Experiences with Parastomal Hernia Post-Op

Hiya,

I hope everyone is well.

I'm 9 weeks post-op, and unfortunately, I developed a hernia a few weeks ago. Can anyone tell me their experience with a parastomal hernia? 😞

Hello Catherine

I will be brief - although my answers could be extensive.

My advice - return to your original surgeon ASAP - he/she may be able to go in simply - on the principle of a stitch in time - depends on your situation.

Best advice: ring your hospital team directly - rather than wait for a re-referral - dependent upon your original presenting symptoms, you may get a faster solution in this manner.

Edit:

I agree with the two next replies... The bottom line is DO NOT LIFT ANY WEIGHT - including grocery shopping, etc. It does not have to be a mega heavy weight to cause a push through - because once a stoma is formed, in effect that is the first 'weakness' where the muscle is cut and thus subsequent pressure on the abdominal wall can so very easily cause a/further hernia/s. 

Even when a series are repaired surgically, using reinforcing mesh, a section of our remaining gut can push through where the stoma exits... and so the KEY IS CONSERVATIVE MANAGEMENT - if you can feel a resistance upon an attempted lift of anything - DON'T LIFT IT! 

... And yes, we all think, it will be OK just this once if I am careful... BUT it's easy to think I told you so / I knew I shouldn't have lifted that! ... By then the damage is done and so it is, that a high percentage of us have a hernia - so be warned and be very very kind to yourself - only lift a kettle!

Hope this helps.

Good luck

Best wishes

Jayne

Sorry to hear that you have had this experience so soon after surgery as it just adds one more concern while you are still adapting to having your ostomy. I had the same experience, likely from a bad cough I had at about the same time as your hernia. My WOC nurse suggested a Nu-Hope hernia belt that has a hole cut to go around the stoma. It goes on in such a way as to surround and push down on the edges of the flange. I found it to be very comfortable and a good way to prevent further growth in the hernia. My hernia was repaired during my reversal surgery, which I don't know of course if that is part of your plan. I agree that you should speak to your surgical team about when and how they would like to address it. A CT scan would help to confirm the hernia and its extent. Wishing you well. The good news for me is that the hernia, while a worry for me, didn't affect day-to-day life very much. It did limit how much weight I could lift and I didn't love the look of it, but it was ok and repairable in the end.

At the start of my hernia, I was prescribed a hernia belt that has a hole for your bag to go through. Because I was lifting at work, it got worse. My doctor tried stitch repairing when he took down my temporary ileostomy and removed my colon and rectum and gave me an end ileostomy. The stitch repair did not hold up. I acquired another hernia at the new stoma site, and so now I had actually three hernias because I had an umbilical hernia before all the stoma even came about. I had it all repaired eventually with mesh due to blockages. Three years now. Had I known, I would have never taken a job with lifting requirements. But I'm okay now.