To catbaloo76: I was 79 when ileostomy was placed. 6 months later ileostomy was reversed--at that point I was 80. I would have died if I hadn't had the first surgery--but my near death experience was caused by my condition (volvulus), not by the surgery. The surgery saved my life. As far as I know, there's no medical necessity to reverse an ostomy if you don't want to, though I'd ask your doctor about this.

I spent about week in the hospital after the reversal surgery, mostly because they won't let you go home until you have a bowel movement--and it took that long for my bowels to start working again.