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Enema for sigmoidoscopy with ileostomy?

Ellie1
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Hi, I’m sorry to trouble you again but I don’t know who else to ask. My husband had a hemicolectomy for bowel cancer 12 months ago and has an ileostomy. Yesterday he went for a sigmoidoscopy as part of the one year tests and hopefully pre-reversal of ileostomy. The nurse at the pre-op clinic a month ago told us he would “probably have an enema when he came for the procedure”. But the doctor yesterday said he didn’t need one. They commenced the procedure but had to stop half way due to impacted clay-like stools throughout the colon”

This has really upset us - it’s a stressful time anyway waiting for tests and results, and now he has to go through it all again in a couple of weeks (we haven’t got the appointment yet).

What we don’t understand is how he could still have the stools in his bowel after a year (when he has an ileostomy and that part of the bowel isn’t processing food)? 

The doctor yesterday also said they will need a paediatric scope next time. Why?

Thank you for any help you can give. My husband finished 6 months of chemo is January this year (in case that adds to the answer). He also had 6 months of chemo last year in case that adds to the answers.

Thank you. 



  • Sorry I t typed the last sentence twice ! 

  • Hello Ellie1,

    Thanks for getting in touch. My name is Megan, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    No apologies are needed, we are always happy to hear from you. I can see that you are active in the Carers only forum, Emotional Support forum and Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer forum and do hope you are continuing to find the online community warm and supportive.

    I was sorry to read that your husband’s sigmoidoscopy could not proceed due to impacted clay like stools.

    On further reading some people can form stools and even pass them via the rectum after a hemicolectomy. Rectal discharge is also a normal and widely reported side effect thereafter surgery.

    Specifically, if your husband has had a loop ileostomy, which is often the case when the plan is to hopefully reverse it, there are 2 ‘ends’ in the stoma bag. It may not be visually obvious as they often look like one stoma, but if this is the case it means some output from the ileostomy can re-enter the opening of the remaining colon and continue to work through the remaining bowel resulting in the formation of stools.

    This is something that many others have experienced and discuss regularly in online communities and forums including Macmillan Online Community, Bowel cancer UK and Meet An OstoMate.

    As we do not have access to your husband's healthcare records, we would encourage you and your husband to speak with his hospital team to understand if this is the reason why.

    Regarding the need for a paediatric scope, I can only assume this is because they felt it best to carry out the procedure with a smaller sized scope, but again you may want to ask the hospital team to clarify the reason why this is recommended.

    It is also important to feedback your experiences with the hospital team as the difference in opinion on needing an enema ultimately led to distress and subsequent need for repeat examination.

    I hope this information is useful. Please don’t hesitate to get back in contact by email, webchat or phone, if you need further information or support.

    The Macmillan Support Line offers practical, clinical, financial and emotional support. You can call us free from landlines and from most mobile phone networks on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am – 8pm.

     

    Best wishes, Megan

    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

     

    Ref MD/GHi

  • in reply to Megan D - Macmillan

    Thank you so much Megan for your kind and considered reply. It has helped us a lot. I will look at the online chats you mention too. Thank you. 

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