How do You Care for an ileostomy?

The stoma is a small piece of your intestine that is brought to the outside of your abdominal area during ostomy surgery. Your ostomy may be permanent or temporary, and through this new opening, waste can leave the body. Even though it may seem complicated learning to care for an ileostomy at first, never fear. With practice, it should soon become a routine part of your day. This guide should help you learn to change your pouch and keep your skin comfortably free of irritation. 

How to Keep Stoma Area Skin Healthy

Take good care of the stoma because waste that comes out can irritate skin. Here are some tips to avoid skin irritation or leakage from your stoma:

• Change the pouch and barrier on schedule. Skin discomfort, such as itching, tells you it may be overdue.
• Remove the skin barrier only once per day, gently, unless you’ve had a leak. If you have a baseplate, it needs to be changed once or twice a week.
• Be sure you are using the correct size of the skin barrier and waste pouch.
• Clean stoma area skin with water–and dry it completely–before applying your skin barrier and pouch.
• Avoid skin care products with alcohol because they dry the skin, making it vulnerable to irritation.
• Don’t use oil on the skin around the stoma, because this makes it difficult to attach your pouch.
• Keep alert for skin allergies to any components or supplies, like the paste, tape, adhesive or pouch material itself. Allergies can crop up at any time, even after using the same supplies/pouch for years.
• If the pouch becomes irritating to your skin, you can use a pouch cover, or try a new brand of the pouch.
• Do a patch test before buying new products in bulk.
• Instructions from your surgeon or ostomy nurse take priority over this general advice.

Emptying Your Pouch

• Empty your pouch when it’s at around 1/3 capacity, to avoid a bulge or leakage.
• Sit on a chair facing the toilet, or straddle the toilet, as far back as possible, facing the tank.
• Toss few sheets of toilet paper into the toilet bowl help eliminate splashing as you empty.
• Grasp the pouch at the bottom.
• Open the clip at the end of the pouch.
• Begin unrolling the tail end, holding it over the toilet bowl until empty.
• Use toilet paper to wipe the pouch tail, inside and out.
• Roll up and clip the pouch tail.

Where to Get Expert Ileostomy Surgery in Los Angeles

Dr. Don Schiller is a leader in the field of ileostomy surgery. We offer the most advanced surgical options to provide the best care for you. Contact us at 323-472-9931 today.