There are a number of reasons that surgical intervention may be required to create a stoma, including congenital deformities, chronic diseases, cancer and injury. The procedure involves creating an opening in the skin of the abdomen for part of the intestine, to divert waste (stools or urine) out of the body.
The stomatherapy team offer inpatient follow-up care primarily in the GI surgery department, but also in all Hôpital La Tour’s other departments, as needed. They provide inpatient support for the individual both pre- and post-operatively, and outpatient consultations for continuity of follow-up care when the patient returns home.
The primary aim is to give the individual as much independence as possible in managing their care, but also to prevent or to treat any complications. This involves assessing the individual’s needs and developing customised follow-up care for them.
The stomatherapist’s work encompasses a broad range of skills. In addition to providing follow-up care for individuals with a stoma, they may assist with any problems of urinary or faecal incontinence (helping the patient to learn about their condition, to self-catheterise, etc.).
Stomatherapist referrals are made by surgeons (GI surgery and Urology) and primary care physicians.