quality of life in ostomy patient.

Background: The patient undergoing ostomy surgery experiences changes in multiple areas of their life related to their altered self-perception. In addition to potential postoperative complications, they face significant physical, physiological, psychological, and social changes that directly affect their physical and mental health. An ostomy is a process that saves thousands of lives every day and offers a second chance to patients suffering from diseases such as colorectal cancer, visceral perforation, diverticula, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and others. It involves redirecting a hollow viscus to the surface of the body in a location different from its natural opening, creating an opening on the surface of the body called a stoma, which diverts the intestinal transit. The patient will require a collecting bag for bodily waste. Currently, there are multiple investigations aimed at assessing the quality of life related to the health of patients who have undergone this surgical intervention, and the concerns they experience in their day-to-day lives. Therefore, this systematic review analyzed the literature in order to determine the perceived impact on quality of life related to health in ostomized patients. Material and methods: A systematic retrospective search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), TripDatabase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and PsycINFO. The MESH search terms used in this study were: Colostomy; Stoma; Ostomy; Ileostomy; Quality of life; Complications; Adaptations; Problems. Using the Boolean operators OR and AND. A total of 527 articles were obtained as a result, of which 17 articles met the inclusion criteria of this study. Results: A total of 9308 patients were studied, 55.65% of whom were men and 44.34% were women. 73.53% underwent colostomy procedures, while 24.15% underwent ileostomy, 76.28% maintained a permanent ostomy, and 20.93% had a temporary ostomy. Of the total number of studies evaluated, it was observed that ostomized patients had a clear alteration in quality of life in one or more of the analyzed variables. Conclusion: The quality of life of ostomy patients is severely impacted. Among the analyzed variables, the causes of this finding were: changes in body image, lack of control over bowel evacuation, unpleasant odors, unpleasant sounds, constipation, and leaks. The consequences of these findings were: disruptions in physical self-perception, psychological, social, and emotional alterations, low self-esteem, depressive feelings, changing clothing, difficulties traveling, social isolation, deterioration of the family role, and insecurity in managing their ostomy.