Abscess after ostomy surgery: Common occurrence?

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Cplumber

Today I had an abscess show up out of the blue. I have had an ostomy for 22 years and have had abscesses after surgery. I'm wondering if this is a common issue?

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Bill

Hello Cplumber.

I do not know the answer to your question as to whether abscesses are common. However, I Googled 'abscesses around stomas' and came up with lots of information. I also watched a video of a young lady treating her abscess which I found most instructive if a bit gross.  (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDhfBPZuxo4 ). 

Best wishes

Bill

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ron in mich

Hi Cplumber, my sister is currently in the hospital battling an abscess that was drained via needle as it was internal. She has Crohn's but no ostomy.

Tickpol

Well, it depends on where the abscess is.... I have had abscesses on my calf, my armpit, my chest, and my hip. I had to have the doctor lance the ones on my calf and armpit. The one on my chest was mostly on the surface and it opened and drained on its own.

The doctor explained to me that we aren't sterile creatures. There are all sorts of bugs around us that can get on you but do no harm because they never get past your skin and your immunities. But every now and then, one finds a scratch or a pore, and for those of us with compromised immune systems, they stand a fair chance of taking root.

I also have a tendency to abscess at and below my surgical wounds. I have never had an abscess pop up after I've recovered, though.

It doesn't matter where or how you have an abscess; you need to get it looked at. They're like the mouse in the cupboard; it only grows bigger by being ignored.

Dave

Past Member

I'm prone to abscesses internally and externally, mostly around my anus. I currently have 2. Always get them checked to be on the safe side, as they can get very nasty. I've had a few that have gotten very big and had sepsis from 2 of them. The one I had on my thumb caused a bone infection and permanent nerve damage.

 
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sweetemma

I had an abscess develop from the scar of my rectal cancer surgery. In the hospital, immediately after surgery, I developed two nasty infections and was hospitalized for another two months due to these infections and some other complications. About 4 months later, I began feeling pain around the incision area, even though it had healed nicely. I mentioned this pain to my surgeon, for which she ordered a scan to see if there were any problems. Yet, nothing showed up. The pain continued until I noticed a few weeks later that the area was becoming more red, harder to the touch, and warm. I went to the emergency, where they did another scan and there it was, a huge abscess. They had to drain the abscess, then proceeded to have the wound packed daily until it healed. I was on antibiotics for two weeks.

I'm unsure if this is a common issue, but I am on cortisone and that makes me susceptible to any kind of infection.

Mark1070

Certainly get it checked out. It could be a fistula indicating blockage or stricture.

Tickpol


Mark is right and we all should have picked up on it!  A new fistula reaching the surface looks exactly like an abscess.  In fact, the only difference is that a fistula is like a river that flows more frequently and an abscess is more like a lake where the fluid takes time to replenish after draining.  From the outside, they're nearly identical.

Dave

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