, open-label, non-randomized, multicentre study assessed the safety and efficacy of 12-hour wear times with a novel colostomy continence control device in participants with end colostomies. Study stages were usual pouching (21 days), wafer transition (14 days), device 'ramp-up' for 4, 6, and 8 hours (21 days), and 12-hour device wear (159 days). Of the 78 participants enrolled, 66 wore at least one device, and 45 completed treatment. Median device wear time was 11 hours per day during the final stage. Adverse events were reported by 12%, 7%, and 56% of participants during the usual pouching stage (0.01 events per participant per day), wafer transition stage, and device-wear stages (0.01 events per participant per day), respectively. No detrimental effects were seen on stoma vascularity or the normal gastrointestinal flora. The daily leakage-free rate was 0.89 for any leakage and 0.93 for type 2 leakage (e.g. not contained under the wafer). Most participants (87%) rated the ability of the device to restore continence as 'good' or 'very good'. Overall, the study showed that the continence control device was safe and effective for wear times up to 12 hours per day in colostomy patients.

Open vs laparoscopic approach for reversal of Hartmann's procedure: a systematic review.

AIM: A meta-analysis of published literature comparing open vs laparoscopic Hartmann's reversal. METHOD: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed and the Cochrane databases were searched from January 1993 to August 2008. The bibliography of selected trials was scrutinized and relevant references obtained. A systematic review was performed to obtain a summative outcome. RESULTS: Eight comparative studies involving 450 patients were analysed. One hundred and ninety-three patients were in the laparoscopic and 257 in the open group. Laparoscopic reversal has a significantly reduced complication rate (z = -2.92, P < 0.01), intra-operative blood loss (z = -7.34, P < 0.001) and hospital stay (z = -3.16, P < 0.01) compared with the conventional approach. No difference in leak rates was found. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic reversal of Hartmann's procedure is safe, has fewer complications and shorter hospital stays. This approach may be considered for reversal, however, randomized controlled trials are required to strengthen the evidence.

Reversal of Hartmann's procedure after perforated diverticulitis through the stomal side without additional incisions: the SIR procedure.

AIMS: Reversal of Hartmann's procedure (HP) is a complex operation and only performed in 50-60% of the patients. Stomal incision reversal (SIR), a new minimally invasive procedure for HP reversal, was assessed and compared to the standard surgical approach. METHODS: 16 patients who had undergone HP for perforated diverticulitis underwent HP reversal by SIR. The only incision in SIR is the one to release the end colostomy. Intra-abdominal adhesiolysis is done manually. A stapled end-to-end colorectal anastomosis is created. The 16 patients who underwent SIR were compared with 32 control patients who were matched according to gender, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification and Hinchey stage. RESULTS: The operation time was shorter after SIR than after reversal by laparotomy [75 min (58-208) vs. 141 min (85-276); p < 0.001]. Patients after SIR had a shorter hospital stay than patients after laparotomy [4 days (2-22) vs. 9 days (4-64); p < 0.001]. The numbers of total postoperative surgical complications (early and late) were not different (p = 0.13). The anastomotic leakage rate was similar in both groups (6%). The conversion rate in the SIR group was 19% (n = 3). CONCLUSION: SIR compared favorably with HP reversal by laparotomy in terms of operation time and hospital stay, without increasing the number of postoperative complications.

Managing neurogenic bowel dysfunction.

This series of articles for rehabilitation in practice aims to cover a knowledge element of the rehabilitation medicine curriculum. Nevertheless they are intended to be of interest to a multidisciplinary audience. The competency addressed in this article is 'The trainee consistently demonstrates a knowledge of the pathophysiology of various specific impairments including bowel dysfunction' and 'management approaches for specific impairments including bowel dysfunction'.