A LIVE VIRTUAL PRESENTATION ON JULY 16: Colostomy as an option for Bowel Management in Spinal Cord Injury individuals

Dr. Kazuko Shem

For many individuals with a spinal cord injury, their Bowel Management program could be a nightmare scenario, whether you're newly-injured or a veteran of SCI. The unpredictability, fear of eating certain food groups, insertion of medicinal interventions, digital stimulation of the rectum and other concerns can be time consuming, inconsistent, exhaustive, stressful and embarrassing. One potential solution, a Colostomy procedure, has come a long way, yet there is a lot of misconception and mystery around it and on Thurs., July 16th at 5 p.m. PT, Dr. Kazuko Shem, will address this topic and help demystify it for those who have just about had it with their current bowel management routine.

Nurse Kulwinder Gill

In this hour-long presentation, Dr. Shem will discuss and explain:
-- how the surgical procedure is done
-- who can benefit from it
-- how to manage it
-- pros and cons
-- take your questions

Dr. Shem is the Chief of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Clinic at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, one of the top spinal cord injury rehab hospitals in the country. She joined the PM&R department in 1998 at SCVMC. Her interests are in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Electrodiagnostics, General Rehabilitation, and clinical research. She is predominantly involved clinically in seeing patients in the PM&R clinic and performing Electrodiagnostic studies. Her research focuses include community reintegration and quality of life after SCI and electrodiagnostic medicine as it applies to neurological conditions.

Dr. Shem will be joined by Kulwinder Gill, an experienced Wound and Ostomy Care Nurse, with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Kulwinder spends a lot of time teaching patients, caregivers, families, nurses and her cohorts about Wound and Ostomy care, management of related issues and management of patient’s Ostomy concerns before and after patient discharge from the hospital.

This free virtual event is part of “NorCal SCI’s Virtual is the New Reality Series”. To attend, you must register in advance HERE. Once you register, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail from us which you should keep for access information to the virtual event.