Ostomy & IBD, plainly
Sourced explainers — slower and cited, not breaking news.
What the 2026 AGA hemorrhoid update says — and why not every anal symptom is a hemorrhoid
A new American Gastroenterological Association Clinical Practice Update puts fibre, fluids and not straining first for symptomatic hemorrhoids, reserves procedures and surgery for higher grades — and is a reminder that bleeding from the bottom should be checked, not assumed.
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Does cannabis help inflammatory bowel disease? What a June 2026 systematic review of THC actually found
Cannabis is one of the most widely used self-treatments among people with IBD, but a new systematic review built to Cochrane standards found that THC-containing cannabis showed no effect on remission or endoscopic healing — only low-certainty signals for bloating and appetite — and concluded that the overall evidence remains inconclusive.
Bowel-wall ultrasound at week 4–8: a 2026 systematic review on whether intestinal ultrasound can flag treatment response in IBD early — and the parts the same review keeps small
A 2026 systematic review and pooled data analysis in the Journal of Crohn's & Colitis brings together 31 studies (18 Crohn's disease, 9 ulcerative colitis, 4 acute severe ulcerative colitis) on intestinal ultrasound as a non-invasive way to predict treatment response. In anti-TNF-treated Crohn's patients, a roughly 23% drop in bowel wall thickness at week 4–8 carried an AUROC of 0.82 for predicting later response — useful, but heterogeneous studies and small UC/ASUC subsets mean this is a research-direction read-out, not a personal decision rule.
JAK inhibitors for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis: what a 2026 meta-analysis found — and the long-term questions that remain
A May 2026 meta-analysis pooled 14 placebo-controlled trials of Janus kinase inhibitors in adults with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. Short-term efficacy looked substantial across clinical and endoscopic measures; short-term safety mirrored placebo; the long-term safety questions stay open by the authors' own admission.
AI-guided decisions on a temporary ileostomy in rectal cancer surgery: what a 2026 randomized trial showed — and the caveat its authors put in plain sight
A May 2026 randomized controlled trial in Nature Communications tested a machine-learning tool, RTID, against surgeon discretion to decide whether patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery should also receive a temporary diverting ileostomy. The tool roughly halved the overall stoma rate without an apparent rise in anastomotic leaks — but the same trial was, by the authors' own admission, underpowered to formally prove safety equivalence, and that caveat belongs alongside the headline.
A new target on the horizon: a 2026 systematic review on anti-TL1A therapy for IBD
A May 2026 systematic review in the Journal of Crohn's & Colitis traces TL1A — a molecule the immune system uses to drive gut inflammation — from laboratory work into early clinical trials. It is not yet a treatment people can use. It is something worth knowing is being worked on.
Beyond bacteria: why researchers are now looking at gut viruses and fungi in IBD
A 2026 review argues the gut's viruses and fungi have been comparatively overlooked in inflammatory bowel disease. Here's what that does — and does not — mean for patients.
Practical living
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Going home within 24 hours after loop ileostomy reversal: what a 2026 systematic review found — and where the data still has gaps
A May 2026 systematic review in the International Journal of Colorectal Disease pooled data from 12 studies covering 30,040 patients and found no statistically significant increase in serious complications for early discharge after loop ileostomy reversal — but the authors urge caution while better-designed trials catch up.
Drinking against the bag: what a 2026 scoping review says about oral rehydration solutions and the ileostomy hydration problem
Staying hydrated with an ileostomy is harder than it looks, and plain water isn't always the answer. A 2026 scoping review surveys what the evidence actually shows on using oral rehydration solutions to manage the fluid and electrolyte side of ileostomy life — and where the gaps still are.
Eating less to feel safer: what a 2026 review says about over-restricting your diet with an ileostomy
Many people with an ileostomy quietly cut food down to avoid problems. A 2026 nutrition review looks at what that trade-off can cost — and why blanket restriction is not the same as good management.
Ostomy complications, grouped: what a 2026 clinical review lists — and why it points to your care team
A 2026 clinical review catalogues the known ostomy complications into earlier and later ones. It's a map of what exists, not a checklist for self-diagnosis — and that distinction matters.
Nutrition
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Which supplements actually have evidence in ulcerative colitis? What a 2026 network meta-analysis found — and what it didn't
People with ulcerative colitis often ask which supplement is worth trying. A 2026 network meta-analysis pooled 24 small trials of 14 different supplements; the headline is more careful than the headlines.
A liquid-only diet for Crohn's: what a 2026 review says about exclusive enteral nutrition in adults
Feeding the gut only formula for a few weeks can calm a Crohn's flare — well established in children. A 2026 review asks how strong the evidence really is in adults, and where the catch is.
Could GLP-1 drugs help with a high-output stoma? What a 2026 review actually found
GLP-1 receptor agonists — the drug class behind weight-loss headlines — are being looked at for high-output stomas. A 2026 scoping review says the early signal is interesting but the evidence is still thin.
Awareness & community
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Life after pelvic exenteration: what a 2026 systematic review of 23 studies says about quality of life, body image, and living with a stoma
Pelvic exenteration is one of the most radical operations in gynaecological cancer care, and it usually leaves a person with one or two stomas. A 2026 systematic review brought together 23 studies (1,655 patients) on quality of life afterward. The honest picture: overall quality of life often stabilised or recovered beyond six months, but sexual function, body image — frequently tied to stoma formation — and psychological distress commonly stayed worse. No randomized trials existed and most studies carried a serious risk of bias, so this is a careful synthesis of observational evidence, not proof of cause.
When the tumour sits very low: what a 2026 review says about sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer
For rectal cancers very close to the anus, the hardest surgical question is whether the muscle that gives you control — the sphincter — can be kept, or whether removing it (and living with a permanent colostomy) is the safer way to clear the cancer. A 2026 narrative review surveys six sphincter-preserving techniques: most reach acceptable cancer-control outcomes, but bowel function afterwards stays the main concern, and the newest method rests on small studies. This is a survey of options, not a ranking — and the right answer is individual.
Does filling the colon with water make colonoscopy easier? What a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 trials actually found
Water infusion — filling the colon with warm water instead of air or CO2 — has been studied as a gentler way to do a colonoscopy. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 30 randomized trials: it found no difference in adenoma detection, reaching the cecum, or procedure time, but fewer people needed on-demand sedation (risk ratio 0.61) or abdominal pressing (risk ratio 0.65). A comfort finding, not a detection upgrade — and whether it's offered depends on your endoscopy unit.
Ear, nose and throat signs in IBD: what a 2026 systematic review actually documents
Joints, eyes and skin are the extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease that most people have heard of. A 2026 systematic review pulls together the ear, nose and throat side of the picture — uncommon, mostly documented in small case series, but consistent enough that the authors think clinicians should be looking.
Microbiota and FMT in IBD: what a 2026 systematic review actually surveys
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease hear a lot about the gut microbiome and about fecal microbiota transplantation — sometimes presented as a quiet cure, sometimes dismissed as fringe. A 2026 systematic review pulls the current literature together and draws a more honest picture: established for one infection, still investigational for IBD itself.
Does IBD play a role in cognitive decline? What a 2026 systematic review of 66 studies actually says
Brain fog and forgetfulness are something the IBD community has talked about for years. A new 2026 systematic review pools 66 studies and finds the link is real enough to take seriously — and small enough, still, that the careful word in every sentence is 'associated'.