Stoma care

A stoma (or a fistula from the Greek) is a surgical projection of the lumen of an internal organ directly onto the skin surface. Most often, stomas are performed to allow the excretion (excretory stoma) of urine or feces when natural excretion is not possible (e.g. due to illness). The fistula between the large and small intestines is called colostomy and ileostomy, respectively. The connection between the urinary tract and the skin is called a urostomy. Stoma emergence may be performed on the patient’s abdomen or back, either permanently or temporarily. The stoma is pink in color, moist and painless to the touch (no innervation), so special attention should be paid to proper care. Inadvertent damage to your stoma may not be noticeable at first. The skin around the excretory opening is exposed to excrement and may become irritated.

When caring for the stoma, the size of the opening in the bag should be carefully adjusted to the size of the hole in the skin, the connection should be tight and the skin around the fistula should be healthy. There are two types of ostomy bags on the market – one-piece and two-piece. In one-piece sets, the skin plate and the bag are permanently attached to each other and have to be replaced at the same time. In the case of two-piece equipment, the plate is attached to the skin and the bag itself is changed. Special preparations available in pharmacies and medical stores are helpful in maintaining the tightness of connections (the ostomy bag must adhere very closely to the skin).

The scope of medical services provided by our mobile nursing service includes care for a patient with an emergent excretory stoma. During home visits, nurses take care of the patient’s skin around the stoma, replace the stoma bags and assess the stoma for possible abnormalities. We have many years of experience in caring for patients who have had: colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. Each time we select appropriate bags to ensure the patient’s comfort and safety. We also educate the patient and his family in the field of self-care.