Hi, Now it is one year after my husband had to go in for a ileostomy. Still we cannot manage the ostomy well. After 3 days, the flange gets crimpled up and fluid comes out disturbing the gum causing leaks. In Sri Lanka the flanges are quite expensive and we try to to keep it on for at least 7 days but since late it cannot be done due to this problem. Noticed that my husbands ostomy is not a perfect round. towards the (his) left side of the ostomy, there is an oval shaped buldge .....a bit of intestine I think because it is pink in colour, so when I cut the flange, however much I try to see that it does not rest on the part of intestine, it does rest on the buldging part and not on the skin itself. The other area of the flange rests on the skin. My thinking is that because part of the flange is resting on the intestine which is slimy, the gum gets dislodged and causes leaks. Observed that the leak is 'always' from that point only. Anyway that was how the hospital staff had placed it too after the surgery. From the time he was discharged we were having this problem of leakage and changing flanges often and no one could advise us on what is normal and what is not. Note this is a 'looped' ileostomy. We do not have WOCN is Sri Lanka and most people are not aware of this subject. Even the Emergency Medical Team whom we have engaged just change the flange and bag in the same manner and leave without any discussions. What I am doing for the past year is with interaction from forums and suppliers on the internet. I need to know whether this is NORMAL in this type of surgery or there is a solution. Or whether I am doing it correctly or NOT. Thank you very much for your care and concern. Best regards, Mary Anne
Post Edited (heamap) : 2/19/2015 9:53:59 PM (GMT-7)