Q: Sir, My son has imperforate anus and undewent colostomy at a private hospital in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. I am very worried. Please guide me.

A:The first thing to do is not to get worried. The appropriate emergency treatment has been done. Managing a colostomy looks difficult but between your doctor and you, things will work out. Nothing will need to be done for the next 3-4 months. Then your doctor will do a special x-ray study to determine the severity of the defect in terms of how high the rectum is ending and if there is a connection with the urinary tract. After that, anytime from 4-9 months your doctor will plan a definitive operation to create the new anus. Once that is achieved and healed, which is usually 6-8 weeks, the colostomy will be closed. It is also worthwhile to mention that your doctor will do tests in between to find out if there are other internal defects like those in the heart or kidneys.