Question:
I’ve had my ostomy since 2016. Last November I had an obstruction due to a hernia. My surgeon referred me to a surgeon specializing in laparoscopic parastomal hernias. I had my surgery on January 8/20. Unfortunately, he could not do it laparoscopic or with mesh do to scar tissue.
I now have the hernia again in the same place. Saw my surgeon and am waiting for another surgery which could be 50/50 done with mesh just placed over top. The other would be moving stoma but is a bigger surgery.
Would love some feedback about all of this. How common and other experiences.
Thank you
Response:
A parastomal hernia is one of the most common long-term complications after an abdominal ostomy. The overall incidence of parastomal hernia is unknown, but it is estimated to be over 30% by 12 months, 40% by 2 years and 50% or higher at longer duration Some estimates state up to 78% of people develop a parastomal hernia after surgery, usually within two years.
How is it repaired?
There are several surgical repair options for a parastomal hernia including:
Closing the stoma. This option is available for people with enough healthy bowel left to reattach the end that forms the stoma.
Repairing the hernia. In this type of surgery, a surgeon opens the abdominal wall over the hernia and sews the muscle and other tissues together to narrow or close the hernia. This surgery is most successful when the hernia is small.
Relocating the stoma. In some cases, a stoma with a parastomal hernia can be closed and a new stoma can be opened on another part of the abdomen. However, a new parastomal hernia can form around the new stoma.
Mesh. Mesh inserts are currently the most common type of surgical parastomal hernia repair. Either synthetic or biological mesh can be used. The biological mesh is often considered more comfortable. In this type of repair, the hernia is repaired using the same technique as in other surgeries. Then, the mesh is placed either over the repaired stoma or below the abdominal wall. Eventually, the mesh incorporates into the tissue around it. This creates a strong area in the abdomen and helps prevent the hernia from forming again.
Wishing you the best, and speedy recovery.
Jo-Ann L. Tremblay
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Our friends over at Nurses Specialized In Wound, Ostomy And Continence Canada (formerly called The Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy (CAET)) have renamed their handy look-up page on their website. It was formerly called “Find An ET Nurse” and is now called “Find a NSWOC“. Click on the image to the left or link here to go to their site.
