Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug 12;18(16):8512.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168512.

"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy

Areti Stavropoulou  1 , Dimitrios Vlamakis  1 , Evridiki Kaba  1 , Ioannis Kalemikerakis  1 , Maria Polikandrioti  1 , Georgia Fasoi  1 , Georgios Vasilopoulos  1 , Martha Kelesi  1
Affiliations

"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy

Areti Stavropoulou et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Living with a permanent colostomy brings severe changes in patients' lives. The general health status as well as the personal, social and professional life of patients are significantly affected.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the lived experience of patients undergoing permanent colostomy.

Material and methods: A qualitative research design based on interpretive phenomenology was carried out. Semi-structured interviews were conducted as the data collection method to obtain in-depth information regarding the research topic. The study sample consisted of eight (8) patients who had undergone a permanent colostomy. The data analysis was performed by the method of content analysis.

Results: From the analysis of the data, three main themes emerged, namely: (A) Experiencing a traumatic event; (B) Living a new reality; (C) Efforts to improve quality of life. Five subthemes were formulated which were encompassed within the respective main themes accordingly.

Conclusion: Patients with permanent colostomy face significant life changes that are experienced in a traumatic way. Issues such as autonomy, family and organizational support, self-management and empowerment can significantly improve the patients' quality of life. Further research, regarding caregivers' experience, improved community nursing care as well as nurses' views on the needs of colostomy patients and their families, is suggested.

Keywords: assessment; colostomy; nursing care; patient outcomes; qualitative research; quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Vonk-Klaassen S.M., De Vocht H.M., den Ouden M.E.M., Eddes E.H., Schuurmans M.J. Ostomy-related problems and their impact on quality of life of colorectal cancer ostomates: A systematic review. Qual. Life Res. 2016;25:125–133. doi: 10.1007/s11136-015-1050-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yan M.-H., Lv L., Zheng M.-C., Jin Y., Zhang J.-E. Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors among Chinese Patients with Permanent Colostomy in the Early Postoperative Stage. A Longitudinal Study. Cancer Nurs. 2020 doi: 10.1097/ncc.0000000000000893. Epub ahead of print. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shaffy S., Kaur S., Das K., Gupta R. Physical, Nutrional And Sexual Problems Experienced By The Patients With Colostomy /Ileostomy: A Qualitative Study. Nurs. Midwifery Res. J. 2012;8:210–222. doi: 10.33698/NRF0141. - DOI
    1. Kimura C.A., Kamada I., Guilhem D., Monteiro P.S. Quality of Life Analysis in Ostomized Colorectal Cancer Patients. J. Coloproctol. 2013;33:216–221. doi: 10.1016/j.jcol.2013.08.007. - DOI
    1. Kimura C.A., Guilhem D.B., Kamada I., Abreu B.S., Modesto K.R., Gonçalves J.R. Life quality for ostomized patients: A perspective in the health and nursing care process. J. Nurs. Educ. Pr. 2016;7:22–31. doi: 10.5430/jnep.v7n4p22. - DOI

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources