Two days before the temporary C-tube insertion, the patient is put
on a clear fluid diet.

The night before admission to the hospital, the patient takes a
special bowel medication to completely empty the colon.

On the morning of the procedure, the patient is admitted to the
hospital and given intravenous antibiotics. This is done to help
prevent any infections related to the insertion procedure.

Two hours before the tube placement procedure, an anesthetic
cream will be applied to the patient’s right lower abdomen to
numb the skin.

Immediately before the procedure, the patient may be sedated and
the physician will also inject a local anesthetic into the abdominal wall.

The physician uses a needle to create a tract (a passage) between
the skin and the bowel. Then a tube is inserted through this tract
into the cecum (the first part of the large bowel–figure 1a, page 12).
The external part of the tube is taped into position on the patient’s
abdomen.

Once the tube is in place, it is flushed with a saline (salt water) solution.

The entire procedure takes only about 30 - 45 minutes. Then
the patient will remain in the hospital two days for intravenous
antibiotic therapy.