Background: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects rectum and colon, and goes in periods of remission and relapse. 

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe patients’ experiences of living with ulcerative colitis.

Method: The method was a literature study based on ten qualitative articles found from the databases Cinahl and PubMed. The articles were analyzed using a five- step method. 

Results: First theme that emerged was ”the changed life and body” with the subthemes ”lack of control over the body” and ”adaptions to the new life situation”. The second theme was ”an understanding of the disease” with the subthemes ”the need for information” and ”the importance of support”. 

Conclusion: The conclusion of the study is that patients’ experiences a lack of information about how the disease will look like and how it will come and affect daily life. It came to the conclusion that social support and increased knowledge is an important factor. Therefore, nursing can be of great importance here in presenting the information about the disease.

PURPOSE; Prospectively longitudinal study of the frequency and type of stoma-related complications after stoma construction in emergency surgery. METHOD; 153 patients were operated acutely with a colostomy, ileostomy or loop-ileostomy formation between April 2003 and March 2005 at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. The postoperative follow up took place in the ward and another five times two years after discharge. On these occasions diameter, height and shape of the ostomy were recorded. Peristomal skin problems, necrosis, leakage due to low ostomy, stenosis, granuloma, prolapse and peristomal hernia were evaluated. Use of convexity appliance was also documented. RESULTS were based on 144 patients 85 women and 59 men with a median age of 67 (range 23-98) years. The ostomy diameter size was postoperatively on the ward median 34 (r 22-80) mm but had reduced to 25 (r 22-60) mm in two weeks. Postoperatively on the ward 31% of colostomy was oval, and 24% of the ileostomy. After 12 months was 21% of the colostomy oval. Irrespective of ostomy types the most common complication was skin problems, most frequent in those with loop ileostomy (48%) hernia was most common in patients with colostomy (26%) at 12 months of follow-up. A patient may have developed more complications such as necrosis of stomin as the cause of this even skin problems. The patients with ileostomy used convexity appliance common in 6 month (67%) and the patients with colostomy in one year (29%). CONCLUSION This study shows that while skin problems dominated in ileostomy patients (48% in loop ileostomies) peristomal hernia was the most common complication in colostomy patients (26%). Early stoma nurse assistance in the acute phase and regular postoperative follow-up subsequently is very important.