I have some bad skin ulcers above my ostomy that are not healing despite every recommendation of my ostomy nurse. It is looking like I will need my stoma relocated. Has anyone had this done? How big of a surgery is this? Do you end up with your stomach split and stapled like with a colostomy?
kbd
Jul 23, 2016 7:11 pm
Mrs.A
Jul 23, 2016 7:25 pm
Hi kbd,
I've not experienced either skin ulcers or a relocation but wow, I never knew they would possibly cause a relocation of the stoma. Why is that, will moving the stoma make it heal better?
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Posted by: Karen & Stella
Fay,
I am one of those few people who still have a lot of output at night. However, I suffer from short gut syndrome after seven bowel surgeries that led to the loss of much of my small intestine as well as my large intestine from the initial bowel cancer surgery. It does get better over time as your system adjusts, but an ileostomy can be a challenging adjustment. It's important to connect with a good Enterostomal Nurse - ET nurses who can help you problem-solve over time. It's been five years since my initial surgery, and I had a great visit with a new ET nurse in December. He really helped me with the problem of high output at night. I had been getting up every 90-120 minutes to empty my high output bag because of filling. If I slept for three hours without emptying, I would have problems. My ET nurse helped my husband and me make a nighttime collection system using a Rubbermaid juice container with a handle and my old CPAP hose. This is connected to one of my two-piece high output bags and allows for continual drainage. It isn't pretty, but it has been a real lifesaver. I guess the real message I want to share is to stick with it, find a nurse who you can work with, and together you will find solutions to whatever challenges you face. This website is also an important support for me and others. There is nothing you will go through that others haven't already faced and figured out. There is so much wisdom here. Read the materials they've put together for newbies. There are a lot of great suggestions to use. I hope things get better quickly for you.
Karen
I am one of those few people who still have a lot of output at night. However, I suffer from short gut syndrome after seven bowel surgeries that led to the loss of much of my small intestine as well as my large intestine from the initial bowel cancer surgery. It does get better over time as your system adjusts, but an ileostomy can be a challenging adjustment. It's important to connect with a good Enterostomal Nurse - ET nurses who can help you problem-solve over time. It's been five years since my initial surgery, and I had a great visit with a new ET nurse in December. He really helped me with the problem of high output at night. I had been getting up every 90-120 minutes to empty my high output bag because of filling. If I slept for three hours without emptying, I would have problems. My ET nurse helped my husband and me make a nighttime collection system using a Rubbermaid juice container with a handle and my old CPAP hose. This is connected to one of my two-piece high output bags and allows for continual drainage. It isn't pretty, but it has been a real lifesaver. I guess the real message I want to share is to stick with it, find a nurse who you can work with, and together you will find solutions to whatever challenges you face. This website is also an important support for me and others. There is nothing you will go through that others haven't already faced and figured out. There is so much wisdom here. Read the materials they've put together for newbies. There are a lot of great suggestions to use. I hope things get better quickly for you.
Karen
kbd
Jul 23, 2016 10:40 pm
I guess the idea is that with the area free of the stoma it will heal more easily. The ulcers are cause by Crohn's Disease, so I guess it makes sense to get the stoma out of the area. The ulcers are right next to the stoma. Everything from collagen patches to silver nitrate sticks have seemed to do nothing but piss the ulcers off at this point. Not looking forward to having my stoma relocated, but running out of options :(
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Charley
Jul 27, 2016 3:48 am
I had a couple of ulcers, one above and one below my stoma, for several weeks after my surgery. We tried all the standard remedies but none worked. We always keep an Aloe plant in the house for medicinal purposes, cuts and scrapes. So, we applied the juice from a leaf of the aloe plant to the ulcers, dried it well, and applied some Stomadhesive powder before replacing the barrier and pouch. We noticed a marked difference at the next change. We continued using the aloe until the ulcers were completely gone. They have not returned. You might want to give this a shot before going ahead with another surgery. It might just work for you as it did for me. Good luck.
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