Lakewood, NJ --- Last year, Kimball Medical Center created a new outpatient treatment program for patients recovering from ostomy surgery, called the Ostomy Care Program.
For many people with diseases of the digestive or urinary tracts, the treatment involves the surgical removal of all or a portion of the small intestine, colon, rectum or bladder. When this occurs, surgeons must create a new way for waste to exit the body. They do this by creating a new opening in the abdomen called a stoma. This surgical procedure is called an ostomy.
“There are several different types of ostomy procedures including a colostomy, a urostomy and a lleostomy. Each of these procedures involves the surgical removal of a certain part of the digestive or urinary tract and the attachment of a different portion of the tract to the stoma or the small intestine,” explains Susan Beltran, RN, BSN, CWOCN, Ostomy Specialist for the Ostomy Care Program at the Institute for Rehabilitative and Occupational Health.
Adapting to life after an ostomy has many challenges. Patients need time to heal and adjust to the physical and emotional changes that result from this body-altering, yet life-saving surgery. Through the Ostomy Care Program, a team of highly-trained specialists provide individualized attention and care to each patient and his/her specific ostomy. The staff develops a comprehensive treatment plan for each patient that includes pre and post-operative care, lifelong follow-up care and self-care.
“Over the past year, we have provided pre-surgical ostomy site marking and education, post-surgical care and education for patients and family members, appliance fitting and adjustments, and ostomy and peristomal skin assessments and treatments,” says Beltran.
“An ostomy dramatically alters a vital body function, but when the surgery is managed appropriately and expert care addresses each patient’s distinct needs and concerns, life can be lived to its fullest once again,” she stated.
For further information or to learn more about the Outpatient Ostomy Care Program at The Kimball Institute, please call
1-888-374-4891.
Date: November 30, 2009
CONTACT: Carrie Cristello
Director, Public Relations
732-923-6552
ccristello@barnabashealth.org
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