Advice for Barbie Butt Surgery and Coping with Perma-C Ostomy

They kept my stoma in the same spot. Yes, I did not have a hernia though, so I'm not sure how that would have affected things. Hernia aside, I don't know if it's common to move the stoma, let alone when a hernia is present. No clue how your surgeon will do it all, but it sounds like they've got a plan. Don't blame you for just wanting to get it done. Sorry I'm not much help on that, but best of luck!

The less stomach fat the better so the stoma is less likely to herniate.

Surgeons don't like moving a stoma, unless it's going from a colostomy on the left to an ileostomy on the right.

It's very important not to get constipation as outflow can get restricted and cause..... "all sorts of problems".

I appreciate your input very much! Thank you for your reply!

Hi guys, maybe it's useful to compare notes! I had an ileostomy in January which went badly from the start. 9 weeks ago, I had the ileostomy converted to a colostomy and the hernia and prolapse that I had developed repaired. I had my rectum and anus removed and everything below the colostomy.

I have had no life since January with dreadful problems with an overactive ileostomy and huge rectal discharge issues. I am just beginning to feel a little more normal again but still exhausted and not able to do much without being sore.

The surgery was extremely difficult and painful, but I have spinal issues and much metal work in my lumbar spine as well as a reconstructed neck, so all my aches and pains got out of control when I had the surgery. This was not an easy process, and I'm not sure I could face any more surgery now.

The colostomy bag is, I think, less pleasant to deal with than the ileostomy and needs changing often as it tends to pancake and get very sticky. I miss not being able to empty it easily. The barbie butt has healed but is tight and uncomfortable in some places, and there are skin flaps hanging in others which get sore.

Overall, I guess I am improved as I could not have kept going with the rectum problems, and I had angry polyps of a malignant kind which needed removing, so I guess I had no other options. My colon hasn't worked properly for years since my spinal issues, so I have no idea now what normal is or should be. I'd just say go into the surgery with your eyes open and don't let the medical professional fob you off, ask lots of questions! The surgeon put my stoma exactly on my waistband, which is very uncomfortable and difficult to dress normally with.

So I had my entire colon and most of my rectum removed, but somewhere between 5-10cm of the very end is still in me. I get that removed in 3 months... I get a Barbie butt for Christmas. And then chemo, the heavy hard stuff. After the Barbie butt surgery, how will a 2-hour drive home feel on my rear end?

I had a 1-hour 20-minute drive home from the hospital. A friend came for me who had a lovely old Volvo with leather seats that reclined right back, so we packed cushions and pillows, and I virtually laid down in the front seat. My friend, whose husband was driving, kept the chat going, and they distracted me and put up with my complaining hospital stories about the dramas of the previous two weeks, and that got me home. I was exhausted but so pleased to have escaped the hospital, I didn't care. The hospital would have kept me longer, but I just wanted to get out of there, and I'm very glad that I made that decision to get home. I am 10 weeks post-op now, and it has not been easy. I have only just now started to feel closer to me and without serious pain, although some lingering, and I'm still on a soup of medication. My Barbie butt healed reasonably well, although still some tight sore places and a couple of uncomfortable random skin tags. My stomach wound got infected, so I needed antibiotics and the district nurse for quite a few weeks. Now I'm just surprised how little stamina I have, and I just seem to be exhausted all the time, but I'm told that is normal. I had an ileostomy converted to a colostomy, and I must say I dislike the colostomy to manage and am struggling with sticky pancaking all the time and constant bag changing as a result, whereas with the ileostomy, I could just drain and empty it, so it never really got bulky. The colostomy is much more obvious in my mind, although friends assure me it is not a problem. I am very conscious of it, but it is right on my waistline, which is a nuisance as well. I don't think the journey will be too much for you so long as you can put the seat back and get in a position to keep your weight off your bum as little sideways! Hope this helps...good luck

Hi

I had Barbie butt done on June 28th. I was in the hospital for two weeks, and now I'm pretty much healed. I can't sit on a hard chair, but otherwise I'm good. I'm glad I had it done.