Kock Pouch Ileostomy

Kock Pouch Ileostomy Overview

Our nationally recognized Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program delivers treatments that can improve your quality of life, including Kock pouch ileostomy. Most patients need a Kock pouch ileostomy procedure to help them eliminate waste (stool) after having part or all of their lower intestines removed through small bowel resection or colon resection surgery.

You may feel anxious about having these procedures, but it's important to know they offer permanent relief of Crohn's disease symptoms. Afterward, you can expect to be free of the pain and inflammation associated with your current condition.

During Kock pouch ileostomy, we connect the end of your small intestine (ileum) to the outside surface of your skin by making a permanent opening (stoma). Your stoma has no nerves, so you will not feel any sensation if you touch it or something rubs up against it. To protect your stoma from infection, you will need to keep it covered with sterile gauze or padding. The Kock pouch technique is a continent ileostomy, meaning waste (stool) stays within your body until you decide to remove it.

Other benefits of this procedure include:

• No night time pouch emptying, unless you eat a late night meal
• A quick and simple process for eliminating stool
• Freedom to wear tight fitting clothes because you will not need to worry about external devices or bags
• Being able to resume recreational activities, such as swimming, which you may have avoided in the past
• Enhanced confidence and body image that comes from knowing you have a discrete solution – no one will know about your Kock pouch unless you tell them

According to Stanford surgeons, approximately 95 percent of patients say they are glad they had the operation.