Question regarding soreness around stoma

[Rock_Robster]

Hi all,

Thanks for your help with my earlier question; I now have one more which i’m hoping some folk may have some experience with.

I had my ileostomy placed just under 4 weeks ago. It has been sore since the surgery (ie typical post-surgery pain), but even now the area around the stoma continues to be quite sore and painful. I am only taking paracetamol now, but it’s pretty uncomfortable. The thing is, the skin around it looks pretty good to me - not irritated or excessively red.

So my question is - how long after surgery would local pain typically persist, and is it common to get painful skin without any associated redness or irritation?

Thanks
Rob

[nickolas]

Were you cut open or was your surgery lapro? I was cut open, 4 weeks out I was just beginning to feel the pain easing up. It was 6 weeks out that I noticed I was feeling better. It was probably the 8 week mark, pain at surgery site felt mostly normal again.

Guess lapro surgery is easier and quicker to recovery from.

Nickolas

[Rock_Robster]

Were you cut open or was your surgery lapro? I was cut open, 4 weeks out I was just beginning to feel the pain easing up. It was 6 weeks out that I noticed I was feeling better. It was probably the 8 week mark, pain at surgery site felt mostly normal again.

Guess lapro surgery is easier and quicker to recovery from.

Nickolas

Thanks Nickolas, surgery was robotic so the wound sites are very small... the pain doesn’t actually seem to be an incision, just more the general area around the stoma? Almost like it’s bruised or something. Since I posted though it has been slowly improving, so maybe it’s just part of healing...

[ot dave]

I remember the first time that I felt completely normal after my surgery. Nothing hurt, nothing was bothering me or felt "out of place". I was laying in bed watching a home flipping show on a Saturday morning...it was about 6 months after the surgery. So yes, it takes some time. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Every day should get just a little bit better than the day before.

David

[nickolas]

As Karen/Button would say, that part of our body does NOT like to be man handled/manipulated. Give yourself time.

Nickolas

[smashms]

yes you are only 4 weeks out from surgery, while the outside may be healed visibly your insides take much longer to heal completely, it could take as long as a year in some cases.