OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of colostomy on bowel function and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

SETTING: Department for Spinal Cord Injuries and Departments of Gastroenterology and Radiology, Rigshospitalet.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen individuals with SCI and a colostomy performed post injury, 12 males, 6 females, 8 with tetraplegia and 10 with paraplegia. Median age at time of study was 49.9 years, years since lesion was 3-56 years, and time since colostomy was performed 0.5 to 20 years.

INTERVENTIONS: Questionnaires and measurement of gastrointestinal transit time (GITT).

OUTCOME MEASURES: Retrospective data collection from patient records, a questionnaire on bowel management pre and post colostomy, quality of life (QoL) by SF-36, and GITT.

RESULTS: Seventy-two percent significantly reduced their use of time on bowel emptying after the colostomy. All but one reported being content with the colostomy. Thirty-nine percent reported one or more problems related to the colostomy. Seventy-five percent had a GITT within normal range for able-bodied populations. When disregarding the physical component, QoL was not significantly lower in the total study group compared to a Danish norm group, but significantly lower when compared the subgroup of persons with tetraplegia.

CONCLUSION: A colostomy reduces the time necessary for bowel management. The majority of individuals with SCI and a colostomy did not perceive bowel management as being a problem. The results indicate that colostomy is a favourable option for individuals with SCI, who spend long hours on bowel management and for whom non-invasive procedures did not improve the situation enough.