Ostomy Care and Management
Pre, and post, surgical-procedure education greatly benefits patients requiring ostomy surgery. An ostomy (or stoma) is a surgically created opening in the body that replaces a normal opening. Stomas serve as new sites for basic bodily functions. The goal of our ostomy care team is to help people with stomas learn to use them with the least disruption to their normal lives.
Our experts are available to consult with stoma patients before, and after, their surgical procedures including:
- Colostomy
- Ileostomy
- Urostomy
Learning to care for your stoma and otsomy
Our nurses will teach you how to care for your stoma and ostomy including how to choose and maintain the pouch systems and appliances. If difficulties such as leakage or skin irritation develop, we can help correct the problem.
Pre-op patients
are offered education on:
- What to expect
- What supplies and equipment will be needed
- How to maintain equipment
- How to care for their stoma
Post-op patients
are offered continued education on:
- Care of stoma
- Bowel training
- emotional support
The most common issues with a stoma (the opening where the appliance is placed) are leakage, skin irritation, skin breakdown and skin infections in the area surrounding the stoma. Most ostomy difficulties can be avoided with proper care. Consultation with our ostomy nurses can effectively prevent or correct problems. To learn more about how our ostomy experts can help you care for your stoma and ostomy, call 229-312-7600.