Pus Coming Out Around Side of Stoma

So I have pretty good green pus coming out around my 11-day-old ileostomy. I went to primary care, and she said there is some sort of abscess or pus pocket that has formed. I may need readmission and a CT scan; I'm waiting to hear back from the surgeon! I feel like I tried to do everything right, and everything is going wrong. Did anyone else deal with infection around the stoma post-surgery, and it turned out okay?

Not near my stoma, but I did have an abscess on my butt shortly after Barbie butt surgery. It wound up bursting by itself. I was put on antibiotics, and all was good after. I suppose these things happen. It's good you're having it looked at. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry.

I just went to an urgent care facility for knee pain on Saturday. I was told to follow up with an orthopedic surgeon, which I did. It would have helped to know he stopped doing surgery years ago. I mean, why waste each other's time, right?

So he sends me to his guy next week. Without any follow-up care for knee pain. Hmm.

Moral of the story? Know who you're needed to see. See them. P.C.P. you saw, you think she knows about stomas? Green pus? My first instinct is bile. Not good, amigo. What's your output look like?

You are doing the right thing by having it checked by your doctor/hospital right away.

Take care

It does sound like an abscess. I didn't have one near my stoma, but I did have a pelvic abscess caused by a small bowel fistula right after my surgery.

If it turns out to be an abscess, it probably isn't anything you did wrong. These things can just happen.

My Ostomy Journey: LeeAnne | Hollister

Often, there are teething problems at the start; being caught early, hopefully, will make it easier to sort out. Yes, all around my stoma opened up and had a moat around it, healed by itself. Yours probably won't open up, and being almost 40 years ago, I had an open surgery wound from the top to the bottom of my stomach that opened up. These things are sent to test us, but it's worth it all in the end. Keep on fighting.

Hi, thanks. My surgeon and GI are 2 hours away, so my PCP offered to see me, who then sent me right back to the hospital. It's a suture line infection, not actually coming out of the stoma.

Ahh.. that makes sense. Good. You got it seen ASAP.. sometimes you have no choice. Both the surgeon and G.I. probably couldn't see you until next week. So you got this. Good luck.

See a medic as quickly as possible for antibiotics; flucloxacillin sounds appropriate, but get some quickly or you'll get sepsis, which is no fun. Please, please see a health professional as soon as possible. Green pus is not good.

Hi, did they give you antibiotics? If not, you really need to get immediate attention; you can't afford to get an infection inside your abdomen.

Best wishes, Jennifer

Hi, it's Jennifer again. I didn't read Queenie's post. She is spot on.

These are also common. I'm glad you got it seen so quickly.

That is what happened to me shortly after I got out of the hospital. They threw us all out Christmas Eve, so I was on my own for 8 days, not knowing how to change my barrier and bag. So by the time the ostomy nurse came, my stoma had shrunk quite a bit, and the acid had eaten into my skin. It took a while before the pain started, and then it swelled, and finally, when I pressed the sore area, pus came out where the skin met the stoma. Cellulitis feels like the worst sunburn you've ever had. It took 2 courses of antibiotics to clear it up. It's very dangerous, especially if you are on immunosuppressants. I check my stoma size all the time to make sure there is a tiny dime width of space, as any bigger and my skin gets eaten. Hollister has oval-shaped templates on their website, which were good for me as I have a loop colostomy.

I'm so sorry this happened to you, Kyle. I hope you submitted a complaint; surely it counts as negligence. I hope everything is going well for you now and that the upcoming Christmas will be good.

Thanks. I don't blame the nurses as it's not their fault the management doesn't plan the workforce better.