How do you deal with granulomas around your ostomy? My surgeon said to just leave them there but they bleed when I'm changing my bag and I have to cut the hole a little larger.
cdm
Mar 15, 2021 12:40 pm
Bill
Mar 15, 2021 3:35 pm
Hello cdm.
For years I had to cut my flanges in peculiar shapes to accommodate the changes in my stoma. I just thought that it was a small price to pay for the comfort and convenience of having a stoma rather than the alternative.
Best wishes
Bill
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Mar 15, 2021 10:24 pm
If you have any ability to see a WOCN -we usually treat granulomas with silver nitrate. It can take a few treatments depending on the size but since the stoma has no nerve endings it doesn't really hurt but can really help get rid of them by shrinking them back down
to locate a WOCN in your area contact your local support group/Facebook group to see if they know who sees patients outpt or call your local hospital and ask to speak to the in- patient wocn and they should know who/where any outpt wocn are locally. Sometimes the inpt wocn will see you even though they don't advertise having a true clinic
WOCN nurse 👩⚕️
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w30bob
Mar 15, 2021 11:44 pm
Hi cdm,
The WOCN nurse above hit it on the head. Silver Nitrate sticks. I'm not agreeing with her on the "no nerve endings and it not hurting" part, but they will do the trick. Took me a about 5 or 6 barrier changes (every other day), but they did get rid of the granulomas. You can get them pretty cheaply on Amazon, or other places online.....no prescription needed. I ordered a hundred just to keep a bunch onhand, but you can order 5 or 10 or whatever. They look like really long matchsticks and they can be reused a few times before all the silver nitrate is used up on each stick. The silver nitrate will liquify when it contacts moisture, so you just touch the the head of the stick to each granuloma. It does burn, but just for a couple seconds or so. Maybe if the granulomas are on surrounding skin there's no pain, but mine were right on my stoma.......and it'll make you grit your teeth. So have at it!!
regards,
bob