I had my colectomy and surprise colostomy on May 6th of this year. It went necrotic and receded dangerously deep! I had a revision on June 6th. It is now healthy and bright pink/red! My issue is, Fred (yes, I named it lol) is an inny. A deep inny. I use deep convex flanges, but the poo still finds its way underneath and causes skin breakdown. It has delayed my chemo, and I've tried several ways to keep this from happening. My ostomy nurse has exhausted her ideas as well. Does anyone have any experience with this? I would be most grateful for any advice or positive experiences. Thanks 🩷
deehopson74
Jul 13, 2025 10:18 pm
corlsharonl49
Jul 13, 2025 10:28 pm
I wish I had advice, but I don't. Maybe someone here will. I do wish you the best of luck.
Dwild-WA
Jul 13, 2025 11:26 pm
Oh my God, do I have experience with this! Mine is also very much an inny. Mine is also in a place where my belly creases when I sit up, and my latest device is a less convex Convatec product (I listed it elsewhere), so it bends with me, along with a protective sheet for the skin areas that get most irritated. This is from just a few days of wearing the new bag that is much more comfortable and much less likely for the poo to find its way underneath the device instead of into the bag. I do use skin protectant both before I put the bioderm stuff on and after it's on; then I make sure to push with my warm thumb on the spot just below my stoma so the bag is securely fastened there and at the sides. This new bag has really allowed my skin to heal, and I am able to move much easier, so I hope my experience might help you!
MeetAnOstoMate is a remarkable community of 41,411 members.
“Every morning with my coffee, I read here and feel wrapped in warmth - I hardly post, but it still feels like family.”
“Our oncologist literally wrote down the link; they said more patients need this website.”
“This place pulled me out of the dark. I went from lurking to living again.”
“At 3am, someone’s awake somewhere in the world. I’m never alone here.”
Posted by: Bagface
Angelica- As usual, you've written another interesting post. February 5th, 2019, was my reversal surgery after having an ileo for 6 months. I'm one of those fortunate success stories. Of course, things are different now, and I still have to be careful about what and how much I eat, as I don't have a colon. At first, I was afraid to leave the house. My biggest fear was having to use a public bathroom and have the toilet not flush! Even now, when I know that I'll be in someone else's home, I won't eat anything beforehand. I read other people's stories and sometimes feel guilty for having had it so easy, not to mention that I have a significant other who is 100 percent supportive. I've gotten so much out of this website and truly feel for those of you who have it so much worse than I. But I feel it necessary to let folks hear about the success stories.
lclark5585
Jul 14, 2025 3:13 am
Gracious…surgery can't change that?
My ileostomy is very flat, and I was told to be careful about weight gain because it could cause the stoma to recede. It's problematic enough simply being flat!
I'm sorry for your troubles. Maybe keep looking for a surgeon who can help you.
Advertisement
Hollister
In addition to your pouching system, you may require the use of an ostomy accessory to enhance the performance of your system.
Learn more about ostomy accessories, and when to use them.
Learn more about ostomy accessories, and when to use them.
Justbreathe
Jul 14, 2025 2:10 pm
Kudos to you for sharing this pic…altho, I do not have this problem, I now can fully understand what those who do have it are referring to when asking for advice. Your post on this site is EXACTLY what is so very helpful to those who deal with ostomies. Bravo for your share…jb
Dwild-WA
Jul 14, 2025 6:54 pm
My surgeon told me that she was unable to locate the fascia to fasten the stoma to and said it might be a result of previous surgeries or chemo; she didn't know which. The fascia is the stuff that covers the muscles, and I've had multiple surgeries, one of them being emergency surgery, so who knows. During chemo, I was asked to NOT lose weight, so I didn't lose much. The ultimate goal is to reconnect me, so she wasn't too worried about the result. I just had to figure out how to deal with it and have now come up with a solution that mostly works. I changed it again today (Monday) even though I just changed it on Saturday, mostly because I had a lot of time today where I could leave it open to the air. Maybe when I meet with her at the end of the month to discuss reconnection possibilities, she will tell me to lose weight, but in the meantime, I am eating more healthily and moving more.
kerrycookie95
Jul 20, 2025 3:08 pm
Mine is so small now. I am having surgery on it. My Reggie is a little shit, literally, and my surgeon can't even do an examination on him. He can't get his little finger in to feel inside, so it's not good, he said. I am waiting for them to have an MDT meeting and plan because I need a feeding tube as well. Good luck, and you possibly need a review. xxx