Experiences with a Small, Flat Stoma

Hello everyone,

You were all so wonderful and supportive in my last question; thank you.

I have a very small stoma, most of the time flat. It works okay, though; I poop plenty.

Does anyone else have a similar size stoma and can tell me it's okay?

Regards, x

G-Day Pamela,

My stoma is only 15 mm in diameter and only protrudes about 10 mm, but it also works OK. Only do something about it if you start having problems.

Regards, IGGIE

Hi Pamela, You don't say what kind of ostomy you have, but if it's an ileostomy, your stoma will be smaller because it's a portion of your ileum that is used to create it. It's supposed to be that way. I started out with a colostomy, and my stoma was bigger than the one I now have with an ileostomy. As long as it's working well and sticks out far enough that you aren't having issues with leaking, it's all good.

Terry

I have a retracted stoma; it looks like an extra belly button! The opening is very small, so my doctors have asked me to use a dilator set to help stretch it back open some. They cannot currently get a colonoscopy camera through it.

I too have an ‘inny'; it was really deep to start (I'd gone down to barely 50 kg prior to surgery 12 weeks ago). I've thankfully gained around 10 kg now, and it's a little further out. The hole is tiny, and I often get pain when pooping. It's a very neat one but definitely small, maybe only 1.3/4 cm across, and it's only just over 1 cm top to bottom (it's oval, not round, too). My surgeon has told me it's very normal. So far, I've been lucky as I have loose stools. I do not want to get constipated, lol! I ate a bit of sweet corn the other day; I won't be doing that again.
To be honest, all our bodies are so very different. The USA also uses very different approaches and procedures, which result in different ‘visual' outcomes.

Avoiding Ostomy Bag Leaking | Managing Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden