Tummy Tuck with Ileostomy - Seeking Advice

Wondering if anyone has had a tummy tuck while they had an ileostomy. After a year of leaks and daily bag changes and skin breakdown, my surgeon, with the assistance of a plastic surgeon, is going to perform a tummy tuck in an effort to make the pouching surface flatter and hopefully fix my issues. Has anyone had this experience?

My response is somewhat of an aside rather than a direct answer.  I could probably use a good tummy tuck, since mine has pooched out noticably over the last ten years or so.  Yet -- and here's the point I wish to convey -- even tho' I'm putting my skin barrier down onto a distinctly NOT flat tummy, I never have leaks.  This might suggest that your leakage issue relates to something other than the size of your tummy.  Surgeons love to do surgeries; that's how they make their living.  I would have a substantive meeting with a good ostomy nurse before agreeing to go under the knife, or vacuum, or whatever they use for those procedures.  Just sayin'....   Good luck to you.   HenryM

Hi

Henry is right... get a second opinion. My stomach started flat as a young woman, 2 babies, and now rounded tummy, and this does not cause leaks usually. Take care

Hi... I have an ileostomy and had many surgeries in my abdomen before this one. I asked my surgeon why I have this larger than normal tummy even on the other side of my ileostomy. I had one tummy tuck 25 years ago. He explained that all that is scar tissue and will be there, outside of having a tummy tuck. My ileostomy surgeon and other surgeons have advised me no. I met a man and he didn't mind my pouch next to my pouch. More to squish and hold... so be content with your body. I have no muscles left to pull it in, so I just deal.

I have worked with two local ostomy nurses for over a year and have also worked with a nurse representative from Convatec. That nurse actually suggested a particular procedure, but it was determined that this was the better route. I didn't go into a lot of detail about my specific situation... didn't want to bore anybody! But my surgeon would have never agreed to another surgery with me if he didn't truly believe it would help.  

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I guess I should've clarified. This isn't a cosmetic procedure. I don't mind being "squishy" or even a little chubby. I'm perfectly comfortable with my body. The issue is that because of the way my skin folds and the location of my stoma combine to make a terrible surface for a pouch to stick. Picture a traffic cone (stoma) sitting in a deep ditch (the surrounding skin)....even with a convex appliance I can't get a good fit. I suggested the surgery as a fix for my issue. My surgeon reached out to a plastic surgeon and they came up with a plan.

I understand better now... you need to correct it, yes, to avoid a major issue. If your dr is good, then it should be good. Keep me posted and good luck.

Ritz

Hi, it sounds like by your comments about this that you have pretty much made your mind up to go with the surgery. You and you alone can make that decision to have the surgery. I do hope that you will let us know the outcome. I am sure you have discussed the pros and cons of this. Best of luck.

Rebecca

 

"My pouch next to my pouch".... You have a way with words, kid.  Perhaps Bill will metamorphose that into verse.  Stay well.  :)

I, on the other hand, had to see a kidney doctor today. My levels are elevated...need to see my gastroenterologist to see films if my ileostomy is okay. Yuck.

The last thing I want is a second bag.

I was told no way to plastic surgery or a tummy tuck with my ileostomy, and I live in the plastic surgery capital of the world! I got a second and third opinion due to the fact that my left side is bigger than my ostomy side and appears off! But they all said the same, no. Heck, I was also paying cash upfront on the table.

The plastic surgeon is getting paid upfront out of pocket! My surgeon just really wants to help me get back to some sort of normalcy, and he will be reshaping my stoma during the process.

I would imagine most plastic surgeons wouldn't want to deal with the risks of infection that come with an ostomy.

Like I told the plastic surgeon....I'm not trying to get fine so I can wear a bikini on the beach. I just don't want to be in constant fear of sh&*ing on myself in public.

Goldman... Heck, I thought Arizona here was plastic surgery central! Here, I was told the same thing, no

Wow. It would seem that an operation to correct a stoma that is in a place that cannot support it and does not allow it to work properly, that your insurance would cover that! I had a plastic surgeon do my Barbie Butt and the incision goes from just below my breastbone down to my bikini line. My stoma was placed in a really good spot but it would have been too close to my belly button so the surgeon just moved my belly button over. I teased him about it asking if he knew any plastic surgeon that could draw a straight line. Lol

This is not pretty but it made my ostomy life way better than it would have been. This has also caused one side to be more puffy, the opposite side of my pouch. I am probably the only person that notices it.
Do what you feel comfortable with. I could never imagine having to deal with leaks as long as you have. I did the first few months until I found the pouch system that worked for me.
Pup

Hey guys, yes I had reconstructive abdominal surgery in order to get my ileostomy stoma to stay put.

First huge bit of advice: stop calling it a "tummy tuck" and start using the term abdominoplasty. This is the medical term and keeps it from looking like you want it for cosmetic purposes. Since I weighed a reported 340 pounds at the time, not like I wouldn't have gone for something like that, but the reality was after four revisions I still kept having what is called mucocutaneous separation. Unfortunately, although it was determined medically necessary so the insurance did, in fact, pay for it, they would only pay for the abdominoplasty on the right side where the stoma was, and so I was completely lopsided after the surgery. Since no one warned me about this, I did not have the opportunity to select paying to have the other side done at the same time. (Ridiculous because I could not have afforded it even had I been given the choice.) Anyway, just a suggestion of something to discuss with your plastic surgeon; medical necessity must be well-documented before you can attempt to have insurance or Medicare pay for the procedure. For those of you on straight Medicare with no secondary, remember you are responsible for 20% unless they keep you for an inpatient stay.

Surgery is done and I'm back home. Pouching surface is definitely flatter! I still have drains and everything is very swollen but this procedure has definitely fixed the issue. I haven't seen what everything looks like because I'm not supposed to "stand up" straight yet. I'll keep you posted if you're interested.

Great news. Thanks for sharing. Keep us updated.

Rebecca

No, I didn't have such an experience. Still, if your plastic surgeon is ready to do this surgery on his own responsibility, you should do it.

I didn't have such a complicated situation as yours, and I just had a tummy tuck almost three years ago. It wasn't very complicated.

I didn't have such a complicated situation as yours, and I just had a tummy tuck almost three years ago. It wasn't very complicated. However, if you want to speak with more specialists and know different opinions, here is where I did my intervention: https://www.visageclinic.com/cosmetic-surgery/tummy-tuck/. They are trustworthy, and you can fully trust them. Moreover, you can be sure they are good professionals. I saw the results immediately, and I am more than satisfied I decided to do the intervention.

Most people don't get this situation. It was the first time I'm getting to know about such situations during the surgeries. I heard about some great experiences from other forums when I was researching tummy reduction methods. From the research, we can conclude that it's very important to find an experienced and well-knowledged surgeon before doing any surgery, especially plastic surgery, to get satisfactory results.

https://www.drkreidstein.com/body/body-contour-surgery/tummy-tuck-abdominoplasty/

Hello, I've only been on this site for a year but am so thrilled with all the different types of advice and support from everyone! Thank you! I hope all of your outcomes above have been fabulous and a huge help to a pouch system now secure from so many leaks. I am considering a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. I would prefer a Mommy Makeover (silly, at 52 years old) but would help with the skin puckering/dimpled around the stoma plus the extra "apron of fat/skin" hanging just below it pulling on the stoma, which as you know, pulls on the pouch device, causing frequent leaks from not good adhesion around the stoma. Since several of you had the abdominoplasty with a plastic surgeon AND a colon/rectal surgeon performing the surgery, was the cost exceptionally high? You don't have to give me exact figures but an estimated ballpark would be nice. My location is in the Minneapolis, MN suburbs where my colon/rectal surgeon is located. He is actually a twin, whose brother is a plastic surgeon in Mexico City. I've teased him that I would love to pay him to fly out to Mexico, pay for him and his brother to perform a Mommy Makeover he handle the Ileostomy I have. I need to approach him a bit more seriously. But the seed is planted. haha Any advice? I really there are other doctors out there with experience and appreciate the doctors listed above. Thank you, I'd really appreciate. Colene