Stoma care

Get in touch

To speak to someone about this information, contact our physical health team.

Phone: 0191 333 3584

Stoma

Stomas can either be temporary or permanent depending on the reason for having the stoma.

A healthy stoma should be:

Red and moist
Protruding from the skin
Opening of stoma should be in the centre
Surrounding skin should be intact

Types of Stoma

Colostomy

Located on the left side of your stomach with an opening from your large intestine. You will use a closed pouch/bag. The output should be soft and formed with some wind.

Ileostomy

Located on the right side of your stomach with an opening from your small intestine. You will use a drainable pouch/bag. The output should be loose and some wind.

Urostomy

Located in the stomach with an opening from the urinary tract. Stents may be in place following your operation. You will use a drainable pouch/bag with a tap. You will also use a night drainage bag overnight. The output will be urine and mucus.

Stoma Pouch Change

Equipment

Clean stoma bag
Scissors and measuring device (if pouch is not pre-cut)
Gauze
Warm tap water
Disposal bag
Adhesive remover (if needed)

Procedure

Wash hands using soap and water/ or alcohol-based had rub.
If using a drainable bag, empty contents into a disposable container before removing the bag.
Peel the adhesive away from the skin slowly and gently with one hand while applying gentle pressure to the skin with the other hand.
Fold the bag in two to ensure nothing spills out and place in a disposable bag.
Using a piece of gauze soaked in tap water, remove the excess faeces or mucus from the stoma.
Check your skin and stoma for any abnormalities such as ulceration or sores. If the skin and stoma are a healthy you can continue. If abnormalities are present then report these to your Stoma Care Nurse, Physical Healthcare Practitioner or Medic.
Wash skin and stoma with gauze soaked in warm water until clean.
Dry skin gently but thoroughly.
If you do not have pre-cut bags, measure and cut appliance leaving a 3mm gap.
Apply the clean bag.
Dispose of all soiled tissues, containers and used bag.
Wash hands using soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.

Potential problems

If you notice any of these things, you must tell a healthcare professional.

Infection

You may have:

Swelling
Inflammation
Discharge
Odour

Blockage

Signs of this could include:

No output
Liquid stool (not normal to you)
Bloating/abdominal pain
Cramps
Swollen site
Nausea and vomiting

Bleeding from stoma site

Skin problems