After surgery, children are usually ready for their first ACE lavage by the following day. The nursing staff will perform this, watched by the child's mother.

Mum usually does the next lavage, then the child is ready for home, performing daily lavages.

After 6 weeks, mother and child return to the nurse led clinic and the catheter is removed. An ACE stopper is inserted, and you are ready for the regime of intermittent catheterisation.

Some children catheterise their ACE every evening, others do this every other day. Some will use 200ml of fluid, others will use more. The precise volume needed varies from child to child.

On average it takes 25minutes to perform a colonic lavage.