Managing Hernia Around an Ostomy Without Surgery

I have a hernia that has developed around my ostomy. How can I get rid of it or reduce it without surgery? Any advice is appreciated.

Welcome LouiseAnn. Good question. Hope I can ease your mind.

You have definitely come to the right place for answers. I hope you stick around.

Nearly all of us ostomates have hernias. A stoma itself is a hernia technically.

The question begs, are you in any pain? How large is it? What concerns do you have most?

To get "rid of it" requires surgery. Period. And the sad part about the surgery is most repairs fail.

This is why some of us do not get rid of it.

As long as there is no pain or difficulty, what is the issue you have?

To control it as best as anyone can do is to use a belt. A hernia belt. A wrap-around belt. Others will provide name brands they have used. It helps.

Belts also aid in preventing leaks, so there is a bonus to using them every day.

And of course, no lifting is usually the prescription with a stoma. Hopefully, you were informed of that.

Sit tight, more members will answer.

Hello LouiseAnne

You may try a bespoke pair of support pants - I have very little uncut muscle across my abdomen - and as such, hernia management is challenging [not overweight - just adhesions/surgery challenges following an implant/explant of TIES device.

If you are able to avoid surgery, that is good - but do not delay, as the sooner a hernia is defined, the better the surgical outcome. Likewise, if you are to negate surgery and make sure there is no ongoing damage, so much the better.

I am writing from the UK, so I have not recommended companies over here as I guess you will have a choice in the US.

BW

~ ~ ~ waves ~ ~~

from the hills and cliffs of Wales

Jayne

Hernia. Damn hernia. The bane of ostomates worldwide.

I'm just going to reiterate Warrior and Jayne's posts. If a hernia is not causing pain or interfering with the fit/function of the wafer and bag, wear a hernia belt. Surgical fix of a hernia is a gamble; there isn't a standard fix. There are many different surgical techniques and different meshes. You could end up worse off.

There are many great belts to choose from. I use belts from Nu-Hope Corporation. There is a belt called a "Stealth Belt." Hollister makes a thin bag retention belt. Amazon has lots of belts to choose from.

If a hernia begins causing trouble, off to the surgeon ye shall go. But if it's just visual, it's belt time.

In recent years, more research is still ongoing into hernias. It is now recommended, even with a hernia, to do core exercises as research suggests it will slow down or even stop the hernia from getting bigger. You can find some safe core exercises to do with an ostomy online and look for Sarah Russell, a sports therapist. She's very highly qualified and has an ostomy herself.

How to Manage Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I agree with Ben. Learning core exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles will help prevent, or keep a small hernia from getting worse, but you do need to be careful. If you Google core exercises for ostomy, you will find some good ones. Also, to keep your hernia from getting worse, you need to look at your lifestyle and figure out what you were doing to get the hernia in the first place. Some modifications may be needed. I simply don't do many things I used to do pre-ostomy. No heavy lifting, and if you work out, no heavy core exercises, i.e., crunches.

Terry