Bruised Skin All Around Stoma?

Hi all. It's been 6 months since my transverse loop colostomy after a cancer diagnosis. My question is, there is bruising on the skin all around the stoma. Is this normal? Also, does anyone else get exhausted after cleaning the stoma and changing the bag? But the bruising, does anyone else have this? The stoma itself is a healthy-looking bright red. I'd really appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

Hello,

Do you wear a support belt? I wear one. Pressure from it does beat up the skin around my stoma. To help stop this, I now use a moldable barrier ring. I cut the wafer hole much bigger than my stoma size. So the ring seals around the stoma, and the wafer seals to the ring. This has helped reduce skin damage.

Since I've had my colostomy, the skin bordering my stoma has been a very dull reddish color. Seems that's just the way it is.

I change the wafer once every 7 days. I use a 2-piece system, so I change bags 2 to 3 times a week. When changing the wafer, I take it slow and don't rush. If I don't have time, I do it the next day.

Did the bruising just start or is it new? It's going to sound like a weird question, but there's a reason I'm asking. What color is the bruising?

Hello Scotspilgrim.

If it is of any help, I have had what looks like a 'bruise' or a blood blister all round my stoma  since its inception. (a decade or so) It is about 1.5 inches wide and quite dark in colour.  As far as I know it has not caused me any problems, so for the most part I simply ignore it. The stoma nurse has seen it several times and not commented unfavourably about it. 
I have always presumed it to be where the colon is near the surface and is butting up against the inside of the skin.

I'm looking forward to reading what other people have to say about this, as I haven't seen the question raised before.
Best wishes

Bill

PS: Oh yes! I often get exhausted after sorting out my stoma.

Do you use a convex wafer?

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Hello Scots!

I too am going to ask if you use a convex wafer... and also what you mean when you say bruised.

I guess you mean that the skin is intact but has an "abnormal" color to it?

If that is the case, no need to worry :-)

As mentioned before, I too use a convex wafer and that "pushes" on the skin around the stoma, which makes it look like it's livid...

It worried me at the beginning as I thought I was doing something wrong, but both the stoma nurse and surgeon said it's "just" the constant pressure of the convex wafer and it will stay until I need to use convex... so potentially forever.

But again, not an issue :-)

Same question here about a convex wafer. The pressure from them will discolor your skin. Freaked me out the first time I saw it. But then, logic intervened. :-)

In regards to exhaustion cleaning your stoma, the best thing you can do for it is a nice warm, naked shower with a soap that doesn't have moisturizers. Your skin will applaud you.

Daniel

Bruising is bluish, like a darkish blue bruise. It showed up about 2 weeks ago?

Use a Hollister 54200. Put on a barrier ring and then attach the bag, which is already attached to what I think you guys call the wafer, which we cut to size. The wafer is flat.

Use a Hollister 54200. Put on a barrier ring and then attach the bag, which is already attached to what I think you guys call the wafer, which we cut to size. The wafer is flat.

Use a Hollister 54200. Put on a barrier ring and then attach the bag, which is already attached to what I think you guys call the wafer, which we cut to size. The wafer is flat. Bruising is a bruised-looking bluish ring on the skin

right around the stoma.

Well?

When I tried convex bags, I had bruising too right around the stoma where the convex part was. Went back to regular flat bags, no issues. You might have the hole cut too tight, restricting the stoma from its normal expansion/contraction moves.

I don't know what bag that is in Hollister. I use Coloplast. But if it is a convex, when I used convex I had the same issue. I was bruised so black and blue, it looked like someone beat me up. Needless to say, I use a flat wafer.

The color of the bruising rules out what I was thinking. Has it changed at all since you first posted the question?

Like Alex mentioned, the wafer hole might be too close in size to your stoma. I cut my wafer hole much bigger than my stoma. Use a barrier ring to seal around the stoma. This solved most of my skin trouble.

When I sit or bend down, my lower belly pushes the wafer up against the bottom of my stoma, causing skin damage. I use the crusting technique at every wafer change to limit skin irritation and damage. Today I'm trying out a new plan: cutting the wafer hole much larger at the bottom to hopefully diminish this problem.