My mother has been diagnosed with a stricture of the sigmoid colon due to diverticulosis and has been told she requires a resection. The doctor feels that is will very likely be necessary to perform the procedure as a two part surgery. First the resection and a colostomy, within the next few days. Then a colostomy reversal about 8 weeks later. The reasoning for this is that her bowels are not clear since the stricture had made it difficult for her to pass stool and this would increase the chance for infection where the two portions of bowel are joined. We are apprehensive of a colostomy as that would require two major surgeries and the fact that she just had an ileostomy reversed in November. Her ileostomy was necessary because of a perforation she got after a hysterectomy, which was due to ovarian abscesses. We can't help but wonder if there is an alternative approach that would make it possible to do the resection in a single surgery. In addition to the diverticulosis it seems she may also have a rectovaginal fistula, as off and on she has been seeing what appears to be stool coming from her vagina.