| Ostomy Care |
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Stoma is the Greek word for ''mouth''. The visible part of the stoma is created by bringing a portion of the inner layer of the small or the large bowel out through a surgically-created opening int the abdomen. A healty stoma is red in color, shiny, warm and wet, just like the lining inside your mouth. The stoma can be round or oval. It may stick out from the body, be flat with your skin surface, or below your skin surface. Every stoma is different.
After your operation, the stoma is usually swollen. The swelling will gradually go away and the stoma will shrink to a more usual size in 6 to 8 weeks after your surgery. Even though it looks like it might be painful, a stoma does not have nerve endings and cannot transmit pain so it does not hurt when it is touched. It is, however, rich in blood vessels and may bleed slightly when you clean the skin around it or rub it. A small amount of bleeding is normal. If bleeding is more than usual, if you see blood in your stool or urine, or you can't stop the bleeding in a few minutes with pressure, contact your healthcare professional.
Source : Convatec Patient Guide |
Recognized by :
- Association Québécoise des personnes stomisées
- Association of Ileostomy and Colostomy Montreal
- Canadian Association of Enterostomal Therapist
- Canadian Association of Colorectal Cancer
- Canadian Association of Persons ostomy
- Canadian Foundation for Crohn's and Colitis
- Fondation Québécoise du Cancer
- Canadian Cancer Society
