Stoma

The word stoma comes from the Greek plural stomata and it is an opening that connects the body with the exterior. Stoma may be natural like mouth or formed after a surgery like colostomy.
Sometimes, the treatment of diseases of the digestive or urinary system involves removing all or a part of the small intestine, colon, rectum or bladder. The surgery to create a new opening in the abdomen is called an ostomy. The opening is called a stoma.

There are many different types of ostomies. Some examples are:

%u2022 Ileostomy: The surgeon removes the colon and rectum and joins the bottom of the small intestine (ileum) to the stoma
%u2022 Colostomy: the surgeon removes the rectum and joins the colon to the stoma
%u2022 Urostomy: The surgeon connects the ureters - the tubes that carry urine to the bladder to the small intestine or abdominal wall

Stoma care

There are various types of stoma pouch. Your doctor will recommend what best fits and will learn you how to change it. You be should very careful when you change it in order to avoid complications and you should do that in the toilet. In order to maintain your personal hygiene you should try as much as possible to change the pouch when is not completely full. Your doctor will give you a cream to apply on the area to avoid irritation.

Stoma diet

Stoma diet is a different depending on the kind of surgery you had. In all cases is very important to drink a lot of water to maintain hydratation. It is also important to eat several meals a day and to chew slowly.
If you had a colostomy your doctor will advice you to eat foods that will not cause gas. So you should avoid cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli.
If you had an ileostomy you should try to avoid foods that may cause you blockage.

Stoma hernia

Stoma hernia is a stoma complication that may occur when patients are coughing or sneezing. An infection formed when the doctor performed the surgery may also be the cause of hernia. Hernia doesn't hurts but this not means that you should ignore it. If don't see a specialist complication such as intestine obstruction may occur.

Prolapsed stoma

Prolapsed stoma is a stoma complication which consists in the increased size of the stoma. Stoma becomes longer and obesity may favor this. Patients will learn to solve this by themselves but there
are cases when surgery is required.

Stoma complications

The most common stoma complications are prolapsed stoma, cut stoma, stoma hernia and retracted stoma.

Stoma covers

Stoma covers can be achieved or homemade. They are different sizes, forms and colors. Stoma covers offer a pshychological support to patients. Stoma patients can get depressed because they think they are different from the others and they think their social life will change. In real life stoma patients can have a normal social life, can work, can eat almost everything, can have kids or travel.

There are some facts that can require surgery. Cancer, Crohn 's disease, ulcerative colitis, injury, birth defects are some of these facts.
In colostomy waste is collected into a pouch and depending on the patient's condition natural elimination can be used.
There are three types of ileostomy and for each type a different pouch is used. In continent ileostomy waste is collected in an internal pouch which can be cleaned with a catheter.

In ileoanal ileostomy natural elimination is used and in standard ileostomy patients use an external pouch.
There are different types of ureterostomy: continent, double barrel, single ureterostomy, ileal conduit and bilateral transuretero. As in continent ileostomy, continent ureterostomy ,uses an internal pouch.

Do not hesitate to call or see a doctor if you have any question. Do not believe that it will solve without help. If don't go to to a specialist complications may occur.