Effect of Stoma Prehabilitation on Stoma Patients

Stoma has serious psychosocial effects on patients. Stoma prehabilitation has a potential to overcome these problems. Patients in prehabilitation group were attached with a water-filled stoma pouch (250 ml) 48 hours before surgery. These pouches were not removed until surgery, and enterostomal therapy nurse preoperatively taught the patients how to manage the stoma pouch with similar standards as the usual postoperative stoma-care.

This study aims to measure the effects of prehabilitation on stoma self-care, quality of life, anxiety and depression levels.

A total of 240 patients met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned into three groups with the use of a prepared computerized block design by the biostatistician. Twenty-two patients were excluded and 218 patients were included in the analysis.

Each group had a different protocol:

Group A - Postoperative Group received stoma education and stoma care after surgery beginning from the postoperative day-1; Group B - Pre- and Postoperative Group received stoma education both before surgery and on the postoperative day-1. They received stoma care postoperatively as usual; Group C - Prehabilitation Group received the same protocol as Group B, however in addition they were prehabilitated with a water-filled stoma pouch (250 ml) 48 hours before surgery. These pouches were not removed until surgery, and enterostomal therapy (EST) nurse preoperatively taught the patients how to manage the stoma pouch with similar standards as the usual postoperative stoma-care.

Stoma site marking: Preoperative stoma site marking improves patients' QoL and independence in the postoperative period and decreases postoperative complications. In elective cases this should be considered as a must. In the current study all the patients' stoma sites were marked preoperatively by an EST nurse according to some important rules. Patients' abdominal surfaces were observed carefully for folds, scars, and creases in lying and standing positions. Bilateral points were chosen by paying attention to the planned incision line and the borders of the rectus muscle. At the end we had all the patients confirm they can see the marked sites.

Stoma education: A consultation period for stoma education by an EST nurse was approximately 45 minutes. Patients were shown pictures of a stoma. The stoma-care equipments and a pouch were also shown to the patients and they were informed about these equipments. They were also provided information about daily living with a stoma.

Stoma prehabilitation: A stoma pouch was attached to the marked stoma site on the patient's abdominal surface after stoma education (only in group C). EST nurse filled 250 ml water into the pouch. Patients lived with these pouches until surgery. They experienced walking, sitting, sleeping, changing clothes with a pouch. They learned how to empty it. When a leak occurred, the pouch was changed by the nurse.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery and faecal diversion in the Ankara University Department of General Surgery between 2011 and 2016
• Patients with malignancy,
• Patients with polyposis syndrome,
• Patients with inflammatory bowel disease,
• Patients with diverticular disease
• Patients with perianal benign diseases

Exclusion criteria

• those who underwent emergency surgery
• those who developed stoma complications
• disoriented patients who could not cooperate
• patients with psychiatric disease
• patients with noncurable malign disease