Before an ostomy surgery, you may have a lot of questions regarding what a stoma is and how to manage it properly. In this article, we will discuss the types of stomas and how to take care of them properly.
What is a stoma?
In a literal sense, a stoma is an opening that your doctor creates on your abdomen to reroute the passage of wastes away from their natural pathway. This alternative pathway essentially bypasses a diseased segment of the excretory tract. A stoma either connects ureters or intestines to the outside of the body.
Looks and feel of the stoma
A stoma is generally quite swollen right after surgery. Its size, however, reduces gradually over time. It takes about six weeks for the stoma to settle down to a permanent shape and size.
The color of the stoma may range from pink to red. This color is due to the mucous membrane, which is also present at the inside of the mouth. Due to the absence of any nerve endings, a stoma doesn’t have any sensation, which means that it is not painful to touch. There can be a little bleeding when you clean the stoma, especially in the first few weeks after surgery, but it is not something to worry about. The bleeding should stop in a minute or two.
Understanding the digestive and urinary system
The digestive system
When you eat, your food travels down to the stomach through a food pipe. The stomach churns the food into pieces, and digestive juices there turn solid bits into the liquid.
The food then travels to the small intestine where absorption of nutrients takes place. These nutrients are supplies to the other organs.
The leftover waste materials move to the large intestine where absorption of moisture and electrolytes takes place. The large intestine turns liquid waste into a solid material, which is then expelled out through the anus.
The urinary system
The urinary system consists of kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Kidneys filter blood to extract urine, which is transported to the bladder through two small tubes called ureters. When the bladder fills with urine, you feel the need to urinate. The bladder squeezes to push urine to the urethra, from where it leaves the body.
Impact of a stoma on daily life
You will need some time to recover from the impact of stoma surgery. It generally takes six weeks for your bowel to adapt to its shortened length. Until you achieve that recovery, you are going to need to follow some restrictions to ensure proper prevention of complications.
The first thing that you are going to have to learn is the use of an ostomy pouch. An ostomy pouch fits over the stoma to collect waste materials. When this bag is full, you will need to empty or discard it, depending on the type of ostomy appliance you are using.
The skin of the stoma holds a key value in an ostomy care regimen. The optimum health of the peristomal skin allows the ostomy appliance to adhere to the body properly. You do not want this part of the skin to develop an irritation or any other complications.
You will need to follow a few food restrictions during the six-week period after surgery. These restrictions will help you avoid any complications related to digestion. In case you have a urostomy, you will not have to follow many food restrictions.
You may want to remain in touch with your ostomy care nurse or doctor to find answers to any questions that you may have in your mind.
