In some situations a patients colostomy may be intended to be temporary. This is usually the case when the bowel just needs time to heal.

Due to improved surgical technical techniques the amount of permanent stomas are declining in favour of temporary ones.

​

The reversal operation can only take place once the bowel has healed and this typically takes at least 12 weeks.

​

If the sphincter muscles are damaged after surgery then reversing the colostomy will cause bowel incontinence and it is not reccomended.

​