An Association between Continuing Treatment and Adaptation in Ostomates

INTRODUCTION:  Identifying individuals who may experience increased difficulty in adapting following ostomy surgery is of interest to WOC nurses.  This study identifies an association between continuing treatment of the condition that caused ostomy surgery and a return to positive life satisfaction for new ostomates.
METHODOLOGY:  The retrospective study uses a subset (n = 1875) of the data from the Ostomy Comprehensive Health and Life Assessment survey (N = 2989).  This ongoing survey has been distributed in North America and the United Kingdom by electronic and conventional mail, ostomy product retailers and ostomy support organizations.  In its current revision, the survey contains more than 120 questions soliciting both open- and closed-end responses.  The subset includes participants with a single stoma in their first ten years following ostomy surgery.
RESULTS:  Using a binary measure of life satisfaction based on a six-item scale (Cronbach’s alpha = .8261), participants who reported that they continue to undergo treatment of the disease or injury that caused their original ostomy surgery have a  different experience relative to positive life satisfaction than those not continuing to undergo treatment (Wald Chi-square = 7.23, df = 1; p = .0072).  Those not continuing to undergo treatment experience a significantly increased probability of positive life satisfaction over time (Wald Chi-square = 7.75, df = 1; p = .0054) while those who report ongoing treatment do not experience this benefit.
DISCUSSION:  The data suggest that a return to positive life satisfaction following ostomy surgery may be disrupted by ongoing treatment for an underlying condition.  The results of this study may aid in the identification of those at increased risk for difficulty in adaptation following surgery.  Also, the evidence presented may justify a prospective study of the effects of ongoing treatment and interventions that may improve patient outcomes under these conditions.