Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles Opens The Continent Ostomy Center
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 3, 2008 --Thousands of Americans, many of them teens, will suffer from Ulcerative Colitis or Familial Polyposis(FAP) and will require removal of their entire colon (large intestine) and rectum to cure these diseases. Over the years, patients endured the standard removal of the colon and rectum with creation of a conventional "Brooke" ileostomy that required wearing an external appliance (bag) to collect waste. Many active and mobile individuals found this alternative to be unappealing and stifling in today's active culture.
Another option is the most commonly performed surgery since the 1980's called the Ileoanal J Pouch also referred to as the "pull-through." In this operation, the colon and most of the rectum is removed and an internal pouch is created from the small intestine and connected to the remaining anal canal. However, some patients are not suitable candidates for the J Pouch option or have a poor outcome with frequent trips to the bathroom in addition to incontinence. A patient with a failed or unsatisfactory J Pouch does not have to live with the external bag type of ileostomy - there is another option.
This alternative option is now being done at Olympia Medical Center's Continent Ostomy Center called the Barnett version of the Kock pouch. Candidates for the BCIR (Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir) include patients who require surgery to remove the large intestine (ulcerative colitis, familial polyposis, and others), people who have already undergone removal of the large intestine and are living with a conventional Brooke ileostomy, and people who have had the J Pouch procedure and have an outcome that is unsatisfactory for decent quality of life. Don J. Schiller, MD, Medical Director of the Center has performed and refined this groundbreaking procedure since 1989. The BCIR is an internal pouch combined with a value and living collar, all fashioned from the patient's own intestine. A stoma opening is created just above the pubic area and several times a day the patient inserts a catheter into the stoma which leads to the internal pouch and the waste material is evacuated. This newer approach allows more freedom and flexibility for users both young and old. It gives back control over the discharge of intestinal waste.
The original procedure was developed in Sweden in the 1960's and has been called the Kock Pouch, but had many failures, one of them being incontinence. Dr Schiller researched many options and began performing the Barnett modification of the Kock Pouch which restores an excellent quality of life for
people with a conventional ileostomy and also for people with an unsatisfactory outcome with their J pouch or Kock pouch.
Located in the heart of West Los Angeles, Olympia Medical Center has been providing medical care to its community since 1948. Services at the 204-bed acute care hospital include comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, and a 24-hour emergency room. Specialty programs include the California Digestive Diseases Institute, Take Off, a Medical and Surgical Weight Control Program, the Los Angeles Center for Spine Care and Research, the Southern California Sports Medicine Institute, the Center for Wound Management and Hyperbaric Medicine, the Continent Ostomy Center, the Center for Geriatric Health and the Memory Institute.
At Olympia Medical Center, we are dedicated to clinical excellence, delivering health care services in a patient-centered, community-focused environment. We not only try to meet your expectations--but to exceed them as well. Quality and compassionate care…it's our commitment to you.
Olympia Medical Center is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Olympia Medical Center visit www.olympiamedicalcenter.com
and www.ileostomy-surgery.com