Stoma Revision Surgery: Questions and Experiences

Hi!
I haven't posted in a while.
I have posted previously about having a retracted stoma. I spoke with my surgeon yesterday and he wants my surgery done in 6-10 weeks to bring my stoma out and also fix the hole in my stomach left from having vac therapy for 4 months.

For anyone that has had the surgery, would you mind answering a few questions?
How long were you in surgery and in the hospital?
How was the pain compared to the initial surgery?
How long did it take you to feel better?
Anything else would be brilliant too.
Thank you

Hi there

To me, it was just like any other abdominal incision. I was in for five days, I think, and realistically, it takes months before everything feels okay. Don't be in any sort of hurry. If the new stoma is to be in the same location, it will be a larger diameter than your current one.

Axl

I had an ileostomy revision in 2011.  I found it to be much, much less traumatic because I'd been through it before and I knew what to expect.  I hated the tubes and the other familiar accouterments that are always a part of surgery, and I was in the hospital for a week or so.  But I'd been living with a stoma for years at that point; I marked the exact spot where I wanted the new stoma.  I continued using the same Hollister supplies that I'd already come to depend upon.  The elephant in the room, so to speak, is whether you get a surgeon who knows what he's doing.  Sometimes your pre-surgical conferences with him will give you a comfort level about that...  I wish you the best going forward.  

Hi Beth, I had revision surgery a few years ago as my stoma had atrophied and was causing blockages. I was in for 11 days and came home with 5 incisions as the surgeon started out laparoscopically and then had to open me up due to scar tissue. Also, the stoma was moved from right to left side. I didn't feel normal for months.

Thank you so much.
It should be in the same just pulled out if things go well.
This will be my 12th abdominal surgery but the other 11 happened in 11 weeks when I was in hospital and very unwell. So this feels scarier knowing I'll be with it more

Thank you so much.
My other surgeries (11) were all in the same hospital stay when I was very unwell, so it scares me going into the hospital and being more with it if that makes sense.
My stoma should be in the same place just pulled out. I've had my stoma for just over a year now.
Thank you.

Thank you. I'll be opened back up through my midline wound so I will have a very large incision. Worried about how I'll be feeling

Hi Beth,

I had my revision two weeks ago. They planned on just pulling my stoma out a bit, but were prepared to open me up if things didn't go as planned (and I figured they wouldn't). I ended up somewhere in the middle. They were able to pull out my stoma enough, but also found the beginnings of a hernia and needed to make a 5" incision to fix it.....so less than being fully opened up, but not nothing as we hoped for. I also didn't get the epidural this time...........but didn't really need it. I don't do pain meds, but it really wasn't that bad. The first day hurts a bit when you engage your abdomen, otherwise.......if you sit still......it's fine. My hernia incision ended up getting infected.......and that hurt more than things healing. There was really no pain around the stoma to speak of........it was all from the incision to fix the hernia.

If you know you're going to be opened up.........get the epidural.......it's a game changer. Best of luck to ya!!! Let us know how it goes!

;O)