Rectal mucus following ostomy surgery | Living with a stoma | A Bigger Life

One of the most common complaints that people who have a stoma discover early on after surgery is that if your rectum hasn't been removed you still can produce some mucus from your rectum.
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[@georgesmelki1]

It's really unbelievable that surgeons don't warn patients about this phenomenon! All they're interested in is performing operations (in this particular case a low anterior resection(LAR) with ileostomy for someone with a cCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, instead of a Watch&Wait approach...). Thanks for posting this!

[@techmind100]

Thanks for speaking. I have 0.5-1 l a day. "Some" people need to wear adult diapers because of incontinence and increased mucus production in the defunctioned colon. It's a sad situation.

[@randysnewbiebluesrockguita7782]

This is very good info. no one told me about this until I came home and had a patient portal in my home to speak to a nurse 24 hrs a day and I REALLY felt like I had to poop BAD and I was told if I feel like that not to bare down but that's all they said . I had to use the call button to ask the nurse about it ad she said it is phantom poop syndrome and it will go away eventually as I heal. It is VERY uncomfortable and hard to deal with at first but it's finally getting better and at least now I know what it is. Oh one other thing real quick is the volume on this video is kinda low for us older people. Just saying, could be on my end though.

[@leepu747]

Very informative. I have colostomy followed by rectum cancer about 18 years back. Now the problem is of mucus from anus. Doctor suggest Entofome enema to reduce or stop mucus. Do you have idea about this? Your valuable comment are appreciate.

[@Paul1510WB]

I had absolutely nothing for six months and then one morning I felt a little something in my bottom....I then seemed to have a normal poo which was weird to say the least...it was mucus .

[@WhoAmI2YouNow]

Pff the mucus makes my life quality go down a lot....

[@George-n4e9p]

Just forget the hype..and start wearing depends…like most medical procedures..u r always the last to know…

[@LisaRado-tv2lm]

I have severe colonic dysmotility and getting a reversible ileostomy to escape all the laxatives making me sick. How will I pass mucus? Do I still need laxatives?

[@beckybates4332]

This was a very informative video thank you so much !

[@PeggySue-RL]

It’s 10 months post op n now I am having Mucus n now mucus n discharge just like discharge in bag my as n brown liquid with very little form

[@johnnyrodriguez1064]

So is this problem for ever? Will it ever stop? Thank you for the info.

[@1915FadedBelly]

7 years for me and it still happens. In varying degrees, depends on what I eat, can go from hard little rabbit pellets to pure liquid. You can use a glycerin suppository once every so often to have a clean out.

[@wendyf4827]

7 years for me too and still happens at least once a day. it's VERY annoying!!

[@crippledtruckie6461]

I am a para who has had a stoma and was passing stools for approx 3 months I had the op about 5 yrs ago,now there is mucus discharges with fairly large flows about every 4 days,is this normal?

[@Piltdownpaul]

I have heard its normal as long as you aren't passing blood.

[@crippledtruckie6461]

@@Piltdownpaul I am having surgery to change it from a double header to a single output I am told this wull lessen the flow

[@TheGrandma02]

I had my colon removed December 2020, recently I had to go to hospital and they did a cat scan and found fluid close to my rectal stump, the cat scan showed that it was not attached to anything. They put a rectal tube in and drained the liquid; the doctors couldn't figure out where the liquid was coming from. Since then I have been released and am at home. I noticed the liquid coming from my rectal area again. What could possibly be causing this ? When I eat I feel bloated; I have been eating soft foods like scrambled eggs, oatmeal,and have been drinking nutritional drinks to keep from becoming dehydrated.. Not sure what to do ? I am trying to gain strength from hospital stay. Is there something I can do ?

[@CrossRoads88]

O my I am so sorry.i am praying you can find your way through this ❤

[@MiChelle-xv7of]

I had that problem. It really annoyed me. My whole day.

[@sinofsloth8201]

Are you alright now? Can you tell me what you did to cure it?

[@lindavandyke4732]

Thank you for the great explanation!

[@StomaatHome-a]

I am 7 months post stoma and I'd kept saying to nurses the mucous is really offensive. I'd be having the bowel cramps like before the op and then I was having blood in the mucous. I managed to get an appointment with the surgeon and he said he would have a quick look and immediately told me i had diversion proctitis (colitis). So I wasn't imagining it or exaggerating it. I take Buscopan (talk to a doctor before taking ut as its not suitable for some people's medical conditions) for the bowel cramps and I use the Qufora rectal irrigation system (get a referral to an incontinence nurse) every other day to manage the mucous. I have perineal fistulas (from a tumor removal surgery gone wrong) so the mucous is causing problems in that dept too. Its still better than the bowel incontinence but its a lot to deal with each day.

[@garykreitz2428]

You get a lot of steam coming out to it makes a wet spot on your chair

[@Piltdownpaul]

I wasnt told about the mucus, or as you say i didnt take it in if the surgeondid tell me. When i first had to sit down and pass it i panicked. A quick google and i was instantly happy. Its never been an issue since.

[@aliciaq70]

How long did you have mucus ? Do you know why you had it ?

[@Piltdownpaul]

@@aliciaq70 I still pass mucus also in my stoma to a lesser degree

[@Piltdownpaul]

@@aliciaq70 the mucus provides lubrication for a stool to pass smoothly, obviously we don't have stools

[@MScienceCat2851]

@@Piltdownpaul how did you reduce it? I have problems for 2 months maybe and its driving me nuts.

[@paullucas4791]

@@MScienceCat2851 I have to go maybe every fortnight and i'm done, Its not a huge problem for me. (Or maybe i have a problem!! lol)

[@GoldenChoiceEnterprise-wf7qc]

Thanks a million! You are a part of helping and changing so many lives in the world. Your living is not in vain.

[@jurgenstriesenow7149]

Hallo, ich glaube nicht, dass die Schleimbildung aufhört! Ursache ist nach meiner Meinung, dass der Restdarm weiter diesen Schleim zum Leben braucht! Immer wenn ich mich mal Anstrengen muß, wird über den Anus Schleim abgegeben! Hier helfen nur Vorlagen, welche als vom Arzt auf Rezept verschrieben werden!

[@michaelhillier1377]

I had an operation for colorrectal cancer on the1st Sept. Since then I have had a lot of offensive smelling discharge everyday. Twice my surgeon put me on antibiotics and it cleared up both times, but now there is bright red blood in the discharge. I had a CT scan and it was found that there was a small leak in the join. My surgeon said that it happens to 20% When I told my surgeon that I have blood in the discharge he told me to tell my GP doctor. My doctor told me that it's the surgeon's responsibility. I wonder if the stitching join in my colon to rectum has broken down?