Stoma Placement - Above or Below Belt Line?

I wanted to see where the majority of stomas are located (not which side but how high or low from belt line). Mine is right square on my belt line and I often wonder if it wouldn't be better located below the belt line for better flow into pouch. Thanks for your input. Penguins7

My ET nurse marked the area where mine would be right before the surgery. She sat me down to mark it and scraped an X with a needle so that when I sat in the future, the location wouldn't impair flow. My stoma sits about an inch and a half above my belt line.

Bain

My nurse did the same thing, but the logic would be to place the stoma just below the belt line for better flow. I have trouble when I wear a belt.

Just below my belly button and above my belt line. The ET nurse marked me with a black sharpie on both sides just in case. She was looking for a spot with no folds to help prevent any leaks. I use suspenders for my pants, found some nice rainbow ones that have a good grip.

I do fine with a belt. But it does balloon a lot when gas starts to come out....lol

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Hi everyone, my stoma is mostly located below my beltline depending upon the style slacks that I wear. Sometimes it does sit higher and I balloon like NJ Bain said. Nice, right??? ;LOL. A stoma nurse sited my spot as well. Take care. LadyHope

They put mine across from my belly button which has proved to be tricky as my stomach has a little fold there and I have to spread it out a bit to get the skin barrier to fit right. Since I have staples still in from the recent revision surgery, I have had to cut the barrier in order to not get it stuck on the staples. After they are removed, it should be less of a problem.

Mine is about an inch or so below my belly button. The output flow is good depending on how the pants fit and sometimes on if I'm sitting. My ostomy wasn't planned, my surgeon did a good job.

Mine is at the pant line. My kidney is right under the stoma upside down. So flow is a problem, I have UTIs.

Hi to you all

I had the same problem with it being on my belt line.

I purchased a StomaDome, it helps some. Mostly while driving because of the seatbelt. I now use suspenders.

Here is the website. www.stomadome.com

This is the only one on the market I could find. Cheaper if you buy 2 not 1.

Hope this helps some of you.

Ed

Mine is above my belly button about an inch!! I think they messed it up being that far up!!

Mine was done laparoscopically. From what I've read, there is a place where they can put it so there is room to get all the instruments in for the surgery. I had at least 3 extra holes. Mine is above my belly button. I'm guessing, but it was cut a short distance down the descending colon. Since it is above my beltline, there is a bulge in my shirt. For odor, when I go out, my bags come with small plastic covers that go over the vent and the gas is kept in. I go somewhere private and vent it if it gets too big. I'm not shy about my bag, and I'll tell anyone that wants to know. I have other issues, and my dignity is hanging on the stop sign at the end of the street, so wearing a bag for me isn't a problem. I'm in a wheelchair.

I agree that they should put them below the beltline. These are questions that we should have asked, but we don't know until after it's done.

Because I need a wheelchair, my ileostomy stoma is a good inch or two above my belly button. Supposedly, this is to make emptying easier, and it probably does. I still have to massage the area sometimes when air gets stuck lol

Mine is right next to my belly button. My pants waistline cuts right through the middle of the bag. I feel it should be lower.

Mine is about an inch below my belly button. I've chosen to wear suspenders and pants 2 inches bigger. However, when sitting, the beltline cuts across the middle of the bag and restricts output. This caused my last two failures as the output had nowhere to go but up. I am still learning as mine was an emergency ileostomy exactly 6 weeks ago.

The stoma doctor decides where the best placement should be according to your anatomy inside after the initial colon/small intestine surgery has been done. So, placement is different for everyone.

The stoma is a bit more than an inch below the belly button. Like others, I have had a problem with the belt line across the pouch, which affects the flow.

At first, around the house, I wore gym/jogging type pants with an elastic waist. Then I thought if I could put elastic in belt-type pants. A local seamstress did a pair for me. She put elastic across the back of the pants from side to side, leaving belt loops in case. She made them snug enough to wear without a belt but not too snug that it interfered with the flow in the pouch. I ended up having this done with a couple pairs of pants and shorts.

Mine is an end ileostomy, 5 years ago as an emergency.