(Health Korea News / Yu Ji-in) Bundang Seoul National University Hospital is expected to alleviate the suffering of patients who have undergone ostomy or urostomy surgery by installing a washing facility for ‘patients with ostomy or urostomy disabilities’ in the multipurpose restroom on the second floor of the cancer center in Building 2.
A colostomy is an artificial anus that is created by removing part of the small or large intestine to the abdominal surface when the anal function is damaged and normal defecation is impossible. More than 85% of colostomy holders have surgery related to cancer, and recently, it is caused by various causes such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis as well as cancer.
Since the ostomy and urinary tract do not have the same control function as the sphincter, the pouch must be emptied and cleaned frequently 24 hours a day. Since there are very few toilets in Korea with separate facilities for emptying and managing the pouch, patients have silently endured the inconvenience. If the pouch is not emptied in time, not only will it leak, but if the excrement around the artificial anus is not properly disposed of, it can easily cause damage such as skin erosion.
Because of this, many patients are concerned about the time they go out and are worried about the smell causing discomfort to others in public places. Regular toilets are low, so you have to bend your knees to empty your pockets, and in the process, waste splashes on your clothes or skin, making it difficult to dispose of it.
The background for Bundang Seoul National University Hospital installing the ostomy and urinary tract washing facility is the ‘Colorectal Cancer Gold Ribbon Campaign Policy Symposium’ held by the Korean Society of Coloproctology, of which Professor Kang Sung-beom of the Department of Surgery is the chairman, in September last year. At that time, the session on ‘Current Status and Improvement Direction of Restrooms for Ostomy Patients’ received a lot of attention, and Bundang Seoul National University Hospital felt the need for support beyond improving patient convenience and protecting human rights, so they decided to introduce the facility.
The washer, which looks like a large wash basin, is designed to fit the average height of a Korean to easily handle the waste in the pouch. After handling, it can be flushed like a regular toilet. There is a shower hose around the washer to help patients keep their pouch and ostomy clean.
Currently, there are about 20,000 ostomy patients in Korea, but there are only 9 dedicated washing facilities in Korea, including Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, which is a serious shortage. Given this situation, patients using Bundang Seoul National University Hospital are very welcoming of the installation of an ostomy and urinary tract washing machine in the cancer center.
Nurse Kim Jeong-ha of Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, who serves as the president of the Society of Hospital Wound and Incontinence Nurses, said, “Since ostomy and urinary tract surgeries occur frequently among socially active young people, active support for them is necessary.”
Professor Kim Deok-woo of the Department of Surgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital said, “Most patients with ostomy or urinary tract infections are classified as having mild disabilities that do not require help from others in their daily lives, so they receive relatively less attention compared to patients with severe disabilities.” He added, “I hope that these relatively neglected patients can conveniently use the hospital, at least.”
Professor Kang Sung-beom of the Department of Surgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital said, “I hope that washing facilities for patients with ostomy and urinary tract infections, for which supply is severely lacking compared to demand, will be expanded nationwide so that numerous patients in Korea can enjoy a hygienic daily life after surgery.”
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Source: www.hkn24.com
