Definition
A parastomal hernia repair is a hernia that forms next to your ostomy (stoma). Ostomies can be either small bowel, large bowel, permanent or temporary.
Presentation
Parastomal hernias can present as a bulge in your abdomen. It can cause your appliance to not fit properly. It can cause pain and a bowel obstruction. If you are asymptomatic, some parastomal hernias are safer to watch without operating than taking on the risks associated with surgery.
Next steps for you
If you think you have a parastomal hernia, then make an appointment with a hernia expert to discuss your options.
Imaging is useful and your surgeon will likely order a CTSCAN. This can identify the hernia size, contents, and other hernias you may or may not also have.
Repair options are numerous and include:
- open primary repair
- open mesh repair (mesh can be placed inside your abdomen or between the muscle and peritoneum).
- open stoma resiting (placing your stoma in a new location).
- laparoscopic or robotic mesh repair (with a keyhole technique or with an underlay aka Sugarbaker technique). This can be done with or without defect closure.
Some surgical risks include, but are not limited to:
Recurrences, chronic pain, bowel obstruction, enterotomy, mesh erosion, fistula, seroma, hematoma, and infection.
