Does surgery mean having a stoma bag?
Many people presume that surgery for Crohn’s disease means having a permanent stoma bag. In fact, stomas (ileostomy or colostomy) are not often needed and are nearly always a temporary measure. After a section of affected intestine has been removed, a very delicate join (or ‘anastomosis’) is made between the unaffected ends of the intestine. In order to protect this join while it heals, the surgeon will often make a temporary stoma above, which is then taken away at a second smaller operation a few months later. This is done particularly when someone is underweight or taking steroids which reduce the ability of body tissues to heal.
