Guidelines for post-ostomy care

For many friends who have just had an ostomy, there will be various problems in the process of caring for the ostomy that bothers us. It is very important to know how to care for it correctly. It can reduce the related complications that may occur after surgery. In addition to mastering the routine stoma care methods, you also need to do the following. Let's take a look.

First, learn to observe the stoma:

1. Observe the wound at the stoma suture: First, observe the wound at the stoma suture. There will be redness at the stoma suture, which is the most common manifestation at the beginning of the operation. If the wound is red and swollen, you can clean it with warm water and disinfect it with povidone-iodine 3 times every time you change the chassis. After drying, follow the routine stoma replacement process. In case of severe bleeding, it is recommended to seek medical attention. It is normal to have a small amount of bleeding at the wound in the early stage after surgery. The chassis should not be too tight or too hard. It is recommended to use a softer chassis. Of course, if there are more and more severe pains at the stoma, you should seek medical treatment in time.

2. Observe the stoma chassis: Regarding the chassis, we recommend replacing it for no more than 3 days. Once leakage is found in the chassis, replace it in time to avoid infection at the wound, which is not conducive to wound healing.

3. Observe the stoma mucosa: first observe whether the stoma mucosa is alive, because the stoma itself is the intestinal mucosa, and under normal blood supply, the stoma is beef red or light red, with a smooth, moist, and elastic surface. It is not normal for the stoma to turn white, purple, or black. In this case, you should consult the surgeon for feedback and seek help in time. Generally, the abnormal blood supply of the stoma may be accompanied by unsmooth defecation and exhaust, abdominal pain, etc. You need to pay attention to your own exhaust. In addition, stoma patients may also experience stoma edema after surgery: there may be swollen and shiny and then translucent. Generally, edema is normal after surgery, and it will last for about 4-6 weeks and slowly subside on its own. However, if the edema is particularly severe, you need to seek medical treatment in time. The hospital will use hyperosmolar magnesium sulfate wet compress or cooperate with other treatment methods to reduce swelling.

Choice of ostomy bag:

According to the characteristics of different types of colostomy, choose different ostomy bags :

Ascending colostomy and transverse colostomy: one-piece or two-piece open pocket, the one-piece open pocket is the best choice.

Descending colostomy and sigmoid colostomy: one-piece open bag or closed bag, two-piece open or closed bag are acceptable; if there is a lot of exhaust gas, it is recommended to choose an ostomy bag with carbon filter; Optional mini bag available

The operation process of stoma replacement chassis:

1. Clean the skin with warm water: measure the size of the stoma, cut the center hole of the chassis, and the cut size should be 2-3mm larger than the stoma;

2. Skin Protective Powder: Spray evenly on the skin for 10-20 minutes to remove the excess floating powder;

3. Skin Protective Spray: Apply evenly on the skin and let it dry. The stoma powder and skin protectant can be repeated 3 times; if the skin condition is not good, it takes more time to dry;

4. Skin Protective Paste: fixed around the stoma and then pressed into shape;

5. Wear the ostomy bag, take the supine position or standing position, press the adhesive from bottom to top with your hands to make it close to the skin, and press the ostomy bag with your palm for 5-10 minutes;

6. After tearing off the ostomy bag, if there is residual glue, you can also spray the glue remover to remove the excess glue.

Cleaning - powder - protection - drying - ointment - bag - removal

General care tips for stoma skin :

1. Protect the skin around the stoma, reducing the stimulation of intestinal juice, and preventing the occurrence of stoma dermatitis.

2. When changing the stoma bag, cover the stoma with a soft paper towel to prevent excrement from flowing out and contaminating the skin around the stoma.

3. When wiping off the excrement on the stoma, choose soft paper towels to avoid rough objects that damage the intestinal mucosa.

4. When changing the ostomy bag, clean the skin around the stoma with warm water, and do not use alkaline soap, disinfectant, or chemicals to avoid skin irritation.

5. Observe whether the skin around the stoma is damaged, and use skin protection agents routinely if possible; if the skin of the stoma is uneven, you can use special items such as leak-proof ointment or leak-proof strips to fill up the sunken skin next to the stoma, so that the stoma bag and Skin tight to prevent leakage.

6. When changing the stoma bag, measure the stoma size correctly.

7. Do not apply lotion, etc., so as not to affect the stickiness of the ostomy bag.

8. Replace the ostomy bag in time to avoid contamination of the incision by excrement, and protect the incision with a transparent sticker if necessary.

Care for the stoma, learn stoma knowledge, and care for yourself.

For more information on Innomed® Ostomy Pouch, refer to the previous articles. If you have customized needs, you are welcome to contact us; we will serve you wholeheartedly. At Longterm Medical, we transform this data by innovating and developing products that make life easier for those who need loving care.

Editor: kiki Jia

Date: February 24, 2023